curry – Meal Haven

Kosha Mangsho (Bengali Mutton Curry)

Ever since I had this at a Bengali friend’s place, the robust mixture of onions, tomatoes and spices with succulent pieces of meat tasted unique and quite different. This palate pleasing recipe is usually cooked with potatoes but I have not added it as I ran short of them. You can serve them with rotis or parathas or rice too.

Ingredients:

Goat Meat/Mutton – 1/2 kg

Large onions finely chopped – 2

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Tomato large – 1

Potatoes – 2 cut in half (optional)

Yogurt/Curds – 2/3 cup

Red chillie powder – 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Black Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp

Bay leaf – 1

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Whole Red chillies – 2

Cloves -2

Salt – to tast

Sugar – 1 tsp

Coriander leaves for garnish

Water – 1 1/2 cups

Preparation:

Wash mutton thoroughly and keep it aside.

In a bowl, add yogurt, red chillie powder, turmeric powder and half of the garam masala powder and mix well.

Take a pan and heat oil. Add the potatoes and saute them till golden. Take them out and keep aside.

In the same pan, add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and red chillies. When it sizzles, add the finely chopped onion and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Next, add the ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell disappears. Then, add the mutton pieces and saute again on high flame for 2 minutes.

Now add the chopped tomatoes and the yogurt and saute again for 3 minutes. Transfer the mutton to a pressure cooker and add 1 1/2 cups of water. Adjust the salt, close the lid and place the pressure weight on the vent of the cooker. Turn the flame on high and after the first whistle, reduce the flame to low and cook for 20 minutes and put off the flame. When it cools down, open the cooker and check if the meat is cooked. Now add the remaining garam masala powder.

Meanwhile, caramelise the sugar and add to the gravy. (Heat a pan and when it turns hot, add the sugar to it. Stir it for 3-4 minutes till it starts becoming slightly brown in colour. Add a tablespoon of water to it (Make sure your face is away from the pan when you add the water as the vapours may rise up to your face). Add the sugar to the curry. Do not wait for the sugar to become too brown, as it may become hard and brittle.

If there is more water in the gravy, open the cooker and place it on high flame for 5 minutes and cook without the lid. Keep stirring in between to avoid getting burnt. Add the potatoes and let it cook for 5 minutes.

When the desired consistency is obtained. put off the flame and transfer to a serving bowl.

Srilankan Mutton Curry(without ginger and garlic)

Non-Vegetarian

I remember having this curry years back when mom used to prepare and had completely forgotten about it. Rekindled those memories today by making her version of this awesome coconut milk based curry.

No more worries if you run short of ginger or garlic in your pantry. This curry sans those 2 ingredients is just as flavourful and delicious.

Ingredients:

Mutton – 500 gms

Onions – 2 medium size chopped

Whole Red chillies – 8 – 9

Turmeric – 3/4 tsp

Fenugreek seeds/Methi seeds- 1/4 tsp

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Cardamom – 10

Aniseed/Saunf – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – 6 – 7

Oil – 2 tbsp

Thick Coconut milk – 2 1/2 cups

Lime juice – 1/2 tsp

Kasuri methi powder (fenugreek leaves) – 1/2 tsp

Water – 1/2 cup

Salt

Preparation:

Heat a skillet. When it becomes hot, lower the flame and add the cardamon, aniseed, cinnamon and saute for a minute. Transfer these to a mixer and grind it to a fine powder. Transfer the powder to a small cup and keep it aside.

In the same jar, add the red chillies and the turmeric powder and powder it fine. Keep it aside.

If you are using coconut, extract 2 1/2 cups of coconut milk from it. (I have used 2 1/2 tbsp of coconut milk powder and added water to it to make it thick). You could also use the readymade coconut milk cans which are available in the market.

Take a pan and heat it. Add oil and when it becomes hot, add the chopped onions and curry leaves and saute well for 3 – 4 minutes. Then add the turmeric and red chillie powder and saute again for another 4-5 minutes.

