Bengali mutton curry

Right, so 3 months into 2016 and i muster up the effort to do a blog post. Well, i have my excuses. We moved into our new home end of December and then pushed off to India for a month. Came back to a house filled with boxes, no storage, no curtains and no enthusiasm. I should have been all thrilled and excited considering i was going to set up my new home but the constant arguments with Ro regarding what goes where, which colours suit better, why the earth is round etc etc made me lose interest in this whole scenario. So i just got on with life and left all my baggage right there (pun intended!) 

I think he kind of sensed the lack of interest, and pulled back a bit which is when i got in and absolutely took advantage. But even then i realised i kept asking him for opinions which in turn lead to more fights. Nisha, haven't you heard of something called taking decisions on your own??? Apparently not!! Anyways, I still have boxes strewn all over the floor, but its a bit more bearable now. I may have my own house, but tell me i can go back to Greenwich any day and I'd leave in a heart beat. I am so not cut out for suburban life and damn the owners who decided to sell that beautiful, beautiful apartment we spent 8 years in. (shedding a lil tear now).

The internet!!!! Since its a new built, internet has not been sorted out. We have been given a temporary solution and we seem to run out of the given allowance within a week. So uploading, editing pictures is an issue. This actually is a very lame excuse because im still on limited data and i managed a blog post!

Then there is Chaiparty, which is doing pretty well and keeping us all occupied. We had 2 Bengali feasts back to back because people were on wait list and its the first time i actually got to taste some of the traditional Bong food. S was the main chef and G and I were sous chefs, obeying her orders and trying hard to not goof up. I was so inspired by all that Bong-ness, I decided to give the mutton curry a go.

In spite of S giving me a run down of the procedure and the recipe, I still had to google a recipe and since it was my first time, decided to just stick to it. I'm going to write down her grandma's mutton curry recipe (which was a big hit at our supper club BTW) and make it the next time. We had this with steamed white rice, that's it! I had to give Ro the stare when he asked me 'aren't there any veggies to go with it.' Like seriously, after slow cooking the damn thing for close to an hour, he wants a side dish!!!

It was a very mutton-y curry, especially the gravy, but that could be because of the type of meat i got. The chunks of potato are simply fab and the curry tastes even better the next day. I am assuming this is a variation of the mutton curry known to Bengali households, and what they call kosha mangsho. Either ways, I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.

Recipe adapted from here (serves 3)

Mutton- 500gms (with bone and cut into small pieces)

Yoghurt- 4 tbsp

Lemon juice- 1/2 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste- 2 tbsp

Green chilli- 1, finely chopped (adjust according to taste)

Tomato paste- 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder- 1 tsp

Garam masala- 1/2 tsp + 1/4 to sprinkle at the every end

Oil- 3 tbsp for the marinade + 3 tbsp for cooking 

Potatoes- 3 medium ones, peeled and cut into big chunks

Cinnamon- 1, 1 inch stick

Cloves- 3 to 4

Cardamom- 3 to 4

Black peppercorn- 8

Bay leaf- 1

Sugar- 1/2 tsp

Onion- 1 large, finely chopped

Salt- to taste

Marinate the mutton with the 9 ingredients below it (using only 3 tbsp of the oil).

Cover with cling film and marinate it in the refrigerator, overnight for best results, or at least for a minimum of 3 to 4 hrs.

Bring to room temperature before cooking.

In a pressure cooker heat the remaining 3 tbsp of oil and fry the potatoes they they brown around the edges. Drain on to paper towels.

Infuse the oil with the whole spices- cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, peppercorn and bay leaf.

Add the sugar and let it caramelise.

Throw in the onions and on medium heat cook till they turn a golden brown. This would take around 15 minutes or so.

Add the marinated mutton, mix it together with the onions and cook on medium-high heat till you see the water drying and the oil separating.

This process can take close to an hour so make sure you keep checking the meat in between and scraping off the base and edges so that the meat doesn't burn.

Once the meat becomes a dark brown in colour, and mostly dryish in consistency, add 1 cup warm water, the fried potatoes, salt to taste and cover and pressure cook for about 2 to 3 whistles or till the meat is completely cooked.

Serve hot with steamed rice or luchi- a poori like bread.

Notes: It is originally made with mustard oil which imparts a distinct flavour i presume. I didnt have any at hand.

If you don't own a pressure cooker, continue cooking the meat on medium heat, checking water in between and adding the potato towards the end.

A lot of oil gets released. So on day 2 i drained a bit. Sacrilegious i know!

Mutton Yakhni pulao

 

It's been a busy summer, not in a relaxing, I'm-not-doing-anything sort of summer, but a working summer with Chaiparty gaining full on momentum. We did our 4th themed supper club last Sunday and must say we have slowly gotten the hang of cooking and hosting without too much wastage, mismanagement, and goof ups. Of course there is still loads more to learn, but we are really thrilled at how we have pulled through so far. Do check out our Facebook Chaiparty page for pictures and updates.

We also went off to Spain for a week and stayed in the quaintest, rural-est of places and I loved it. Of course the insect bites and the unbearable heat meant half of the time was spent in the pool or at the beach, but it was a good break and we had a blast.

