When it comes to meat dishes mutton has a special place in the heart of non-veg lovers. The wholesome dish made with matured meat and flavourful spices satiates the soul with its rich taste. This dish suits perfect for every meal, be it a regular dinner at home with family or any celebration. It is also highly nutritious and is a great source of essential minerals. But cooking perfect mutton is not an easy task, it requires special skills to cook tender and moist meat along with other ingredients that can give the dish the desired taste.
When it comes to India, every region has their own unique way of cooking mutton with variety of ingredients. Such as rogan josh from Kashmir is prepared with meat braised in the gravy made from caramelized onions and spices like red Kashmiri chillies. Laal maas from Rajasthan requires a bowl with burning pieces of charcoal and ghee to give the dish a smoky flavour. But have you tried mutton kuzhambu from Tamil Nadu?
Here are four delectable mutton recipes from different regions of the country that will definitely steal your heart:
1. Pasanda
Originating from the culinary of Kayastha community of Old Delhi, this recipe is also influenced by the Mughlai cuisine. The delicious delicacy is flavoured by various spices and uses traditional cooking methods like dum and smoking. In order to prepare the dish, tender strips of mutton are marinated and stuffed with almonds and pistachios. The meat is slow cooked in gravy until it becomes tender and the gravy turns rich and flavourful.
2. Andhra Gongura Mamsam
Made with very few ingredients, this dish is also popular in the state of Telangana. The secret of this delectable mutton recipe lies in the proportion of salt and chilli powder used in the cooking. It uses more oil than usual recipes and the pieces of mutton should be medium sized along with bones. Gongura leaves is the hero of this dish that gives it a distinctive flavour.
3. Mutton Kuzhambu
Belonging to the Chetinnad cuisine of Tamil Nadu, this spicy curry is best enjoyed with idiyappams, parotta or rice. This easy to make mutton curry is cooked in an onion-tomato base that is flavoured with delicious masala paste made using freshly ground spices like fennel seeds, black peppercorns and white poppy seeds.
4. Sali Boti
This Parsi-style mutton dish is prepared in tomato base curry along with jaggery and vinegar that gives it a sweet and tangy flavour.
Ingredients:
For Boti:
- 1 kg mutton (wash and cut into very small cubes)
- 2-3 tbsp ghee or oil
- 4 tomatoes (chopped)
- 4-5 onions (finely chopped)
- 3-4 green chillies (chopped)
- coriander leaves
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 tbsp vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp jaggery
- Salt to taste
For Sali
- 6-7 potatoes
- Oil for frying
Method:
- Fry the chopped onions in hot ghee or oil till golden and add the masala powders, ginger-garlic paste and stir for a minute.
- Then add the mutton cubes and cook till the meat gets a slight brown colour. Add chopped green chillies and tomatoes, water and salt.
- Stir and mix well and bring it to a boil. Let it cook further for 30-40 minutes on low flame.
- Add the jaggery and vinegar and cook for a further 5-6 minutes.
- Remove from fire and garnish with fresh finely chopped coriander leaves.
- To make Sali, cut potatoes into very thin straws.
- Soak them in cold salt water for a few minutes.
- Drain of water and dry the straws.
- Deep fry the straws in very hot ghee or oil, till golden brown and crisp.
- Remove excess oil from potato straws and serve hot with the boti.
Do try all of them and tell us which one you liked the most.