Transfer it to a cooker and add 3/4th of the coconut milk , salt, fenugreek seeds, 1/2 cup of water and cook it. Keep the fire on medium high and after the first whistle, lower the flame and cook it for 20 minutes. Put off the flame and when it cools down, open and check if the meat is cooked. Once it is cooked, add the rest of the coconut milk, lime juice and boil once. Add 3/4th of the aniseed/cinnamon powder and 1/2 tsp of kasuri methi powder.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Restaurant Style Chicken Masala

Non-Vegetarian

A fragrant chicken masala with ground spices, onions and tomatoes. Served with some fresh rotis/rice and dal/sambar (lentils), it can be a soul satisfying meal.

Ingredients:

Chicken – 1 kg

Onion – 1 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Tomato – 1 1/2 cup

To grind:

Chillie powder – 2 tbsp

Coriander powder – 3 tsp heaped

Turmeric – 1 tsp

Khus-Khus (Poppy Seeds) – 3 tsp

Pepper – 15

Cloves – 6

Cardamom – 2

Cinnamon – 6 -7 very small pieces

Saunf/Aniseed – 3/4 tsp

Ginger – 1 1/2 inch piece

Garlic – 15 cloves

Shallots – 20 or Medium onion -2

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Preparation:

Grind items listed under “to grind’ in a mixer to a fine paste and keep it aside.

Rub this masala on the chicken pieces and keep it aside for 10 – 15 minutes.

Next, heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions and saute till it becomes medium brown in colour. Then, add the tomatoes and curry leaves and saute again for 3 to 4 minutes. Now, add the chicken, 1/2 cup of water and adjust the salt. Close the lid and let it cook for 6 -7 minutes. Open and stir it in between. If you like a thick gravy, cook for a little longer time till the gravy becomes a little thick.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with chapathis or rice.

Mutton Kurma with English Vegetables

Non-Vegetarian

Ingredients:

Mutton – 500 gms

Cauliflower – 4 small flowerettes

Beans – 4 or 5 chopped

Peas – 1/4 cup

Potato – 1 chopped

Knolkhol – 1 chopped

Green chillies – 4 or 5

Turmeric powder – 3/4 tsp

Tomatoes – 1 no + 1/2

Onion chopped – 1 big + 1/2

Chopped coriander – 3/4 tbsp

Chopped mint leaves – 10

Juice of 1/4 lime

Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Curds – 2 tbsp

Grated Coconut – 1 tbsp

Cashewnuts – 5

Poppy seeds – 1/2 tsp (optional)

Cloves – 3

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Aniseed/Saunf – 1/2 tsp

To Grind:

Grind coconut, cashewnuts and poppy seeds to a fine paste.
Cut the green chillies and saute it in oil well and add 1/2 onions and 1/2 tomatoes and saute well. Grind it and keep it aside.
Marinate the mutton for 1 hr in yogurt.

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan. Add the whole garam masala (saunf, cardamom and cinnamon). Add chopped onion, ginger garlic paste and saute well. Then add coriander leaves and mint leaves and also the green chillie-tomato paste, turmeric powder and saute. Add the mutton and saute well. Add little salt and cook in pressure cooker until 2 whistles are heard. After the first whistle, reduce the flame and cook for 10 – 15 minutes on slow until the 2nd whistle. If the meat is not tender, you may need to give more time to cook.

After the pressure cooker cools down, check if the meat is cooked. Then add the coconut paste,lemon juice and the chopped vegetables and stir it once. Close the cooker again and keep until 1 whistle sound is heard. Close and allow the cooker to cool.

Serve garnished with coriander leaves.

Mutton Chukka Keerai Curry

Non-Vegetarian

Another recipe which is a regualr in my mom’s kitchen is mutton with brinjal and sorrel leaves/khatta palak or chukka keerai as we call it. This curry can be served with rice, chapathi or pooris too.

Ingredients:

Mutton – 500 gms

Medium sized Tomatoes – 2

Onions – 2

Chilly powder – 2 tsp

Coriander powder – 4 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Ginger paste – 1 1/2 tsp

Garlic paste – 1 1/2 tsp

Small violet brinjals to be sliced into four – 7 -8 nos

1 small bunch consisting of 15-20 leaves of Chukka keerai/sorrel leaves(English)/Khatta palak(Hindi)

Oil – 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves (chopped finely) – 10 stalks

Mint leaves (chopped finely) – 15

Preparation:

Clean the greens and take only the leaves. Discard the stems. Wash and chop them.

