It's no joy to cook an elaborate meal in this heatwave. Yet when the dish is as mouth-wateringly good as Niranjini Boloor's Mutton Masala, you won't hate the few hours spent in the kitchen, whipping up an appetising meal for your family.
Even the masala is made from scratch and the end result is a flavourful dish that goes brilliantly well with steamed rice, neer dosas or pav.
Mumbai-based Niranjini cooks some of the best Mangalorean food there is -- her specialties are Chicken Sukka, Mangalorean Fish Curry and Bangude Pulimunchi (Mackerel Curry).
Photograph and video: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com
Mutton Masala
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- ½ kg mutton pieces, washed and cleaned (you could opt for boneless mutton, but I prefer pieces with bone)
- 300 gm fresh grated coconut
- 4 medium onions, sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
- 1½ tbsp dhania or coriander seeds
- 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
- ½ tsp rai or mustard seeds
- ½ tsp methi or fenugreek seeds
- 1-inch piece dalcheeni or cinnamon
- 4 lavang or cloves
- 2 green elaichi or cardamom
- 2 tej pattas or bay leaves
- 6-8 black peppercorns
- 4 red chillies (choose a spicy variety)
- ½ tsp haldi or turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp neebu or lime juice
- ½-inch piece ginger
- 10 garlic pods
- 10-12 curry pattas or curry leaves
- ½ cup chopped green dhania or coriander or cilantro leaves
- 1 boiled potato, peeled and chopped into large pieces
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp ghee
- Salt to taste, about 1½ tsp
- 1 cup water
How can this bubbling Mutton Masala not tempt you?
Method
- In a bowl, marinate the washed mutton with a little salt, turmeric powder and the lime juice for at least an hour.
- In a frying pan, dry roast the coriander seeds over medium-low heat.
Take off heat and transfer into a bowl.
In the same pan, dry roast the red chillies, jeera seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and the whole spices together.
Take off heat and transfer into a bowl.
In the same pan, add half of the sliced onions and dry roast for 3-4 minutes.
Then add the grated coconut and half of the curry leaves.
Dry roast for 1-2 minutes and take off heat.
In a blender, make a fine powder of the roasted coriander seeds, red chillies and the whole spices.
In the same jar, add the dry roasted onions, grated coconut, curry leaves.
Add the ginger, garlic and blend to a coarse paste.
Transfer into a bowl and keep aside.
- In a pressure cooker, add ½ tbsp oil and ½ tbsp ghee.
Add the remaining sliced onions and the remaining curry leaves.
Fry the onions till they brown.
Add the sliced tomatoes and mix well and let it fry for 3-4 minutes.
Add the mutton and mix well.
Let it cook for 10 minutes and then add 1 cup water.
Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles and let the pressure release naturally.
- In a kadhai, add the remaining oil and the remaining ghee.
Add the ground paste and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the pressure-cooked mutton, potato and mix well.
Let it cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.
Serves hot with steamed rice or neer dosas.
Niranjini Boloor, 70, is a south Mumbai-based homemaker, who turns out to perfection Mangalorean delicacies for her family.