Friday 23 April 2010

Malabar Style Pepper Mutton Curry in two ways.


This curry is one that my mom prepares at home quite often whenever she gets hold of some mutton/goat meat. I love it when she prepares it, she makes them to go with the famous Malabar Neypathal, chappathi or sometimes Malabar Porotta. She prepares one of the best porottas at home. I have said it a zillion times here, but I can’t stop saying it; My mom is one of the best cooks and I just love her food. It’s not only my opinion, but anyone else who ever had her food. I don’t know if I will ever be able to create her taste in my kitchen, but I do try hard to bring that taste. Even if I cook exactly like her, and even under her guidance, I feel something is missing.


Not only my mom, my younger sis ‘Sham’ is also a great cook. One thing that never stops amazing me about her is that even if she doesn’t eat fish, she prepares one of the best fish curries! I don’t know how she does it without even tasting it. When I asked her that question, all she told me that she watched our mom cooking and cooks exactly like her! I sometimes call her to clarify the recipes because she was the one who learned all recipes from my mom exactly. I was also told by few of my family members who got a chance to eat her food; that her food is real tasty! This is one recipe that I called her up to clarify before sharing with you here.

Coming to the recipe part now, as I mentioned in the title, this curry can be prepared in two ways: One is by adding the roasted coconut and spices to the gravy, giving it a rich aroma of coconut and blended spices. That’s is pepper mutton in roasted coconut gravy. The other one is a simpler version without the hassle of adding the coconut – simple pepper mutton. This curry will be quite darker in colour since there is no coconut involved and is much easier since no grinding or anything is involved. Its tastier either ways, but adding freshly ground spices and coconut gives the curry an entirely different taste.



Ingredients:
520g mutton/lamb
240 g onion chopped (1 ½ large onion, 1 ½ cups)
160g tomatoes chopped (1 ½ large ones, ¾ cup)
1 tbsp minced garlic
½- ¾ tbsp minced ginger
3-4 tsp pepper powder
4 tsp lightly roasted coriander powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1-4 green chillies split lengthwise (opt out if you like it less spicy)
1/3 cup water or as required
Salt - as required
2-3 Tbsp coconut oil/vegetable oil
2 twigs curry leaves

To roast and grind:
½ cup freshly grated coconut tightly packed
2 cardamoms
2-3 cloves
1 small piece cinnamon stick
¼ tsp fennel seeds (perumjeerakam)
1 – 1 ¼ cups water


Preparation:

1.Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add chopped onion and salt. Saute on medium flame until it becomes soft and starts taking golden colour.

2. Add ginger,garlic and green chillies and sauté for a minute or two until the raw smell goes away.

3. Add pepper powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder and sauté for 2 minutes. If the masala starts sticking to the pan, add few drops of water and continue cooking.

4. Add chopped tomatoes, cover the pan and cook till tomatoes gets mushy and all oil starts leaving the sides.

5. Add washed mutton pieces, stir well. Add water and pressure cook till done. If mutton has released lot of water, boil of excess water until you get thick gravy.

6.In another pan, add coconut and other whole spices. Saute on medium flame stirring constantly until coconut turns golden colour. Grind this into smooth paste by adding required amount of water.

7. Add this coconut paste along with curry leaves to the mutton curry cooked earlier and cook for further 4-5 minutes.

8. If you don’t want the coconut based curry, after step 5, just add curry leaves and ½ tsp of garam masala and some water if necessary. Cook it covered for 2-3 minutes to infuse flavour.

This curry pairs well with almost anything including neypathal, paratta, chappathi, pooris, ghee rice and even plain rice.

22 comments:

Unknown said...

Am drooling over your pics Shabs..Great pics and recipe!! Bookmarked :)

Cool Lassi(e) said...

Hey, Happy Earth Day to you! The Malabar mutton curry looks great!

Pavithra Srihari said...

Gravy is mouthwatering ..being a vegetarian I would like to make the same way with Soya.

PranisKitchen said...

what a delicious mouthwatering mutton curry..feel to have it now..best combo with chapati or fried rice..
nice pic too

Life is beautiful !!! said...

Shabs we used to make chicken with roasted coconut...It definitely provides the dish with a nice aroma...the dish looks yummy :)

I'm a Home Chef !!! said...

perfect with kerala parathas....

My Kitchen Antics said...

Shabs...do you use lamb or goat? We dont get goat here and i dont like the smell lamb gives out so i avoid buying it...I love love love pathiri and my best friends mom makes them specially for me..how i miss it..
how come ur are going to dubai for that long? vacation? Ya its horrible that these contracts tie you down...luckily i joined on a deal where there weren't any contracts..and those yellow flowers are actually dandelions which is more like a pest and considered a weed cos they grow like wild fire..yes they are not that posh :)

Priya Suresh said...

Wat a mouthwatering mutton curry, will try them soon for sunday lunch...

Khadija El Mary said...

This sounds really wonderful!
Cheers

divya said...

Am drooling over your pics Shabs..Great pics and recipe!!

Shabs.. said...

thanks to all for ur comments:)

PaTan said...

Wonderful recipe. I love mutton curry. But never try. I love to order from Indian restaurant. I think I have to try some by myself. I going to follow your recipe. Your photos make my mouth watering. My partner "Hotel Chef" also interesting by your recipe. Thank you for sharing.;)

Namitha said...

I am drooling now...Oh Shabs, if at all we meet sometimes in future pl do make something from Malabar for me..:D Though I make something similar, can't compare to yours !this looks so good

Namitha said...

Da, I used 2 tbsp lemon juice and it was just perfect for us..The jam was not lemony at all. Maybe we used different varieties :-)Anyways I've changed it to just 2tbsp !
You could moderate this comment..I couldn't find a mail id to send you a reply :D

Barbara Bakes said...

I think everything takes better when mom makes it. Great dish.

s said...

This really looks super..so creamy . I just with I could sopp it up with some bread...yum!

Pavithra Elangovan said...

Wonderful recipe..I can adopt this for vegetarian curry...Looks creamy too..

Pravs said...

I want to have this mutton curry with pathiri :) slurrppp !!

ARUNA said...

Gosh looks so tempting!!!

Malar Gandhi said...

These pictures are making me very hungry'...mutton pepper curry looks rich, creamy and delicious.

Dori said...

That looks delicious!

Aruna said...

Shabs, Tried this curry & it turned out sooo delicious!!! Thx a bunch!! Aruna

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