We don’t buy Mutton/ lamb at home often, even when we buy it’s usually for biriyani so if you check my blog I don’t have much mutton recipes, but during this holiday time we have been entertaining a lot and I have been cooking with mutton too. For my last party I promised my friends Keralan food so when I bought mutton, the first thing which came to my mind was this varutharacha mutton curry which my amma used to make a lot. To be honest I was never a fan of varutharacha curry back then so I rarely made it myself.
My
hubby did ask me whether I am sure I want to experiment as this is not something I cook often, usually
when he say something like that I lose my confidence and give up on that dish
and go for my tried and tested recipes but this time I was determined. I am glad that I didn't listen to him as this curry turned out super delicious. My friends
loved it too !
In
this recipe I have added a leaf ( ramba leaf ) which was very new to me until my friend who is
from Srilanka introduced this to me, something which they add a lot in Srilankan
cooking usually to flavour rice. It’s readily available in Indian/Asian groceries here.You can read more about the leaf here. It's an optional ingredient so please don't bother if you don't have it.
Recipe
source – Amma and my own
Ingredients
Mutton/Lamb
– 1 kilo
To marinate
To marinate
Chilli
powder -1 tbsp
Turmeric
powder – ½ tsp
salt
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbs
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbs
Onion - 6 medium
Tomato -3 small
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbs
To
roast
Grated
coconut/ ചിരണ്ടിയ തേങ്ങ – 1 ½ cup
Shallot/ചെറിയ ഉള്ളി – handful
Coriander
seeds/ മല്ലി – 2 tbs
Cinnamon /പട്ട– 1 stick
Cloves/ഗ്രാമ്പു– 4-5
Cardamom/ഏലക്ക -5
Star
anise/തകോളം
Fennel/പെരുംജീരകം – 1 tbsp
Peppercorns/കുരുമുളക് – 1 tsp
Whole
Red chilli/ വറ്റല് മുളക് – 3
Curry
leaves/കറിവേപ്പില – 5-6 sprigs
Poppy
seeds/cuscous/കസ്കുസ് – 1 tbs
Ramba leaf/ രംഭ ഇല / ( optional) –
1 small piece
Coriander leaves/ മല്ലി ഇല
To
temper
Coconut
pieces/തേങ്ങാ കൊത്തു – 1 tbs
Shallots/ ചെറിയ ഉള്ളി -4 thinly sliced
Curry leaves/ കറിവേപ്പില– few
Method
- Marinate the mutton with red chilli, turmeric, salt and 1 tbs ginger garlic paste for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- In a pan add some coconut oil and add the whole garam
masala (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, fennel,star anise) and when nice aroma
comes out add grated coconut, coriander seeds, whole red chillies, curry leaves
and roast for few minutes. When it start to turn change colour, add poppy seeds
and carry on roasting until golden brown. DONOT roast beyond this point.
- Once it’s cool grind it adding very little water into a smooth paste and keep it aside.
- In a pressure add coconut oil and add chopped onion and saute until light brown.
- Add in the rest of the ginger garlic paste and saute until raw smell goes.
- Add chopped tomatoes, few curry leaves and cook for few minutes.
- Add in the marinated mutton, 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 4 -5 whistles or until mutton is cooked.
- Once the pressure releases open the pressure cooker and add the ground masala paste, curry leaves, ramba leaf and boil everything for 5-10 minutes.
- In a small pan add coconut oil and fry the sliced shallots, coconut pieces separately until brown, throw in some curry leaves along with them before you remove them fire and add it to the gravy.
- Add chopped coriander leaves and garnish.
