Mutton curries need spices. Not necessarily a lot of chillies and heat, but whole spices. Or maybe it’s the south Indian in me who likes it like that. I’ve had mild curries as well and they’ve tasted fantastic. But cooking meat with a robust spice mix is glorious by itself. To balance the spices I mixed in some fresh coriander and mint. It’s pretty much how I make the masala for biryani but turned into curry, of course. If you want to lighten it, add some coconut milk or whipped yoghurt.
Yield:
Will feed a family of 4
Prep time:
20 mins
Cooking time:
25-30 mins
Ingredients:
Mutton on the bone – 700 gm (or up to a kilo)
Marinade:
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Yoghurt/dahi – 2 tbsp
Masala:
Coriander – 2 handfuls
Mint – 1 handful
Cinnamon – 1 inch stick
Cloves – 1 tsp
Whole pepper – 2 tsp
Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
Jeera/cumin seeds – 2 tsp
Poppy seeds/khus khus – 1 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Kashmiri chillies/dried red chillies – 4 (deseeded 2)
Small dried red chillies/gundu chillies – 3
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Garlic – 3 cloves
Coconut – 1 cup grated
Other ingredients:
Onion – 1 sliced
Tomato puree – 2 tbsp
Tamarind pulp – 1 tbsp
Oil/ghee to cook
Salt to taste
Method:
Marinade mutton with mentioned ingredients overnight.
To make the masala, grease your nonstick pan with some oil/ghee and roast all the ingredients together except ginger, garlic and coconut. Roast them till fragrant or till all the mustard seeds have popped.
Take it off the heat and now roast the coconut till lightly brown in colour.
Grind all the ingredients in your mixer with some water to make a fine paste.
Heat oil/ghee in a pressure cooker and saute onions till translucent.
Tip the mutton in and then half the masala (store the other half in an air tight container in your fridge).
Add the tomato puree, tamarind pulp mixed with some water and salt.
Add 2 cups of water and cook on high heat till the curry bubbles.
Now put the lid on and wait till 2 whistles are let out.
Turn the heat down and cook for exactly 20 mins.
Let the pressure drop on its own before you take the lid off.
Check for salt and adjust.
At this point you can add coconut milk if you want it lighter and simmer for 2-3 mins.
Serve hot with rice/roti.
