SUNDAY MUTTON CURRY

There was a time when Sundays were synonymous with mutton curry in every other Indian household. Those were the times when people cared less about calories and more about satiating their taste buds. As times changed, people became more and more health-conscious and the appearance of mutton on our dinner tables slowly started dipping. The rare appearance further contributed to elevating the good old mutton curry to a cult food status, a much cherished and widely loved Indian food. Mutton curry can be prepared in multiple ways, probably every household has its own version. The 'Sunday Mutton Curry' is my recipe, the way my family likes it and every single time I make it, my kitchen smells heavenly!

It is one of those rare foods that brings out the glutton in me. It can be prepared in a pressure cooker without much hassle. This is probably the easiest mutton curry recipe and it is just perfect for the beginners. The mutton pieces come out tender and succulent and the gravy is drool-worthy. It works great with basmati rice, pilaf, or roti/naan.

This Sunday we enjoyed this awesome mutton curry with our all-time favorite 'Saffron Rice' and 'Garden salad'. We followed it up with a game of scrabble while listening to our favorite music. Sundays cannot get any better! Can they?

Cuisine: Indian

Category: Non-vegetarian, Entree

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 45 mins

Serves: 5

 

Ingredients:

• 3 lb bone-in goat meat cut in medium pieces
  
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 3 tbsp yogurt
• 6-8 dried prunes
  
• 2 onions finely sliced
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 2 large potatoes quartered (optional)
  
• 1 bay leaf
• 4-5 peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick about 2" long
• 3-4 green cardamoms
• 2-3 cloves
• salt to taste
  
• sugar to taste
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
  
• 3 heaped tsp Shan Meat Masala
  
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2-3 green/red chilies
  

Procedure:

1. In a large bowl marinate the mutton with yogurt, turmeric powder, meat masala, and salt. Keep aside for at least an hour.
2. Smear the potatoes with salt and turmeric. Fry them till golden and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
   
4. In the oil add the whole spices (bay leaf, peppercorn, cardamom, and cloves) and wait for them to splutter.
   
5. Add sugar and allow it to caramelize. Dunk in the sliced onions and fry till translucent.
   
6. Add the ginger and garlic paste and continue cooking for about 2 mins.
   
7. Add the prunes and marinated mutton along with the marinade. Cook till oil starts separating from the sides.
   
8. Add warm water depending on your desired level of consistency. Check for salt.
   
9. Put the lid on the pressure cooker and allow it to cook on a medium flame for 3 whistles. Turn off the gas.
   
10. When the pressure is fully released, add the fried potatoes, sugar, and garam masala.
    
11. Put back on medium flame and cook until one more whistle.
    
12. Serve with roti/naan/ basmati rice/pilaf.

Chef's notes:

• It is advisable to marinate the mutton overnight for tender and juicy mutton pieces.
  
• This recipe requires no water, the final gravy will have a rich and dense consistency. If you prefer a thinner gravy, add some water.
• Potatoes are optional but they are my favorite part of the dish.
  
• This recipe is not very hot but if you like it hot, you may add crushed peppercorns or slit green chilies.
• If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can also slow cook the mutton in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed wok, till the meat is tender, should take around 60-70 minutes.
• You can also use lamb meat instead of goat meat.
• I usually add a few chunks of raw papaya to my gravy because they are a natural tenderizer.
• I personally prefer Shan but you can use any other meat masala brand of your choice.