Heat oil. Add chopped onion and sauté till it becomes soft. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell of ginger and garlic goes away. Add mint leaves and half of coriander leaves. Chopped tomatoes and fry well till tomatoes turn pulpy. Then, add chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and sauté on very low fire for 2-3 minutes or else, the powders may get burnt. Then add meat and sauté well. If you feel the meat may stick to the pan, sprinkle with water and sauté for 5-7minutes. Transfer to cooker and add 1 and 1/2 cup of water to cook meat. Cook for one whistle. After one whistle, lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes (depending on the quality of meat).Since this is soft, tender meat I have kept it for 10 minutes only. Put off the fire and open the cooker only after the pressure goes down. Then add sliced brinjals and add chopped sorrel leaves and cook on low flame till brinjals are tender. Remove when gravy thickens.

Brinjal Chana Dal curry

Vegetarian

The unique combination of chana dal and brinjals adds to the flavour of this gravy. It goes well with chapathis and plain rice. You can also substitute brinjals with beans, knolkhol, chow-chow or cabbage.

Ingredients:

Bengal gram dal or Chana dal – 1/2 cup

Brinjals – 2 medium size

Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp

Chillie powder – 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Tomato – 2 small

Onions – 1 big

Bay leaf – 1

Ground coconut paste – 1 1/2 tbsp

Water – 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 cup

Oil – 1 tbsp

Garam masala powder – a pinch

Garam masala powder:

Patta – 1 inch

Cloves – 4

Elaichi -2

Saunf – 1 tsp

In a kadai, saute all these without oil and pulse it in a blender to make the powder. Store this powder in a tighly sealed bottle.

Use only a pinch of this for this recipe.

Preparation:

Soak chana dal for 1/2 hr . Cook chana dal in a pressure cooker separately. Add the soaked chana dal to the cooker with a little salt and a pinch of turmeric and add 1 1/2 cups of water to it. After the first whistle, reduce the flame to the lowest and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. After it cools, check if the dal has been cooked well.

Meanwhile, in a kadai, add oil and heat it. Add 1 bay leaf and the chopped onions to it. Saute it well and then add ginger-garlic and fry until the raw smell goes off. Then add tomatoes. When it becomes mushy, add the chillie powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder and mix well. Then in goes the brinjals and stir well. Cover and let it cook for some time. When the veggies r cooked, add the boiled chana dal and the ground coconut paste to the mixture and boil for 2 minutes. Add a pinch of the garam masala powder and stir well and put off the gas. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Markandam Soup (Mutton Rib bone soup)

Non-Vegetarian

Mom’s speciality. A soup bursting with flavours which is a big hit with the entire family. The broth is simmered with the spices and the bones cooked alongwith it, brings out the richness of this soup. It can be had with rice or can have it on its own.

Ingredients:

Markandam or Rib bones – 250 gms

Garlic – 3/4 tsp paste

Ginger – 3/4 tsp

Onion – 1 medium

Tomato – 3 medium sized

Coriander leaves – 1 1/4 tsp chopped plus some for garnish

Chillie powder – 2 tsp

Coriander powder – 3 tsp

Kashmiri chillie powder – 1/4 tsp (for colour only)

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Mint leaves/Pudina choped fine – 7 leaves (optional)

Water – 1 1/2 cups

Salt – To taste

Seasonings:

Garlic crushed – 3 or 4

Ghee – 1 tsp

Pepper powder coarsely crushed – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaf – 1 sprig

Preparation:

In a cooker, add all of the above ingredients except the seasonings. Close the lid and let it boil. After 1 whistle, reduce the flame to the lowest and let it boil for 8 – 10 mts, depending on the tenderness of the meat. Once done, open the ooker and check if the meat is cooked. If the soup is very watery, boil it for some more time without the lid on.

Heat a tsp of ghee and add coarsely ground pepper first. Then add the crushed garlic and curry leaves. Pour the seasoning in the soup and voila… the soup is ready.