The moment I think of Sunday, my mind is clouded with a brew of emotions. On one hand, I am thankful for yet another amazing weekend while on the other hand I see the #ManiacMonday is sneaking through the doors.

This Sunday, I decided to get ahead of #MondayManiac with a spicy and scrumptious recipe of mutton. I am here to share how I get it to the next level.

Mutton Dhaba Style

I must advise you beforehand that unlike most of the cuisines, this ain’t a quick one. The first step would be to get the mutton ready. My personal favorites when it comes to mutton cuts are ForeLeg, Shoulders and Rib Chops. The overall cooking time is 3 to 4 hrs.

Marination

• Mutton – 800 to 1000 gms
• Curd – 250 to 300 gms
• Whole egg – 1
• Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp
• Red chilli powder – 2 tbsp
• Turmeric – 1 tbsp

Whisk all ingredients in a bowl and add the mutton pieces. I prefer air tight containers for marination. Put the entire mixture in deep freezer for 4-8 hrs, the longer the better. Well I already said, this ain’t a quick recipe.

Shallow frying

As I get ready to cook the mutton, can you guess the first step?
If you took a clue from the section title, unfortunately you got it wrong. If you know me, you saw this coming. First step will be to get myself a large peg of Old Monk with 2 ice cubes and some Red Bull. You can thank me later for sharing this awesome combo.

It’s time to help the marinated mutton with some shallow frying. I prefer Mustard oil when it comes to cooking, 4-6 tbs. Once you can sense that the oil is heated, add the mutton pieces. Be careful, as the liquid base of the marinate is bound to fizzle and it’s definitely scary. Once mutton and oil have compromised with each other, cover the lid and keep the flame low.

Keep a close eye & ensure the mutton doesn’t stick to the pan. Once the colour is golden, turn off the flame!!!

Ingredients for sinful curry

• Onions – 4 medium-sized; finely chopped pushpa I hate tears…
• Onions – 2 to 3 medium-sized; grate/grind
• Green chilies – 4; finely chopped
• Cumin seeds – 2 tbsp
• Bay leaves – 2 to 3
• Green cardamom – 5 to 6
• Black cardamom – 2
• Cinnamon sticks 2″ – 2 to 3
• Cloves – 4 to 6
• Dry red chili – 2 to 3
• Tomatoes – 3 medium-sized; grate/grind/finely chopped
• Cashews – 8 to 10; grate
• Fresh cream – 2 tbsp
• Coconut Crush – 3 to 4 tbsp

Let’s cookup

1. Put the pan on high flame and add 3 to 4 tbsp of mustard oil. Once the oil is hot, reduce the flame and add the cumin seeds, bay leaves, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cinnamon sticks, cloves, , dry red chilies and cover the pan for 2-3 minutes.
2. Once you feel the aroma of the dry spices, it’s time to add 10-12 sugar cubes. Yes, you heard it right, sugar helps in caramelizing. Let the sugar turn into deep brown semi-liquid then add finely chopped green chilies. This step helps to make the curry tikha like anything.
3. Now it’s turn for the paper thin chopped onions, add them and cover the pan for 5 minutes. Now add 1 tbsp of turmeric powder and let the onions turn brown.
4. Add the grinded onions along with 2 tbsp of salt. Salt helps the onions to cook quickly.
5. Once the onions start leaving oil, it’s time for the sinful paste of grounded spices. To make this, I have used 4 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste, 2 tbsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, 2 tbsp mutton masala, 0.5 tbsp cumin powder and 0.5 tbsp of coriander powder. I like keeping the paste a bit slurry. Now add this paste to the onions.
6. Cover the lid and cook the mixture on low flame for 8 to 10 minutes. Keep stirring the spices to avoid burning your sinful spices.
7. As you see the mixture leaving oil, it’s time to add grated cashew nuts and dry coconut. This helps to bind the curry. I will also add the fresh cream and let the mixture cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
8. In the meantime, I have created a puree from the tomatoes. Add the puree to the pan and let it cook for another 10 minutes. This is when I add 2 to 3 tbsp of ghee.
9. It’s mating time, so add the shallow fried mutton pieces in the mixture and let the spices cover the succulent mutton pieces.
10. Another 10 minutes and we add the remains of the marinade along with 2 cups of water.
11. Since I am cooking the mutton using a pan, it’s important to let it cook for another 45 min to 1 hr. Keep stirring the entire mix on low flame.
12. Our mutton is ready and looks delicious. Let’s add finely chopped coriander leaves to wrap up your Sinful Dhaba style Mutton.

Shahi Pulao

The combination of mutton and pulao has always lured me so let’s get the pulao ready.

1. Soak 300 gms of basmati rice in water for some 30 minutes.
2. Once you filter out the additional water, spread the rice on a cotton cloth. This is more of a nostalgic memory and less of a necessity in today’s time.
3. Once the rice has dried up, heat a pan and add 4 to 5 tbsp of ghee.
4. Next comes the dry spices which include cumin seeds, cardamoms both black and green, bay leaves, red dry chili, cashew nuts, cinnamon sticks, and javitri. 
5. Saute the dry spices for a while and then add the rice. Carefully stir the mixture for another minute or two. Now add 2 to 3 cups of water and cover the lid for 10 minutes.
6. Our shahi pulao is ready…

So when are you cooking it?

Do give it a try and share with me how it goes. Thanks for standing by this long recipe, hope to see you all soon with another lip smacker….