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Common Mutton Recipes found in the Indian Menus

by: Ishika

We have heard a lot about chicken as the most favorite non-veg food item all over the world. But, there are a few people who always prefer mutton over chicken. The taste is lot more different and nothing else can satisfy the taste buds of a mutton lover. Most of the mutton recipes of India came into existence during the Moughal rule. The mughlai cuisine consists of majorly the mutton dishes in their non-vegetarian category. The Mughlai style of cooking was earlier meant for the rich people of the society. The use of expensive spices and dry fruits was considered as the symbol of prosperity and wealth. Soon these dishes were adopted in the other regions of India.

Following are the common Mutton recipes found in the Indian Menus :

Mutton Keema
Ingredients :

Mutton keema 750 gms

Oil 1/3 cup

Cinnamon 300 gms

Cloves 3

Chopped ginger 1/4 tbsp

Green chillies 2

Cumin seeds powder 1 tsp

Tomatoes 2

Chopped green coriander 1 cup

Garlic cloves 5

Cassia (bay leaves) 2

Cinnamon 2 inch long piece

Cardamoms 3

Garam masaala 1 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/4 tbsp

Coriander powder 1 1/2 tsps

Salt to taste

Method :

Boil keema in 2 cups of water with garlic clove, clove and bay leaf for 5 minutes

Strain off water. It will wash away unpleasant keema smell

Chop rest of the garlic cloves

Heat oil in cooking pan. Fry chopped onions to pink colour. Add chopped ginger, garlic and red chilli powder. Stir cook for 2 minutes

Add keema. Stir cook for 5 minutes

Put in turmeric powder, cumin powder and half of garam masaala. Cook for 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and salt to taste

If tomato juice has dried up add water to cook keema well into soft fluff

Add chopped coriander greens and remaining garam masaala. Stir cook for 3 minutes without cover. This recipe does not allow too much gravy

Serve hot with rice, roti, romali roti or naan

Image credit: http://sagariscooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/large-keema.jpg

Mutton Biryani
Ingredients:

1 kg mutton

1 tbsp garam masala whole

5 tbsp ghee or oil (tel)

2 cup onions ( pyaj) (sliced)

2 tbsp coriander powder (dhania powder)

1 tblsp cumin powder

1 tsp red chilli (lal mirch) powder

2 cup tomatoes (tamatar) (chopped)

2 tsp garam masala powder

50 gms butter

400 gms basmati rice (chawal) (chawal)

2 green chillies

1 2" piece ginger (adrak)

1/2 cup coriander leaves (dhania patta)

1/2 cup mint (pudina) leaves (pudina leaves)

1 pinch saffron (kesar)

1/2 cup milk

2 cups yogurt

salt (namak) to taste

1 tsp turmeric (haldi) powder

2 tblsp ginger (adrak) paste

2 tblsp garlic (lasan) paste

Method:

Heat oil and fry half the sliced onions till brown and crisp. Drain and keep on an absorbant paper.

Clean mutton or lamb and cut into one and half inch sized pieces.

Pick, clean and wash rice. Soak rice in water.

Chop green chillies. Peel ginger and cut into julienne (thin strips). Wash coriander leaves and chop coarsely.

Wash mint leaves and chop coarsely. Soak saffron in warm milk and keep aside.

Marinate meat pieces in yogurt, salt, turmeric powder and one tablespoon each of ginger and garlic pastes.

Marinate for about four hours in a cool place.Cook rice in salted boiling water along with whole garam masala till rice is almost cooked. Strain and keep the rice warm.

Heat ghee or oil in a thick-bottomed pan or pressure cooker. Add the remaining sliced onions and chopped green chillies.

Cook, stirring continuously, till onions are light golden brown.Add remaining ginger and garlic pastes and mix well.

Add marinated meat and cook on high heat for seven to eight minutes. Add coriander powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder. Mix thoroughly.Stir in three cups of water, bring it to a boil, reduce heat and cook covered till meat pieces are almost cooked.

Add chopped tomato, salt, garam masala powder and chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Cook for fifteen minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.In case you are cooking meat in the pressure cooker, add chopped tomatoes, salt, garam masala powder, two cups of water and chopped fresh coriander leaves after adding dry spices.

Pressure cook till meat pieces are almost cooked. It normally takes two to three whistles to cook the meat.Ensure that the cooked meat does not have a thin gravy.

If that is the case cook on high heat to reduce. Arrange half the quantity of cooked meat in an ovenproof dish and spread half the quantity of cooked rice on top of the meat. Sprinkle a little garam masala powder, half each of ginger julienne, saffron dissolved in warm milk and mint leaves.

