“Wine is the intellectual part of a meal while meat is the material.”

Alexander Dumas

Delicious, soft and tender chunks of mutton cooked with indian spices, curd lots of onion and the final garnish -fresh pepper and a sprinkle of fried curry leaves. That’s Mutton Pepper masala for you. All you need is a bowl of curd, some pickled onions and parathas. It’s heaven on a plate.

Whenever I buy mutton I see to it, whatever be the curry, the amount of water I use is bare minimum. Nothing like having a good mutton cook in its own juices without the addition of any liquids. Of course, I do add curd or yoghurt for most of my curries but that’s about it.

This particular dish is filled with flavour, may look spicy but is moderately spiced and of course the show stopper is none other than the flavour of pepper that hits you once you taste the curry.

These are all special, never fail recipes of mine that you can always rely on, happy to sharing this one with all of you.

Ingredients :

• Mutton – 1/2kg
• Onions sliced -5
• Tomatoes sliced – 3
• Ginger- garlic paste-2 tbsp
• Curd -1/2cup
• Mutton masala – 11/2 tbsp
• Garam masala – 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder -1 tsp
• Pepper powder-1 1/2 tbsp
• Curry leaves
• Oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash the mutton pieces thoroughly and keep aside in a colander for the excess water to drain off.

• In a pressure cooker, saute the sliced onions in oil till they turn brown in colour.
• Add the tomatoes and fry till soft.
• Add the ginger- garlic paste, Garam masala, mutton masala and turmeric powder and fry well.
• Add the curd, cover the pressure cooker with the lid loosely and let the masala cook for a good 10 minutes on a low flame.
• Add the curry cut mutton pieces, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly for 5 minutes, till the mutton is well coated with the masala.
• Add 1/4 cup of water and put the lid on. ( with the weight on)
• After the first whistle, simmer for 12-15 minutes.
• Put off the flame and let the steam release on its own.
• The mutton has to be thickly coated with the masala.
• Fry a handful of curry leaves in 2 tbsp of coconut oil and add to the mutton.
• Serve hot with parathas of your choice.

Chefs tips

• Always buy tender mutton, meat from a young goat is always faster to cook.
• I use Eastern mutton masala.
• For the garam masala, I just roast and powder a couple of Indian spices together. (Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, saunf, bayleaf, cumminseeds)

• It’s always better to cook the masala on a low flame.
• If due to some reason the masala is not thick enough, open the pressure cooker and allow the gravy to reduce on a low flame till the desired consistency is obtained.
• A layered Paratha would be the best accompaniment to this awesome, flavoursome dish.
• This dish serves 4 people.

Till my next post,

Cheers

Rose