This is a fantastic spicy Malabar (Northern Kerala) style mutton curry as interpreted by chef Sanjeev Kapoor.
The recipe is adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor's Khana Khazana.
Ingredients:
800 g mutton, cut into 2 cm pieces
2 medium onions, sliced
3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
For the garlic paste:
3 green chillies
1 tbsp fresh ginger, ground
5 large garlic cloves (or 10 small)
1 tbsp dried curry leaves (or 10 fresh)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
4-5 dried red chillies
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 cinnamon stick
4-6 green cardamoms
6-8 cloves
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup fresh coconut, scraped
2 tbsp poppy seeds
10-12 peppercorns
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
season to taste
Method:
Chop garlic and green chillies. Grind ginger, garlic and green chillies into a paste.
Heat some oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, cinnamon, coriander seeds, dry red chillies, fenugreek seeds (or powder), cardamoms, cloves and bay leaves.
Stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the coconut, poppy seeds and peppercorns and cook until coconut changes it's colour slightly.
Remove from heat, keeping the bay leaves aside, and grind into a fine paste.
Heat some more oil, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Fry for 30 seconds or until the seeds start to frizz.
Add onions and saute till golden brown.
Add mutton pieces and ginger-garlic-green chilli paste.
Cook on high heat for 10 minutes, stirring continuously. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and tomatoes.
Cook till oil leaves the masala.
Add 2 cups of water, the reserved bay leaves, and bring to the boil.
Cover the pan and simmer for at least an hour and half or so, till mutton is fully cooked. Add the coconut and poppy paste and salt.
Mix well. Add more water if required. Simmer for about 10 more minutes.
Serve hot and enjoy!
