Sunday Special Mutton Curry (Bengali Goat meat Curry)

11:47 AM


During the time of Bengali Nabobarsho (new year in April) I put up a question on my facebook page as what recipe they would like to see next, Bengali Mutton curry or Chanar Kofta (cottage cheese dumplings). To my surprise 90% of them voted for the vegetarian kofta. I posted the recipe and conveniently forgot about the mutton curry which was patient enough to  sit in my 'not yet' folder till last month. Then a reader gently reminded about it. But with the heat wave on I could not risk to post such a heavy and rich dish. Now with the Monsoon finally in our region... with a cooler weather and comparatively cool me can present to you the very famous, very Bengali Mangshor jhol or Mutton curry.

With its velvety gravy, succulent and juicy meat pieces and plump potatoes, Mangshor jhol never fails to lure Bengalis. There was a time when heart attacks, cholesterol, red meat were terms found only in text books and not something that we uttered everyday. Those days mutton curry used to enjoy it's cult status in Bengali livelihood. It was 'THE' dish which was must for each and every Bengali party. and in almost all Bengali families it was synonymous to Sundays.



Every Sunday morning the man of the house would take his bajarer thole or shopping bag and set out early in the morning to get the best cut. Most of them had their own vendors, whom they trusted, as the quality of the meat largely decides the tatse and flavour of the end dish. and then the women will cook Mangshor jhol and bhat (mutton curry and rice) with plenty of patience, love and time. Its one dish that could never be made in a hurry. The best taste comes when its cooked on slow flame for a few hours.

Gone are those leisurely sundays and such time taking cooking. But given a choice I sometime prefer to cook it the old world way...slow cooking the mutton with spices and then let it cook on Dum for a few hours till the meat soaks up all the flavour and is so succulent and juicy that it almost melts in your mouth. 

I believe cooking and taste are very personal thing and especially for this mutton dish every family have their own recipes. Here is mine. just the way my Grandma and ma cooks it.

Mutton curry

Ingredients:
Mutton: 1 kg
Potatoes: 3 medium
Onion: 4 large red onion (almost 2 cups chopped)
Garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Ginger paste: 2 tsp
Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Chili Powder: 2 tsp (as per your heat tolerance)
Yogurt: 1/4 cup
Mustard oil: 4 tbsp+ 1/2 cup
Garam masala powder: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric
Salt
Sugar: 1/2 tsp
Raw papaya paste: 1 tbsp (optional but works as meat tenderizer) *see notes for more meat tenderizer option.

Tempering
whole cloves: 6
Cinnamon: 1" stick
Green Cardamom: 1
Peppercorns: 8-10 (lightly crushed)

Method:
Wash the mutton pieces and drain the water. Soak excess water with kitchen towels. Add the beaten yogurt, 1/3 of the ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbsp mustard oil and your chosen meat tenderizer eg. raw papaya/ kiwi or betel-nut. Mix. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate at least for 3 hours. For best result marinate for 6-8 hours. 

Peel and cut the potatoes in half. Smear little salt and turmeric and keep aside.
Peel and chop the onions in half moon shape.
Soak the cumin powder in 2 tbsp water and keep aside.

Heat the rest of the oil in a big pan. Fry the potato pieces till golden and take out with a slotted spoon. 

Lightly pound the whole spices under tempering and add to the oil. Let it sizzle for a few seconds and then add all the chopped onion, a pinch of salt and the sugar. On medium flame brown it for 10-12 minutes. Stir every now and then to stop it from burning at the bottom.

add the ginger garlic paste and cook again till oil separates at the side (6-8 minutes). Pour in the cumin, chiliies, turmeric and cook again for 4-5 minutes till the raw smell is gone. 

Now carefully add the mutton pieces with all its marinade. Stir to mix everything together. Keep the flame on medium for it to cook slowly. Stir and let all the pieces cook evenly. Cover and let it cook for sometime and then stir so that it does not burn. Keep doing this till the mutton is browned and you again see all the oil has ooze out from the sides. Be patient and let it cook as the taste of the final dish entirely depends on this process. This slow cooking will caramelize the spices and the meat will become tender and flavourful. For me this kashano parts takes almost 35-45 minutes depending on the quality of the meat.

Once you see the oil and the meat is browned pour 3-31/2 cups of warm water to it. Adjust the seasoning. Add in the fried potato chunks. Mix thoroughly.

Pressure Cooker Method:
Now you can fasten tthe cooking process by transferring the entire think to a pressure cooker and cook for 2 sittis on medium. Let it stand till the steam dissipates in itself. Open the lid and taste. adjust with more salt or chili powder. Sprinkle the garam masala. mix and tightly cover till you are ready to serve.

Slow Cooking:
Pour warm water to the meat and poato, Mix and then cover with a tight fitting lid. Keep the lfame on medium and let it cook for 1-11/2 hours or till the meat is tender. Add more water (definitely warm) to adjust the thickness of the gravy. Finally sprinkle the garam masala on top and serve. 

I love to serve white steamed rice with my Mutton Curry.

A Homemaker's Notes:
You can use raw papaya , kiwi or betel nut as meat tenderizer. Peel the papaya or kiwi, grate or make a paste and mix to the meat while marinating. if using betel nut then crush it to big chunks and add. For 1 kg meat 1 small kiwi, 3" piece of papaya or half of a betel nut is enough.

For best result use Mustard oil. Heat till it starts to smoke and then only add the spices or you will end up with pungent smell of the oil.

