Just A Mutton Curry

There are so many mutton curries and I thought real hard to find a name for this one but since I could not arrive at a name, I am naming it Just A Mutton Curry. I picked up this recipe from Naik Gandharv of 9 Jak Rifles of Indian Army at Alwar, Rajasthan. Every time I had an opportunity to have food in their mess, I found the mutton curry simply delicious. I finally confronted him and asked him the name of the dish. While he tried to tell me few names, I was convinced that the magic was his own.

His lessons gave me a new insight into cooking meat. Lesson No 1 he taught me was that the key is in selecting the meat. Usually all of us go to the butcher and ask him for a kilo of meat and this guy just cuts pieces from various cuts and makes the kilo. That is a big NO when it comes to cooking meat as the mixed meat will vary in taste. The best way is to pick up a whole piece like a leg or rack (rib chops) or flank as per your liking. Ask the butcher to weigh it and buy the whole piece. With advances in refrigeration, the portions will not go bad. The next lesson is slightly difficult and only those who like it should attempt it; cut the mutton yourself. There are many reasons for it but the biggest being the chopping blocks in these shops are generally dirty and secondly meat if not cut properly can loose its taste. Wash the piece thoroughly and thereafter cut the mutton with a sharp knife. Avoid making a hash of the meat and each cut should be neat and clean. The bone can be separated out if it is a leg or shoulder piece. Now separate the cuts into portions and packet it before refrigerating it. Do not forget to drain the meat before finally packing it.

Now the Mutton Curry

Ingredients

• Mutton - 1/2 Kg
• Refined Oil - 150 ml
• Onion - 4 large ones
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 table spoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tablespoon
• Coriander Powder - 4 tablespoon
• Chili Powder - 1 1/2 tablespoon
• Meat Masala of your choice - 2 tablespoon
• Garam Masala - 2 tablespoon (Avoid buying it and make it at home)
• Potato - 2 medium size
• Tomato - 4 large ones
• Green Coriander Leaves - 1 bunch

Making the Gram Masala

• Cloves - 6-8
• Cinnamon Stick - 1
• Green Cardamom - 8-10
• Black Cardamom - 5-6
• Star Aniseed - 2
• Poppy Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Fennel - 1 table spoon

Put all the ingredients in a mortar and pestle and grind it to fine powder. No packeted masala can have so much flavour.

The Curry
Take a pressure cooker and pour the oil into it. When the oil becomes hot put thinly sliced onion into the oil and saute it till it turns translucent. Add the turmeric, coriander and chili powder into the mix and keep stirring it. Turn down the flame so that the masalas do not burn. Keep stirring it and soon you will find the oil leaving the mix. At this time add the ginger garlic paste and give a stir followed by the meat. Ginger garlic paste tends to catch the bottom and get burned if left for a long time, so always add the paste followed by the meat. Keep stirring till the mutton is coated by the masalas and the pores sealed keeping the juices inside the meat cuts. Cut the potatoes into medium size pieces and put the same also into the mix and keep stirring. When the oil separates from the mix finely chop the tomatoes and drop it into the cooker. Keep stirring till the tomatoes blends into the mix. Now is the time to add the salt. Never add salt earlier as it will drain the juices from the meat cuts if added earlier. Now is the time to adjust the taste by adding any of the ingredients till the taste is as per your choice. Once the curry is to your choice add the garam masala and top the mix with water. Pressure cook for 15 minutes or five whistles. Once it cools transfer the curry into a serving dish and add finely chopped coriander leaves before serving.

Just before serving add about 7 ladles of love and your friends will lick their fingers.