Tamilnadu Style Mutton Drumstick Curry/Mutton Murungakkai Kuzhambu

A typical tamil style mutton curry which is cooked using drumsticks and potatoes. You can serve it with chapathi, dosas or rice.

Ingredients:

Mutton – 1/2 kg

Ginger-garlic paste – 1 1/4 tbsp

Red chillie powder – 2 tsp

Coriander powder – 2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Cloves – 2

Onion – 2 medium

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp (chopped)

Drumstick – 1

Potato – 1 small

Coconut shredded or cut into pieces – 1/2 cup

Poppy seeds/Khus-khus – 1 1/2 tsp

Tomato – 2 medium

Thick tamarind pulp – 1/2 tsp

Salt – to taste

Preparation:

Wash the mutton and keep it aside, adding some salt and turmeric to it. Grind the coconut in a mixer alongwith poppy seeds to a fine paste. You may add 2 tbsp of water to make it into a smooth paste. Dice the potato and chop the onions , tomatoes and drumstick.

This is a one pot dish and you can prepare this curry in a pressure cooker. Heat a cooker and add oil. Add the cinnamon, cloves and the chopped onions. Saute for 5 minutes until the onions turn pinkish in colour. Then, add the ginger-garlic paste and saute until the raw smell disappears. Next, in goes the tomatoes and the red chillie powder, coriander powder and saute for another 3 to 4 minutes. When they are sauteed well, add the washed mutton, salt, tamarind pulp and 1 tbsp of coriander leaves and saute once again for 3 to 4 minutes. You need to add 2 1/2 cups of water to it and enough salt. Close the cooker with the whistle on. After the first whistle, reduce the flame to low and cook for a further 4 to 5 whistles or on slow flame for aout 15-20 minutes, depending on the tenderness of the meat.

After 20 minutes, when the pressure cooker has cooled down, open it and add the drumstick, potatoes and the ground coconut. Close the cooker again and cook it until you hear the first whistle or for 4-5 minutes. Take it off the stove immediately.

Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve with rotis or rice.

Mutton Palak/Palak Gosht

A delicious lamb curry with the versatile spinach. A dish that you could make for your pot-lucks, house parties or game nights. The unique blend of spices, lamb and greens makes it a favourite all of at home. Unlike other lamb curries, ginger is not used in this recipe.

Ingredients:

Mutton – 1/2 kg

Small potatoes – 3 (boiled and peeled)

Palak – 1 bunch

Methi leaves – 2 small bunches

Onion – 2 big (chopped)

Tomatoes – 2 medium

Lime – 1/2

Water – 2 cups

To Grind:

Green chillies – 6

Kashmiri chillies – 5 (not spicy)

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Green Corianderleaves – 1/2 cup

Mustard – 1 tsp

Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp

Cardamom – 4

Cloves – 5

Cinnamon – 2 inch piece

Garlic – 1/2 pod

Salt to taste

Oil – 1 tbsp

Preparation:

Wash and clean the mutton and keep it aside.

Clean and chop the palak and methi leaves and keep it aside. Boil potatoes separately and dice them. Saute the diced potatoes in little oil until they are cooked. Remove and keep it aside.

Grind the items mentioned under ‘to grind’ and keep it aside.

In the same pan, add little oil and saute the onions until they are well browned. Add the tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes. Then, add the mutton pieces and fry until the masala dries up. Now, add the ground masala and saute until the raw smell goes away. Make sure it does not stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. When you start to get a nice aroma, add the chopped palak and methi leaves and saute until it is reduced to a pulp.

Add 2 cups of water and salt to taste. Transfer it to a pressure cooker and cook for 4 whistles and on low flame for 20 minutes or until the meat is tender.

Lastly, add the potatoes and juice of 1/2 lime to it. Serve hot with chapathi or rice.