Cooking wise, not a lot of experimenting has been happening, but I'm still cooking! This yakhni pulao was the after effect of a week long no-cooking scenario and after being sick of eating out, i decided to get into the kitchen and cook, and no less a rich pulao. I have tried this with beef and thought it was somehow much more flavourful then. It wasn't bad this time, very flavourful and such, but i remember the beef being a favourite at that time. Its a recipe that is supposed to be slow cooked, but me being me, decided to cook the mutton in a pressure cooker and then continue with the rest of the process. That cant have been the reason why the beef prep was better, because i did that the same way- in the pressure cooker.

Anyways, this is definitely one of those indulgent pulao's, but one definitely worth trying.

Recipe adapted from here (serves 4)

Mutton- 500 gms

Yoghurt- 1 tbsp

Cardamom- 5

Cloves- 5

Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

Coriander seeds- 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon- 2 ,1 inch sticks

Bay leaf- 1

Black peppercorns- 1 tsp

Onion- 1, roughly chopped

Ginger- 1 tbsp, crushed

Garlic- 6 cloves, crushed

Salt- to taste

Ghee- 1 tbsp

Onions- 1 medium, thinly sliced

Basmati rice- 2 cups, washed and soaked in water for about half an hour

Water- as needed to make 

Into a pressure cooker add the mutton and all the ingredients listed up to salt and marinate for about an hour or so. 

Add 3 1/2 cups of water to the marinated meat and pressure cook for about 20 minutes, or till the meat is completely cooked. 

Remove the mutton pieces from the mix using a slotted spoon. It doesn't matter if the onions have disintegrated and the garlic and ginger sticks to it. Don't bother removing them, it only adds to the flavour.

Drain the stock using a sieve and discard the spices. You should have around 3 cups of stock. Add quarter cup water to the stock to make it 3 3/4 and keep aside.

Pour the ghee into a heavy bottomed pan and add the onions.

Fry on medium heat till they turn brown, around 15 to 20 minutes. They don't need to be crisp, just caramelised.

Into that add the meat (along with the onions, ginger garlic and whatever is clinging to it) and the drained rice and saute for a minute or so. Don't over do this, or else the rice would break.

Reduce heat to low and add the stock to the rice and meat and give a good stir. Check for salt and add more if needed.

Close the pan with a tight fitting lid, covering all sides with a wet cloth if you think steam would escape.

Cook for around 15 to 20 minutes, resisting the urge to open the lid.

Once the time is up, turn off the heat and leave the rice to rest for about 10 minutes without taking off the lid.

Fluff the rice, garnish wtith some fried onions and serve with raita and poppadom.

Notes: You know your rice cooking times, usually its around 15 minutes for me, but 20 is safe.

My ratio of rice to meat was not that right, I'd probably use 1 1/2 cups of rice next time.

Of course if you want to do it the right way, slow cook the meat till tender, in a heavy bottomed pan. Keep checking in between to see that water levels are not too low and that the meat is not getting over cooked.

If you don't want the onions disintegrating, keep it whole with and x slit at the base. Same with the spices if you dont want to keep biting into them tie them all together in a muslin cloth and use

Mutton rogan josh

I have one mutton recipe on the blog. One!!!
That clearly depicts my aversion to lamb, mutton and goat. And i still don't know the difference between the three.

There is a huge Asda near work and on one of those days I was so tired to go back home and cook (it happens a lot btw!), i walked in there to see if i can pick up some marinated meat to grill or something, and i chanced upon their butcher section that housed a whole lot of marinated meat and fish and also a pack of mutton mix, among other interesting stuff. I was in two minds about the mutton, but I was so bored with the usual chicken, beef and pork, that I thought I should do this for the husband, if not for anything else.

 

So I went home armed with a pack of mutton and a head full of ideas on what to do with it. Of course it never made to the table that day but it did the next day as a spicy mutton pepper fry. It was delicious and it surprised me- that i actually enjoyed it. So that was the beginning of my affair with mutton and i learnt that i can handle mutton but not lamb. I've made plenty of dishes with the mutton mix hence and its a pity i don't get it anywhere other than in big Asda's.

This rogan josh (translation- red/hot oil and as you can see from the pictures, there is an oil layer on top) turned out so darn good, i had to take some pictures, even if hastily, because i do plan on making it again. I thought it was a dish hard to make, after seeing the list of ingredients, but its not and it needs very little preparation. No onions, no tomatoes, so sauteeing till golden brown etc, just charring the meat and then slow cooking it together till done. Of course, the slow cooking takes time, and that makes a difference, but we have the pressure cooker for those days you don't have the luxury of slow cooking.

This recipe, after reading the comments, came across as quite authentic and I'm so glad i tried it, its fab. Do give it a shot and let me know what you think.

