Maharashtrian style mutton curry

Though this recipe has several ingredients, I recommend you follow it strictly for the end result is worth it. The dish is for one kilo of mutton.

For the Garam masala (if you wish to make this at home or else use a packet)
Ingredients:

Coriander seeds ¾ tablespoon
Cumin seeds ¾ tablespoon
Black Pepper corns – 1 teaspoon
Cloves – 1 teaspoon
Green cardamom – 10
Black cardamom – 5.
Fennel seeds – ½ tablespoon
Mace – one
Stone flower – one gram
Fox nuts – six
Whole red chillies – 4
Poppy seeds – 1 tablespoon
Kasuri methi – 1 tablespoon
Nutmeg – ¼ grated
Salt – one large pinch

Ingredients for marination

Fresh coriander – half a cup
Garlic – 15 cloves
Green chillies – 3
Ginger – one inch piece
Dry coconut – ¼
Water as required
Mutton – 1 kilo
Salt ½ table spoon
Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
Grind all of the above for marination and use only half of this for marination.
Whisked curd – 150 grams

To make the curry

Ingredients:
Oil – 4 tablespoons

WHOLE SPICES (as below)
Cumin seeds – ¾ teaspoon
Green cardamom – 2
Black Cardamom – one
Cinnamon – one inch piece
Bay leaf – one
Onions – 500 grams minced
For the gravy you will require the remaining ½ of the ground marinade masala

To make the curry you will also need the following powdered spices

Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
Kashmiri red chilli powder – 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder – 1 tablespoon
Garam Masala – 1 tablespoon
Cumin powder – one tablespoon
Hot Water – 100 ml
Kasuri Methi – ½ teaspoon
Chopped fresh coriander
Lemon juice – ½ teaspoon

Method:
Make the garam masala by roasting all the ingredients one at a time on low heat set aside to cool and grind to a fine powder. You can store this when cool in the fridge to retain its flavour and freshness.

Marinate the meat overnight with the curd and the ground spices. Refrigerate but when you want to begin cooking, keep the marinated meat standing outside the fridge for an hour till it comes to room temperature.

Set a handi  or heavy bottom vessel on high flame & let it heat well, then add the oil into it and let the oil heat well. Add all the whole spices & the chopped onions, stir well and cook over medium flame until the onions turn golden brown. Keep stirring constantly for even browning. Once the onions turn golden brown add the remaining half quantity of the ground marinated masala, stir well and cook the mixture for a few minutes on low head. Lower the flame and add all the powdered spices, stir and immediately add hot water and cook until the oil separates. The water prevents the powdered spices from burning.

Once the oil separates, add the marinated mutton and stir it well. You will need to cook the mutton over high flame for 10-15 minutes, stirring at regular intervals. Now cover the dish with a flat steel covering and pour water on the cover. Lower the flame and continue to cook the mutton for an hour or until the mutton is completely cooked. If the meat is not cooked add more water on the steel cover and continue to cook till the mutton is fully cooked.

I do not prefer cooking the meat in a pressure cooker but allowing it to slow cook for an hour and a half or till done. Meat releases a lot of its own liquid so go easy with the addition of the water. You want to let the mutton cook and also get a semi thick gravy.

Finally, heat a pan and add ghee to it. Once hot add the garam masala  and  kasuri methi to the ghee and stir it well. Pour the ghee over the mutton and add fresh coriander and lemon juice, stir it really well & finally add a small handful of fresh coriander. Your mutton curry is ready

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