1. With a sharp knife, make several incisions in the meat. Place the leg of lamb in a large deep roasting pan. Reserve.

2. In a small bowl, soak the turmeric in 2 tablespoons of boiling water.

3. In a blender, mix at high speed the ginger, garlic, lemon zest and juice, cumin, cardamom, cloves, turmeric, chili powder, and salt until a paste is formed. With a spatula, spread the paste over the meat. Reserve for 1 hour.

4. Meanwhile, put the almonds, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and half of the yogurt in the blender. Mix to form a thick puree.

5. Transfer the puree to a small bowl and mix with the remaining yogurt; spread over the leg of lamb on top of the spice paste. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

6. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

7. Remove the pan from the refrigerator and let it warm up to room temperature. Sprinkle the meat with the remaining brown sugar.

8. Slide the pan into the oven and roast uncovered for 20 minutes.

9. Reduce the oven to 350°F and cook for 1 hour.

10. Reduce the temperature to 300°F, cover the pan with aluminum foil; cook for 4 hours, basting occasionally.

11. Remove the pan from the oven. Remove the leg of lamb and place it on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Wrap it completely and put it back in the turned-off oven.

12. With a metal spoon, remove most of the fat from the pan.

13. Put the pan over medium heat and bring the sauce to a boil for 4 minutes or until it is reduced by half. Remove the pan from the heat.

14. Remove the leg of lamb from the oven; remove the aluminum foil. Place the leg of lamb on a hot serving platter. Drizzle the meat with sauce and serve immediately.