Mutton Curry

7 out of 10 times, I pressure cook Mutton. But it is not about the times I do; it is about the times I don’t. They are out of the ordinary sacred days for me. I have grown up hearing stories from my Mother, how Didu (My Maternal Grand Mother) always made Mutton for Dinner as there were no Gas cylinders then neither was there a Pressure Cooker; hence, Didu started cooking her Mutton once the family had had their lunch & she was done with her morning chores; on slow flame on the Mud stove in a simple Indian wok which would cook through the afternoon into the evening. I have only dreamt of the heavenly & earthy delectable taste this method would produce, but have never been fortunate to try it as both Gas cylinder & Pressure Cooker were invented before I was born. Not that Didu failed to wave her magical wand with her Mutton Curry with the advent of contemporary resources but my wild desire to taste the Mud Stove Mutton has never come true till date.

This is the only thought which crosses my mind on days like this, when I do not pressure cook my Mutton. I am sure this, in no way, comes even a wee bit close in taste to Didu’s ‘slow-cooked-mud-stove-Mutton-Curry’, still this preparation is totally dedicated to my Maternal Grand Parents & the immense love & blessings they have showered on me, always.

The plan of cooking this Mutton happened a little later in the day; hence I did not get enough time to marinate my Mutton. Many marinate this Mutton for a few hours, some overnight; I could give only 30 minutes to the marinade today; therefore, I certify this will taste incredible even otherwise. Try it!

Here is what we will need:

Mutton (Goat Meat) – 750 gms – cut into medium pieces

Onions – 2 – medium – thinly sliced

Garlic – 1 pod, mine gave 25 cloves – small & medium

Ginger – 2” piece

Green Chillies – 6-7 (use to your taste)

Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp

Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp

Cumin Powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp

Cinnamon – like in the picture, I used 3 small sticks

Green Cardamoms – 4

Black Cardamoms – 2

Cloves – 4-5

Bay Leaves – 2-3

Coriander leaves – 2-3 sprigs –to garnish

Mustard Oil – 2 tbsp + 3 tbsp

Salt to taste

A pinch of Sugar to caramelize the Onions

Preparation:

·         Wash Mutton clean. Marinate with Ginger-Garlic-Green Chilli Paste, Red Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder, Cumin Powder, Turmeric Powder & top it with 2 tbsps of Mustard Oil and set aside for 30 minutes.

·         Heat 3 tbsps of Mustard Oil in a Pan, add Bay Leaves, Cardamoms, Cinnamon & Cloves & let them sizzle.

·         Add a pinch of Sugar to the hot Oil for Onions to caramelize which go in next.

·         Add the sliced Onions, fry till the Onions get a nice golden texture like in the picture.

·         Add the Mutton pieces & fry for about 5 minutes.

·         Add Salt, give it a mix & cover.

·         Check back after about 45 minutes, when the moisture released from the Mutton will all dry up. Do check once in a every 10 minutes & give it a good mix.

·         Once all the moisture has dried up, add desired quantity of warm water (do not use normal water).

·         Cover and cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, stir in between as mentioned earlier to avoid any surprises :P

·         Cut through a piece of Mutton with a fork & check, it should be

 soft & succulent by now. Once you have desired amount of gravy turn off the stove. Add warm water at any stage if you need.

·         Garnish with some sprigs of Coriander.

·         Serve with Plain White Rice on a Sunday afternoon ;) Happy Cooking!