Ask an Indian (who is a hardcore carnivore) what his or her favorite kind of meat is and more often than not the answer would be mutton.
While I am not a big fan of this meat myself, I totally understand why one would say so. It is quite versatile. One can make mutton curry, mutton cutlets, keema parathas, and what not with mutton. It is also very flavorful. However, a lot of the flavor is dependant on finding the right kind of meat and preparing it the right way.
When in Hong Kong we always struggle to find the right kind of mutton. Hence the India trips have to be made the most of.
The one-pot (pressure cooker) mutton curry, which my mother makes always, hits the spot. It is an extremely simple and foolproof recipe provided the ingredients, including the masala, are of good quality. In my experience, somehow the packaged masalas just do not do the trick.
I am sharing here the recipe for both – the meat masala and the garam masala prepared from scratch along with the mutton curry recipe. This is how my mum makes her garam masala. You might find it slightly different from the more commonly available recipes but it tastes just as good. Do give it a shot and I am sure you would love it. For vegetarians, you could use this meat masala in your regular curries like cauliflower, etc for that heady flavor and aroma.
Ingredients
- For Garam Masala:
- Cinnamon- 4 two inch sticks of medium thickness
- Bay leaves- 4
- Black cardamom (badi elaichi)- 2
- Green cardamom (choti elaichi)-4
- Cloves- ½ teaspoon
- Mace- 3 strands
- Black cumin seeds (shah jeera)- ½ teaspoon
- Cumin seeds (jeera)- ½ teaspoon
- Black pepper (gol mirch)- ½ teaspoon
- For Meat Masala:
- Cumin (jeera) powder- 5 teaspoons
- Black pepper powder- 5 teaspoons
- Turmeric powder- 5 teaspoons
- Red Chili powder- 2 teaspoons (you can reduce this amount as per taste)
- Garam Masala (prepared as above)- 3 teaspoons
- Coriander Powder- 12 teaspoons
- For Mutton Curry:
- Mutton or lamb (cleaned and cut into desired size pieces, preferably 2 inches long)- 1 kg
- Onions, medium sized, sliced fine (preferably red onions of Indian variety)- 6-8
- Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
- Bay leaf- 2 small
- Cinnamon sticks- ½ inch
- Black and green whole cardamoms- 2 and 4 pieces each
- Star anise- 1 whole flower
- Mace- One small portion
- Black pepper- ½ teaspoon
- Cloves- 4 pieces
- Ginger paste- 2 teaspoons
- Garlic paste-1 teaspoon
- Green chili -3 or to taste
- Red chili powder-1 teaspoon or to taste
- Garam Masala-2 teaspoons
- Meat Masala- ½ teaspoon
- Salt-2 teaspoons or to taste
- Chopped coriander for garish- 2 tablespoons
- Mustard oil or ghee- 2 tablespoons
Instructions
- For Garam Masala:
- Dry roast the ingredients one at a time in a dry iron skillet, stirring continuously till they release a distinct aroma and set aside to cool
- Once the spices have thoroughly cooled, powder finely in a blender. In case there are any coarse pieces, pass the blended mixture through a sieve and blend again to achieve a perfectly smooth consistency
- Store in an air tight container in a cool and dry place
- For Meat Masala:
- Mix all the above ingredients well in a wide plate and store in an air-tight container in a cool and dry place
- When using this meat masala, you need not add turmeric, coriander and red chili powder separately in the curry
- For Mutton Curry:
- Heat oil or ghee in a thick-bottomed wok or pressure cooker
- Add the whole garam masala (cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon sticks, black and green whole cardamoms, star anise, mace, black pepper, clove) and roast until they start to release fragrance, then add the sliced onions. On a medium-high flame stir the onions for a minute or two (they do not need to turn brown), then add the mutton and keeping the flame on medium mix well for another minute
- Mix the ginger, garlic, green chili, garam masala, and red chili powder to a blender and blend to make a smooth paste. Add this smooth paste to the mutton and mix well
- Cover and cook until the meat is 80 percent done. If using a wok remove the cover and stir intermittently once or twice; uncovering it too often would delay the cooking time. If using a pressure cooker, cook with the lid on a high flame for 7-10 minutes, then release the pressure and take off the lid
- Give it a nice stir and add salt and cook on a medium-high flame till a desired consistency of gravy is achieved. You can adjust the amount of onions to achieve the desired consistency of gravy, more onions for a richer, thicker gravy
- Serve with steamed rice and side on salt-pepper-lime onions and cucumber
Notes
Calories (per serving)- 294 Nutrition- Protein/Monounsaturated fat/Iron/Zinc/Potassium/Vitamin B12 It does wonders for your- Muscles/Anemia/Stamina This is “My 1pm Meal”
[kkstarratings]
