mutton curry????

Curry mutton

Serves 4-6

Preparation time overnight

Cooking time over 2 hours

Ingredients

3.4kg/7lb 5oz mutton on the bone, chopped

For the first marinade

2 sprigs lemon thyme, chopped

small handful coriander, chopped

2 pinches freshly ground black pepper

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 onion, finely chopped

2 small chillies - 1 scotch bonnet, 1 green bird's-eye (or to taste), both chopped

400ml/14fl oz red wine

For the dry spice fry

olive oil, for frying

3 cloves

1 piece cinnamon bark

4-5 cardamom pods, crushed

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chopped thyme

½ red chilli, or to taste

½ green chilli, or to taste

1-2 bay leaves

1 tsp chilli powder

3-4 tsp mild curry powder

2 tbsp garam masala

1 litre/1¾ pints lamb or beef stock

40g/1½oz good-quality dark cooking chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

1½ tbsp pomegranate molasses (optional)

Method

1. For the first marinade, combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Add the chopped mutton. Cover with cling film and leave to sit in the fridge for about an hour or overnight if possible.

2. For the dry spice fry, heat a splash of olive oil in a very large deep saucepan.

3. Gradually add all the ingredients for the dry spice fry, except the chocolate, pomegranate molasses and the stock, to the olive oil.

4. Stir the ingredients in the oil for a few minutes until they release their aroma, then add the marinated mutton.

5. Allow the meat to sizzle in the saucepan (be careful, it may splatter) for a few minutes and then pour on the liquid from the marinade and the stock.

6. Grate the chocolate on top and add the pomegranate molasses (if using).

7. Cover the saucepan and leave it to cook on a very low heat for about 3-4 hours. The curry is cooked and ready to serve when the meat is soft and falls off the bone.

Just like to point out that mutton has a strong flavour so you may want to give it a boil once and discard the liquid if you think your guests may detest the strong smell. Alternatively you can use lamb which does not have a strong smell and more tender.

Assuming you are using lamb, brown the pieces first with a bit of oil,then the onion,garlic and the the spices last. Add the liquid stock ,with slightly more than enough to cover the meat. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour or two, depending on the amount and the size of the pieces, till they are tender anyway. Check on the liquid level. You can also enhance the curry with tomato puree,potatoes or yogurt. Cook them as far ahead as you possibly can, to allow all the flavours to infuse into the stew.Enjoy, Cheers.

Clarification:-

Does anyone out here knows the difference between mutton and lamb? If you don't, here's the answer. In butchery terms,both come from the same animal but mutton is the meat of an older animal possibly as old as 1 to 2 years old whereas lamb comes from an animal not more than 1 year old.So here's the difference, the older the animal, the tougher the meat but the more flavour the meat is also. So when cooking mutton, most Chefs use a technique called blanching which is basically boiling off the meat to remove any impurities, blood, scum, and stench from the meat. This process obviously not only makes the meat more tender when it is cooked again the second time but also remove the overpowering smell of the mutton.

Try boiling a pot of mutton in your kitchen without the ventilation on and you will see my point.

The method I used to cook lamb curry as mentioned above is the traditional way Indians use to cook their curry at home and the ingredients they use are very basic :- oil. onions, tomatoes,any combination of marsala they desire, water, salt and pepper.

You guys will make the Indians laugh if you tell them you use flour in your curries.

Ya ,go on , do more cut and paste,lol.

Brown the meat VERY fast in a hot pan to seal in the flavour. Dont cook it at this stage cos it will dryout

first fry the onion, then garlic and ginger, then chilly turmeric etc,and other spices, then mutton. mix it thoroughly, slow the heat, cover the pan for about 10-15 minuets and leave it on very slow heat. water will come out from mutton or ( what ever meat you used)keep stirring the mixture until all the water is dried up, mix a little more water, and cook it until mutton is tender. garnish with green corender/mint leaves

Dry roast your spices until they start to 'pop'. (Cover the pan to stop them jumping all over the kitchen). Add ghee or vegetable oil to the pan and sweat off onions until glassy. Add garlic, grated ginger root and chopped chili, then the meat. Toss in the oil for a few minutes and then add anything else you want in your mutton curry. I normally add chopped tomatoes and a little salt. Cover the pan and reduce the heat. The meat should make it's own juice.

seal the mutton by frying lightly also a good idea to season at this stage and curry the meat

After cubing the mutton. Lightly fry it in butter and flour until coloured. This will enhance the flavour.

Mutton Curry,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,SO GOOD!!! :---]

300 g mutton, cleaned, chopped and fat removed

4-5 tablespoons oil

2 medium onions, sliced

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup coriander leaves

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

4-5 green chilies, whole

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3 inches cinnamon sticks

2 cardamom

3 cloves

3 garlic, mashed

1/2 inch ginger, mashed

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons yoghurt

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 large potato, deskinned & cubed

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 cup water

In a pressure cooker heat the oil on a medium flame.

Add the mustard and cumin seeds and heat till mustard seeds start splattering.

Add the onions and sauté till golden brown.

Add turmeric powder and sauté for another minute.

Add mashed ginger, garlic and green chillies and sauté for about 1 minute.

Add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom and cloves and sauté for about 2 minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté till the tomato smell disappears and mash the tomato with your stirring spoon.

Now add the potatoes and stir for 1 minute.

Add the chilli powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, garam masala and sauté for about 1 minute.

Add the potatoes and stir well for about 1 minute coating the potatoes with the mixture.

Add the cleaned mutton pieces and stir till mutton turns slightly pale on the outside - approximately 3 minutes.

Now add the yoghurt, lime juice and salt and stir well mixing all the ingredients in the cooker. Let it cook for about 2 minutes.

Now add the water and coriander leaves and stir well.

Close the lid of the pressure cooker and let it cook for about 3 whistles and then off the gas.

Let the pressure escape from the cooker and then open it.

Check if the mutton is cooked thoroughly. If not switch on the gas and let it cook on medium flame till the mutton is cooked.

You may add additional water if you want more gravy or if you need more water for the mutton to cook.

Check for the salt content and add salt if required.

After cubing the mutton. Lightly fry it in butter and flour until coloured. This will enhance the flavour.

Your right to brown it first (not cooking it through), that would be best. Helps to keep the meat tender through the rest of the cooking.