Dot the rice with half the quantity of butter. Spread the remaining meat on top of the rice, followed by cooked rice and repeat the earlier process with the remaining quantities of ginger julienne, saffron milk, garam masala powder, mint leaves and butter.

Cover it with aluminum foil and cook in a preheated oven at a moderate temperature for fifteen to twenty minutes.

Garnish with fried sliced onions and serve with mix vegetable raita as accompaniment.

Image credit: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3007/2919387902_5eda35288a.jpg

Mutton Korma
Ingredients:

675gms / 11/2lb mutton

21/2 cups water

1/2 cup ghee

2 medium onions ( pyaj) (finely chopped)

4 bay leaves

4 flakes of garlic (lasan) (crushed)

1tblsp ginger (adrak) grated

2 cups curd (dahi) / plain yogurt

4 cloves (lavang)

2 pieces cinnamon (tuj/dalchini) stick

4 black peppercorns

2 brown cardamom (elaichi (moti))

1tsp black cumin seeds

1tsp turmeric (haldi) powder

1tsp red chili powder

1tsp garam masala powder

1 green chili (finely chopped)

1/2 tsp saffron (kesar) strands

Method:

Put the first five spices into a muslin cloth. Cut the mutton into 1-inch cubes and put in a saucepan with the water and muslin bag.

Cover and simmer gently until the meat is tender and the water is reduced to half, about 11/4 hours.

In another saucepan melt the ghee and add the onions, bay leaves, garlic and ginger. Fry until onions are golden, add all remaining spice and mix well.

Cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the curd and salt to taste and cook for further 5 minutes, stirring.

Stir in the cooked meat mixture, juices and discard the muslin bag.

Simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes then pour into a heated serving dish.

Scatter the chopped chili over it. Steep the saffron in 1 tbsp. hot water and sprinkle over the dish before serving.

Image credit: http://img1.eyefetch.com/p/3a/1137417-bd47c22f-6bb0-4883-a6f0-cf1d3f39ea26.jpg

Mutton Hyderabadi
Ingredients:

Mutton – 1 kg

Onion – 4 nos (finely chopped)

Tomato(medium) – 2 nos (chopped)

Ginger-garlic paste – 3 tbsp

Green chillies – 5 – 6 nos or as reqd (slit)

Grated coconut – 3 - 4 tbsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Chilly powder - 2 tsp

Coriander powder – 3 tsp

Cumin (Jeerakam) powder – 1 tsp

Garam masala powder – 1 tsp

Thick yoghurt – about 2 cups

Cinnamon (Karugapatta) stick – 2 sticks of about 2”

Cloves (Grambu) – 10 – 12 nos

Green cardamoms – 5 – 6 nos

Bay leaf (Vazhana ela) – 2 no

Poppy seeds (Khasakhasha) – 2 tbsp (soaked in a little warm water for 10 mins)

Saffron – A few strands (soaked in 2 tbsp of warm milk)

Cream – 1 - 2 tbsp

Salt – As reqd

Oil – 4 tbsp

Ghee – 2 tbsp

For garnishing:

Coriander leaves

Almonds – 10 nos(blanched and sliced)

Method:

Clean mutton well.

Marinate it with curd, red chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, ginger-garlic paste and green chillies for an hour.

Grind together poppy seeds and grated coconut to a fine paste. Keep it aside.

Heat both oil and ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel.

Add whole spices and bay leaf and fry for a few seconds.

Add onions and fry till they turn transparent.

Add tomatoes and fry for 4 - 5 mins.

Add the marinated mutton and mix well.

Cover and cook on a medium flame till the water is completely evaporated.

Stir occasionally.

Add the poppy seeds-coconut paste and salt and mix well.

Cover and cook for 3 mins.

Add 2 - 3 cups of water and mix well.

Cover and cook till the mutton is tender and the gravy thickens.

Add garam masala powder and mix well.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Add the saffron solution towards the end.

Garnish with blanched and sliced almonds and fresh cream.

Serve with any Indian bread, Biriyani, Pulao or just plain steamed rice.

Image credit: http://foodatarian.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/mutton_bhuna_masala_in.jpg

Mutton Dopiaza
Ingredients:

1/2 cup ghee

450gms/1lb onions ( pyaj) (sliced)

450gms/1lb mutton, cut into pieces

21/2 cups curd (dahi) or plain yogurt (beaten)

4 cloves (lavang)

1tsp red chili powder

1 piece cinnamon (tuj/dalchini) stick

4 green cardamoms

2bay leaves

salt (namak) to taste

2 tsp poppy seeds (khuskhus) (crushed)

1tblsp flaked almonds

a pinch of saffron.

Method:

Heat the ghee in a large saucepan and fry the onions. When they change color stir in the mutton, curd, chili powder, cinnamon, cardamoms, and bay leaves.