MUTTON CURRY RECIPE – Goat Curry / South Indian Style Mutton Gravy

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Once in a month we treat ourselves with some meaty stuff… at home everyone is very fond of goat meat. It has to be either goat biryani or gravy whenever i head home with fresh meat from the market. My periamma/ aunt makes the best biryani ever and gravy… back home she used to be the queen in all those non-veg preparations, and we as kids just bug her/ nutchufy to make those scrumptious dishes during weekends and summer holidays. This is one such recipe from her cooking diary, get to cook this often and is like the best for me. Try and let me know how its for you, feel free to adjust the spice level depending your preference. Though it is categorized under kuzhambu, its more like semi thick gravy type dish. Hope you all like it!

Overnight Marination:

Goat meat needs to be real tender for which we usually marinate the meat. Overnight marination makes them real tender and is recommended but if you have real tender fresh goat meat then a few hours of marination is fine. Wash the meat and place in a colander to drain the excess water. Then add yogurt, turmeric and salt to the meat and mix well. Place them in container and refrigerate. Let it marinate until you are ready for the preparation.

Garam Masala Powder:

Fresh garam masala powder is always a plus for any recipe to perk up the taste. For this recipe we need about 1/2 teaspoon which is a little less but you may add more depending on your preference, just that I don’t want to over powder the dish.  Dry roast the ingredients mentioned in table -2 (cinnamon, cloves, cardamom & star anise) for few minutes over medium flame. Let them cool completely and grind them to a powder form. Now, I can understand this is very small quantity and your mixer/ blender will literally cry to grind it. I would advice you to either make a big batch for future use or use / borrow some coriander powder from the table 3 to make the mixer run. The the whole masala will blend well and your mixer will be very happy to merry go round!

Cashew Poppy paste:

Any gravy needs lite TLC at the end to give a beautiful finishing touch and for this recipe its the cashew poppy paste will make do that! Adding this paste at the end will make give good thick consistency & also shiny creamy touch to the gravy. Basically it thickens the gravy. Some add coconut paste, which is also a good… depending on your preference you can choose the one you like. Soak the cashew and poppy seeds in water and then grind them to fine paste.

Gravy

Finally lets start the gravy preparation. Pressure cooker the marinated mutton with enough water (about 4 cups approx) or just to immerse the meat. It may take about 3 whistles or 10 minutes in low- medium flame for a tender goat meat. If your meat is tough then 4-5 whistles recommended.  Let the steam settle and set aside the mutton along with its juice.

In a wide kadai or deep sauce pan, heat oil and sizzle the bay leaf.  Add cumin seeds, fennel seeds and some curry leaves, let them dance along.  Fry the chopped onions & green chilies till translucent. Brown them further if you wish to have your gravy nice and dark. Add in ginger garlic paste and fry along till the raw smell goes off.

Add in the chopped tomatoes along with all the powders ( turmeric powder, red chili powder, kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, black pepper powder). Fry them for about 10 minutes or till the masala thickens and oil oozes. Now add the cooked meat along with the juice, ground garam masala powder and salt. Let it simmer for 10 minutes or till the desired consistency. Now when the gravy reaches little thick add the cashew poppy paste, garnish with coriander & curry leaves. Simmer for few minutes and switch off.

Serve with biryani or any typical south indian meal. Goes well with parotta, any mild pulao or biryani!

Notes

• Goat meat must be very tender for a tasty gravy. Ask for tender Baby goat meat from your butcher. The meat should look light pink, that’s one tip to find whether the meat is tender. Dark red meat is definitely a red flag- that’s tough meat.
• Cashew poppy paste is optional, the gravy will still taste great without it. Basically added to thicken and creamy rich taste. Comes in handy when you need some extra gravy for unexpected guests.
• If you no time to make garam masala powder, just use store bought garam masala powder. North Indian style garam masala powders may have an impact on the gravy… like Shaan Masala, Everest Brands are not recommended. Try Aachi or MTR or South Indian Garam Masala blend for this recipe.
• Try using Kosher salt for marination and gravy that gives a tasty touch to any gravy. Kosher / kallu uppu / with no iodine content.
• If you wish to make it like a running consistency gravy then add some fresh grated, about 1/4 cup along with cashew and poppy seeds to make a paste.
• Skip the cashew paste part if you think its too rich.