Mutton Curry
Bone-in mutton browned hard and simmered ninety minutes in onion and whole spice, until the gravy is dark and the meat gives at a spoon.
Photograph credit: Gulai kambing masakan Padang (image of mutton curry on Wikidata Q19894306) by Midori · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Mutton Curry, Step by Step
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Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a heavy pan and brown the mutton in three batches, leaving each batch still for 2 minutes before turning. Lift out.
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Add the remaining oil and fry the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay for 30 seconds.
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Add the onions and fry over a medium heat for 12 minutes, until genuinely brown.
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Stir in the ginger and garlic paste and cook 2 minutes.
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Add the ground coriander, cumin, chilli and turmeric and cook 30 seconds.
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Add the tomatoes and salt and cook 6 minutes, until the oil separates.
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Return the meat with any juices, pour in the water and bring to a simmer.
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Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 75 minutes, stirring twice.
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Uncover and simmer 15 minutes more, until the gravy coats the meat and the mutton gives at a spoon.
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Stir in the garam masala, rest 10 minutes off the heat, and scatter the coriander over.
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Small Things That Help
- Brown in batches and leave it alone between turns.
- Onions to brown, not gold — that is ten minutes at least.
- Rest it off the heat before serving; the gravy settles.
Common Substitutions & Variations
- If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.
- An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.
Serving Suggestions
- Tandoori roti
- Steamed basmati
- Sliced onion with lemon
Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Chapati (Roti), Gluten-Free Naan, Idiyappam.
Keeping and Reheating
Improves overnight. Keeps 3 days refrigerated, freezes 3 months.
Nutrition per Serving
Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: weights that include bone are counted as if all of it were eaten, so the figures run high. How the figures are worked out.
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .