Spicy Mutton Curry

Spicy Mutton Curry

Recipe type: Side dish
Cuisine: Kerala
Prep time:  10 mins
Cook time:  30 mins
Total time:  40 mins
Serves: 3-4


Ingredients

    Mutton – ½ kg, cut into medium size pieces

To roast and grind

    Coconut – ¾ cup
    Whole coriander (kothamalli)- 1 tbsp
    Dry red chilli – 4
    Whole black pepper – 1¼ tsp
    Fennel seeds (perumjeerakam) – ½ tsp
    Cloves – 3
    Cinnamon – a small piece
    Pearl/Small onion – 3, sliced
    Curry leaves – 6

For masala

    Onion – 3 medium-big, sliced
    Crushed/grated ginger and garlic – 1½ tsp each
    Chilli powder – 1 tsp
    Tomato – 1 medium -big, sliced
    Salt
    Oil – I used coconut oil

To temper

    Pearl/small onion – 4, sliced
    Curry leaves
    Pepper powder – ½ tsp (refer notes)
    Chopped coriander leaves – 1 tbsp

Instructions

    Heat oil in a pan and add coconut, whole coriander, dry red chilli, whole black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, pearl onion, fennel seeds, curry leaves. Fry till the coconut turns golden brown. Remove from fire and let it cool. Grind the same without adding water. Keep it aside.
    Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add sliced onions. When it turns golden brown, add ginger and garlic. Cook till the raw smell goes, around 2-4 mins. Add chilli powder and cook for 2-3 mins. Add sliced tomato and cook till it turns soft. Add cleaned mutton pieces and mix well. Add 2 cups of hot water and pressure cook till the mutton is done. Refer notes to see on pressure cooking time.
    Add ¼ – ½ cup of hot water to the ground masala. Mix well. Add it to the cooked mutton and cook on low flame for 5-10 mins. Remove from fire.
    Heat oil in a pan and add sliced pearl/small onion and curry leaves. Fry till the onions turn golden brown. Switch off the gas and add pepper powder and coriander leaves. Add this to the curry and mix well.
    Serve hot with rice/chapthi/pathiri etc;

Notes
This is a spicy recipe, so adjust the qty of spices to suit your taste. I didnt add the pepper powder in the tempering stage, since the curry was already spicy for our preference. Pressure cooking the mutton – After the first whistle, I reduced the flame to low-medium and cooked for 12-15 whistles. Keep it closed for another 15 mins or till the pressure drops. The colour of the curry tends to darken as it rests..