Recipe adapted from here (Serves 3)

 

Mutton- 500 gms, cut onto medium size pieces

Marinade

Ground cinnamon- 1/4 tsp

Ground cardamom- 1/2 tsp

Ground cloves- 1/4 tsp

Ground peppercorns- 1/4 tsp

Ground fennel seeds- 1/4 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder- 1/4 tsp

Oil- 1/4 cup

Cinnamon- 1/2 inch stick

Cardamom- 5 pods

Cloves- 4

Peppercorns- 1/2 tsp

Fennel seeds- 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida- 1/2 tsp

Dried ginger powder- 3/4th tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder- 3/4th tbsp

Yoghurt- 1 cup

Salt- to taste

Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade and rub on to the meat. Keep aside for half an hour or so.

Heat oil in a deep, heavy bottomed pan and throw in the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns and fennel seeds.

To that add the marinated meat and cook on medium heat, stirring continuously, till brown.

Stir in the asafoetida, dried ginger powder, Kashmiri chilli powder and salt and mix it all in with the meat.

Reduce the heat to low and add the yoghurt, mixing it well to coat the meat.

Cover the pan and cook till the meat is tender and the oil separates on the surface. 

I cooked it for 1 hour and it was perfect. You will need to keep stirring and adding some water on and off, to prevent the sauce from sticking to the base of the pan. 

Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Notes: Of course, if you are not a fan of slow cooking then add everything as mentioned, in a pressure cooker, and cook the meat for about 4 whistles on medium heat. I bet it wouldn't taste as gorgeous as the slow cooked one though :)
You can use goat meat as well, but I'm not sure how lamb would turn out for this recipe. Worth giving it a shot.

Replace the mutton with beef for a beef rogan josh.

Mutton red curry

I am not that much of a mutton fan. The closest I've come to liking it is in a biryani, that too if its got loads of masala and such. In my initial cooking days (like about 4 years back), the only thing I could cook with was chicken breasts. I detested the whole idea of cleaning a chicken and couldn't handle the blood and gore that came with it. Boneless breasts were comparatively easy to dissect and that was thrown into every curry possible. Now the story is different. I actually cant stand chicken breasts which I think are so tasteless and prefers the thigh fillets any day. But the cleaning bit puts me off even now, although it has tremendously improved :)

So anyway, coming back to mutton. I soon got bored with chicken and beef and so one day I picked up some lamb steaks to experiment with. Used a hard core Indian marinade, grilled it and it was horrible. I mean the smell was really bad and somehow it never clicked for either of us. We both avoided eating lamb altogether...

...until a year back when Ro suddenly realised he didn't mind the lamb you get here. So Ro has been happily eating lamb in restaurants and such, whereas I cringe at the very idea. That also probably explains why this is my first ever mutton recipe on the blog. I still don't know the difference between lamb, goat, mutton and baby lamb. I was under the impression that goat was the closest to mutton we get back in India, but boy was I wrong. Ro convinced me to pick up some 'curry goat' as its called from a butcher and I did thinking it would not be bad. Sadly, it had that same weird smell and such and came loaded with fat, that Ro spent a good half hour removing it off the pieces. So till I figure out a good cut/type of goat meat, this is going to be the only recipe around.

That said, the mutton curry was good, or so Ro said. I refused to touch it, except for the gravy which tasted brilliant (honest opinion). So if the mutton is right, then the curry would be perfect is what I think. I am thinking it would be great with beef as well. Next time I suppose. The recipe has been adapted from the book Flavours of the Spice Coast by Mrs. K M Mathew, the book I picked up from Kottayam, much to Ro's and my mother-in-laws despair (saying it had basic recipes and why spend Rs. 600). I on the other hand love the book. Its got pictures (very imp.) and all the mallu things I don't know to make. I hope I try at least a handful of stuff out of the book to compensate for the money I spent on it :)

Mutton- 1/2 kg, with bone

Onion- 1 cup, finely chopped + enough to garnish

Tomatoes- 3, chopped

Water- 1 cup

Oil- 1 tbsp

Salt- to taste

To grind

Kashmiri chilli powder- 2 1 /2 tsp

Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds- a little less than 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds- 1/4 tsp

Ginger- 1 tsp, grated and sliced

Garlic- 5 cloves, peeled

White vinegar- 2 tsp

Wash and clean the mutton and slice into medium size pieces. 

Grind together all the ingredients under the 'to grind' section and then add the vinegar to make a paste.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the chopped onions. Sauté for a couple of minutes.

Throw in the tomatoes and cook till they become mushy.

Add the ground paste and on low heat cook till the oil starts resurfacing.

At this point add the meat and salt and stir well, making sure the masala coats the mutton well enough.

Pour in the water, bring to a boil and close the lid.

Once you see the steam coming, put the weight on and cook for about 4 whistles or till the meat is cooked well. I guess this depends on the type of meat used.

Open the lid once all the pressure is released and if there is lots of water remaining, bring to a simmer and cook till the gravy thickens.

Garnish with some julienned onions and serve hot with rice, roti or puttu

Notes: I used the pressure cooker because that was just easier. If you dont have one, then cover the vessel and cook till the meat is completely done (checking regularly and adding water if required) and then open the lid and simmer till the gravy thickens.

Replace Kashmiri chilli with the spicy one if you prefer it hot. This is a pretty mild curry otherwise.