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33 comments

  1. meenaJune 22, 2014 at 6:21 PM

    OMG that does look droolicious !Such a beautiful set of pics too.Nice light too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. IshitaUnbloggedJune 22, 2014 at 8:26 PM

    Ahhh Kasha Mangsho... or rather the Sunday special. Looks absolutely superb!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hamaree RasoiJune 22, 2014 at 9:02 PM

    Awesome and delicious looking mutton curry. Wonderfully taken pics as well.
    Deepa

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rafeeda ARJune 22, 2014 at 10:06 PM

    I'm just drooling at that plate of rice and mutton curry.... yummm...

    ReplyDelete
  5. restaurants near meJuly 29, 2014 at 6:07 AM

    I like your A HOMEMAKER'S DIARY...and thanks for many special recipes...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Rudy the WizMarch 16, 2015 at 8:24 PM

    I prepared this dish following your recipe and it came out absolutely delicious and flavorful.
    Thanks.
    Rudra

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sayantani Mahapatra MudiMarch 17, 2015 at 9:12 AM

    Thank you Rudra for your feedback. so glad that the recipe worked for you.

    ReplyDelete
  8. SanjuktaMay 6, 2015 at 1:18 AM

    I am trying your recipe today , a small query ,when is the right time to add the papaya while cooking the mutton curry :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. SanjuktaMay 6, 2015 at 1:19 AM

    I am trying your recipe today , a small query ,when is the right time to add the papaya while cooking the mutton curry :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. SanjuktaMay 6, 2015 at 1:19 AM

    I am trying your recipe today , a small query ,when is the right time to add the papaya while cooking the mutton curry :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. UnknownMay 13, 2015 at 3:50 AM


    Good recipe with nice presentation.Delicious and wonderful looking very nice and yummy..
    chowringhee satya niketan



    ReplyDelete
  12. UnknownJuly 21, 2015 at 10:40 PM

    Hey the dish shown here is amazing. The dish looks yummy.
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  13. Puja GuptaMay 3, 2016 at 2:19 AM

    You want at lose weight at home through yummy juices then juicing recipe for weight loss must look it out.

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  14. .mytokriJuly 31, 2016 at 11:47 PM

    Awesome and delicious looking mutton

    ReplyDelete
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  16. AnandiAugust 14, 2016 at 7:55 AM

    Hello Sayantani - I love this sunday mutton on your blog. Its a regular feature at my house, not just on sundays but anytime I have to cook mutton...lovely recipe. Its a keeper.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sayantani Mahapatra MudiAugust 15, 2016 at 6:54 AM

    @Anandi thank you. this is my maa's recipe, as simple as it can get but delish. so glad that you liked it

    ReplyDelete
  18. Prashant GoyalAugust 24, 2016 at 11:21 PM

    Great effort... superb organic content. If you are interested in DULHAN MEHNDI DESIGNS do have a look.

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  19. Amitesh sinhaSeptember 25, 2016 at 11:51 PM

    Hello, Thanks for sharing this content.

    ReplyDelete
  20. allgovtsjobMarch 11, 2017 at 11:32 AM

    I love this sunday mutton on your blog. Its a regular feature at my house, not just on sundays but anytime I have to cook mutton...lovely recipe. Its a keeper. BIG BASKET REFERRAL

    ReplyDelete
  21. FreshmenuMarch 28, 2017 at 12:27 PM

    Being a foodie my mouth is full of watered. have to try the same this weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Gayatri DubeyApril 21, 2017 at 10:15 PM

    Hey Thanks for the recipe! Planning to make this for Sunday Brunch. I have already ordered my groceries. Will give you feedback once I make it. Have a happy weekend! :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. thoughtfully_yoursJune 4, 2017 at 10:56 AM

    I tried this recipe today and it worked out very well. Thank you for sharing with us.

    ReplyDelete
  24. FoodpandaJune 27, 2017 at 5:36 AM

    Hi Blogger, Thanks for sharing these recipe tips.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Ravi KumarAugust 2, 2017 at 4:50 AM

    Hi
    I prepared this dish following your recipe and it came out absolutely delicious and flavorful.

    thanks

    ReplyDelete
  26. UnknownAugust 14, 2017 at 9:37 AM

    Hello Sayantani, I have made this a few times and it's just awesome. In fact I have just marinated the meat and looking forward to cook tomorrow. Thanks a ton. Happy Independence Day

    ReplyDelete
  27. promoscodeAugust 28, 2017 at 2:00 AM

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  28. BruceSeptember 2, 2017 at 8:29 PM

    Tried this recipe last night and it was fantastic. Only comment I would like clarified is how much turmeric should go in as the recipe quantity is not specified Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  29. UnknownJune 19, 2018 at 7:11 AM

    I tried this recepie. It was good. I'ill Keep looking for more.

    Madhu

    ReplyDelete
  30. RidhishaJuly 18, 2018 at 10:21 PM

    OMG! great blog. I love your recipe

    ReplyDelete
  31. Rohit SharmaOctober 17, 2019 at 6:59 AM

    I blog quite often and I truly thank you for your content. This article has truly peaked my interest. I will book mark your site and keep checking for new information about once per week. I subscribed to your Feed too.|


    Noobie

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  32. Hritik SinghalJanuary 20, 2020 at 4:54 AM

    Helpful post. Great recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  33. OvenstoryJanuary 27, 2020 at 2:53 AM

    Good while reading it, this time on Holi must try this receipe

    ReplyDelete

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