Mum always cooked Mutton Curry during special occasions. There was something magical about the way she made it. I originally did not know what it was, so I made it my mission to find out. Each bite would burst with endless amounts of flavor. From tender goat meat to the blends of spices, this hot curry served with homemade chapatis (my not-so-circular flatbreads) always managed to plate memories.
I can't guarantee that it'll be as perfect as my mum's, but I can definitely promise it's quite darn close.
Click to View Video
Mutton Curry
Ingredients
2 pounds goat meat, cut into bite-sized chunks
4 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
Spice Powder:
2 bay leaves
5 cloves
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 cardamon pods
2 tsp mace
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsps pomegranate powder
Gravy/Curry:
1 teaspoon black cumin
2 tbsps shredded ginger
2 large onions
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsps coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
salt to taste
1 green chili, chopped
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
2 tomatoes, chopped
3 tablespoons dahi/plain yogurt
1 tsp dried methi (fenugreek) leaves
3 tbsp chopped coriander
Directions
Clean the goat meat chunks.
In a small pan, add the bay leaf, cloves, black peppercorns, cardamoms, mace, cinnamon stick, and pomegranate powder. Toast the spices on low heat, until slightly brown.
Add to a processor, and blend the spices to a fine powder.
Heat the cooking oil in a heavy bottomed pan, on medium heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds and ginger paste. Add the onions, and sauté till the onions begin to turn a pale golden brown in color.
To the onion mixture, add the garlic, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and the blended spice powder. Now add the goat/mutton pieces, season with salt to taste, and stir to fully coat the meat pieces with the spice and onion mixture. Sauté till the meat is browned well. To the pan, add the green chili pepper and hot water. Stir and simmer the heat.
In a pressure cooker, melt 1 tbsp ghee. Add the mutton mixture and close the cooker and cook for 2 whistles. Once done, switch off the heat and wait for the pressure to go down. Grind the tomatoes in a processor into a smooth paste. Add to the meat in the pressure cooker and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the dahi/yogurt and fenugreek (methi) leaves. Garnish with chopped coriander when the meat is tender. Serve with Indian flatbreads (chapathis), Naans, or plain rice.
Note* If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can continue cooking the mutton in the original pan, adding the clarified butter (ghee) and chopped tomatoes. Keep checking the meat as it cooks and add more water if the water dries up. Stir often to prevent burning. The dish should have a fairly thick gray when done.
Enjoy!
