Anjali Ponnanna's Pandi Meat Curry

Anjali Ponnanna, wife, mother, caretaker and everything for a paradise that goes by the name of Red Hill Homestay, in Virajpet, Coorg, is a wonderful cook. You know that by eating her food. And by the number of glowing food reviews she has on Google of her homestay.

It is not just her food, but the love and warmth of her hospitality for each and every guest, so much so that anyone who has stayed at this place, always comes back for a second and third visit with more family and friends.

Anjali runs this place almost single-handedly, with help from her husband and a maid, who washes the dishes and cleans the rooms. Everything else is maintained meticulously by Anjali herself.

This divine little place is located directly on Karnataka State Highway 88 but is still hidden completely from the highway because of the way Anjali has grown the trees and plants around it.

Anjali, who just turned 30 a few days ago, shares her most popular recipe. Pandi Meat Curry, made in Anjali's signature style. She advises mixing the marinade onto the meat by hand for best marination. My elders always said, Touch the food by hand while making it. The love flows into the food from our hands.

Anjali's Pandi Meat Curry

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 1 kg mutton or pork
• 1 tbsp oil, optional
• 2 tbsp red chilly powder
• ½ tbsp haldi or turmeric powder
• Salt to taste, about 2 tsp
• 3 medium-sized or 5 small onions
• 1 head of garlic
• 2-inch piece ginger
• Few green chilies or ghost chillies
• 2 tbsp Coorg curry paste
• ¼ tsp kachampulli or a dark Coorg vinegar concentrate
• Water
• Handful fresh green dhaniya or coriander leaves or cilantro, for garnish

Method 

• Wash the mutton thoroughly and marinate with red chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt.
  Mix the marinade into the meat by hand -- mixing by hand is very important to get the marination onto the meat.
  Keep aside and let the marinated mutton rest for at least 2 hours.
• Peel and chop the onions, garlic, ginger, green chillies and grind into a coarse paste using a mixer (“I always use small onions because they taste much much better.”)
  Keep aside.
• Heat a thick-bottomed saucepan or pressure cooker over medium heat.
  Add 1 tbsp oil, only if there are no fat pieces in the meat.
  Add the marinated mutton and cook until the oil separates from the meat.
• If using a pressure cooker, cook for 4 to 5 whistles and let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes before opening.
• Add the Coorg curry paste to the cooked mutton and mix well.
  Add the kachampulli and mix.
  Be very careful while adding the kachampulli and add more only if required.
  Return it to heat and cook for 4-7 minutes more, over medium heat, so the meat pieces absorb the Coorg curry paste.
  Add water if required at this point to adjust the gravy consistency if needed.
  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
  Lower the heat and simmer until the mutton/pork is fully cooked.
• Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.
  Let it rest for a few minutes before serving with steamed rice or pundi or rice balls.

Anjali's Note: "My elders used to grind the roasted coriander seeds, mustard seeds, methi seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon and curry leaves to make this dry black Coorgy masala. But nowadays it is easily available in every store here. So it saves a lot of time for me when I have guests staying in my homestay."