Spicy boneless mutton curry

Spicy mutton curry

Lamb and mutton have distinctive smell which some describe as ‘gamey’ smell. Some do not like it others do not mind it. The main task in cooking mutton and lamb is to remove this smell from the curry. The strong spices used in the curry eliminate this smell. I also increase the quantity of spice to get rid of this smell.

Mutton

                                                         
Today I am going to make mutton curry for a dinner party.

                                    Recipe summary
                                              For
                          Spicy boneless mutton curry
Preparation time:45 minutes ( to slice mutton)
Cooking time: one and a half hours on slow fire

Serves: 10

1. Slice 2 kg mutton into small cubes (½ inch to ¾ inch). 

2. Marinate the mutton with 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon plain chilli powder,and  ½  teaspoon salt. Keep aside for ½ an hour to 1 hour. You can also leave in the refrigerator.

3. Chop 7 big and 12 small onion (shallots) and 
4 green and 1 red chilli padi, 1 sprig curry leaves finely. 

5. Deseed and cut 2 tomatoes into small pieces. 

6. Grind 8 garlic cloves and and 10 grams ginger to a fine paste. 

7.Remove the outer skin of lemon grass ,wash and cut into 3 long piece leaving the ends. wash, cut a long piece of pandan leaf.

8. Heat a large saucepan or a wok. It is better if it is non-stick. Add 6 table spoon of sesame and 1 table spoon of grape seed oil.

9. when it is heated lower the heat and add 1 big  cinnamon broken into pieces, 3 cloves, 2 cardamom pod, 1 aniseed and then 4 dry chilli broken into half. Fry for 1 minute.

10. Add pandan leaf and lemon grass. Fry for another minute. You will get a nice aroma.

11. Now add ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds. Fry for 1 minute.

12. Add  curry leaves and green chilli fry for 1 minute.

13. Then add onions and fry for three minutes .

Spicy mutton curry

14. Add tomato and fry for 2 minutes

15. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 minute.You can add 3 or 4 pepper corns.


16. Add mutton and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Using two spoons mix well and stir for 5 minutes. You will see the mutton pieces blending with other ingredients and change colour.

17. Add water 1"  above the mutton pieces. Mutton will also ooze water.

18. Add 2 table spoon curry powder  ¾ teaspoon pepper powder  and mix well. (My curry powder is already roasted it is not necessary to fry it in oil. If the curry powder you are using is not roasted then add it at the beginning after adding onions.) 

19. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 table spoon sugar. Sugar will make the mutton softer. Mix well. Cover and bring to a boil. 
Then lower the heat and let it simmer and cook.

Spices used in the curry

Now and then you stir the curry. It will take an hour to cook well. depending on the type of mutton. If the mutton is hard you can add a bit of sugar. Once the mutton is cooked (soft) adjust the seasoning. You can take it off the heat with a little gravy or dry. It will be a black curry. 

It is worth the effort.  You will get a tasty curry. I don’t use any milk   If you like you can add 1 cup of coconut cream at the end. My curry will not be hot but spicy.  


Remove bigger items like pandan leaf, lemon grass,even cinnamon before you dish out. squeeze in lemon juice just before you dish out. 

This is one of my signature dishes for parties. Enjoy! 
Spicy boneless mutton curry  is ready.                                                                                  

                 Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

                   

                                    
Preparation time:45 minutes ( to slice mutton)
Cooking time: one and a half hours on slow fire
Serves: 10

Ingredients
Main
 2 kg mutton
Others
 7 big onions copped coarsely
12 small onions copped coarsely
4 green chilies sliced thin
10 grams ginger shredded
8 garlic cloves
1 lemon grass
1 pandan leaf
1 sprig curry leaf
1 table spoon sugar
2 table spoon curry powder
2 tomatoes chopped coarsely
11/2 teaspoon salt
6 table spoon sesame oil.
1 table spoon grape seed oil

Big onions, small onions,green chili,ginger,garlic,tomato,lemongrass,pandan leaf,curry leaves

Spices
1 big cinnamon stick
3 cloves
2 cardamom pods
¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
¾ teaspoon pepper powder or 12 pepper corns
1 star anise
4 dry chilli broken into small pieces.
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon plain chilli powder

Cinnamon,dry chili,pepper,cardamom,star anise, fennel seeds,cloves and cumin seeds

Note: You can substitute sesame oil with olive oil. Sesame oil and olive oil will fry the mutton soft. The grape seed oil will give it slight crispiness.

Preparation
Slice mutton into small cubes (½ inch to ¾ inch). We slice the mutton so small in order that it will absorb more spices. This is the key to getting rid of the mutton smell.
Marinate the mutton with turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Keep aside for ½ an hour to 1 hour. You can also leave in the refrigerator.

Items for marination chili powder,turmeric powder,pepper and salt

Chop the onion and green and red chilli. Deseed and cut tomato into small pieces. Cut curry leaves finely. Grind garlic and ginger to a fine paste. Remove the outer skin of lemon grass ,wash and cut into 3 long piece leaving the ends. wash cut a long piece of pandan leaf.

Method

Heat a large saucepan or a wok. It is better if it is non-stick. Add oil (sesame and grape seed) when it is heated lower the heat and add add broken cinnamon pieces, cloves, cardamom aniseed and then dry chilli. Fry for 1 minute.

Cinnamon,dry chili,cardamom,cloves, aniseed frying

Add pandan leaf and lemon grass. Fry for another minute. You will get a nice aroma.

Pandan leaf and lemon grass added

Now add cumin seeds fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds. Fry for 1 minute.

Spices cumin,fennel and fenugreek seeds added

Add  curry leaves and green chilli fry for 1 minute.

Green chili added

Then add onions and fry for three minutes .

Onion added

Add tomato and fry for 2 minutes

Tomato added

Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 minute.
You can add  3 or 4 peppercorns (optional)

We have added all the ingredients except pepper powder. 
Now we can add mutton. Increase the heat to medium. Add mutton and mix with the rest of the ingredients. Using two spoons mix well and stir for 5 minutes. You will see the mutton pieces blending with other ingredients and change colour.
Add water 1"  above the mutton pieces.which will cover the mutton pieces. Mutton will also ooze water.

Water added

Add the curry powder and pepper powder and mix well. My curry powder is already roasted it is not necessary to fry it in oil. If the curry powder you are using is not roasted then add it at the beginning after adding onions. Add 1 teaspoon salt and sugar. Sugar will make the mutton softer. Mix well. Cover and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and let it simmer and cook.

Curry being cooked

Now and then you stir the curry. It will take an hour to cook well. Sometimes a half hours depending on the type of mutton. If the mutton is hard you can add a bit of sugar. Once the mutton is cooked (soft) adjust the seasoning. You can take it off the heat with a little gravy or dry. It will be a black curry. Mutton curry is a half a day’s job but it is worth the effort.  You will get a tasty curry. I don’t use any milk   If you like you can add 1 cup of coconut cream at the end. My curry will not be hot but spicy.  I cut my green chili,curry leaf into small pieces as they will they blend in with the curry and nothing will be discarded on your plate when you finish eating. You can remove bigger items like pandan leaf, lemon grass,even cinnamon before you dish out. squeeze in lemon juice just before you dish out. This is one of my signature dishes. Enjoy! I also make spicy boneless chicken curry for parties.

Spicy mutton curry