Mutton Mughlai

I cook mutton rarely, as it is difficult to obtain where I live. And since I cook it so rarely I usually go for my son's two favorite recipes : Bhuna Ghosht or Mutton Stew. So this time I decided to try a new recipe and looked through my books and spotted Mutton Mughlai, it seemed like an easy recipe, not very complicated in terms of ingredients and method of cooking. I was surprised that there was no cashew paste used to thicken the sauce, which I guess is common for many Mughlai preparations. It adds a lot of richness and creaminess to the texture and taste. But if you finely chop your onions and tomatoes or grate them, the sauce is thick. The original recipe didn't call for cashew paste, so I didn't add it either, and we loved the final product. However, if you'd still like it thicker and creamier, you can add cashew paste.

I have prepared this recipe from a newspaper cut-out in my recipe book and it  does not mention the author of the recipe. Whoever authored the recipe, thank-you and God bless!

Ingredients:

• Mutton - 1 kg, cut into pieces

Marinade:

1. Thick curd - 500 ml, beaten
2. Ginger -garlic paste - 2 tbsp
3. Green chilies - 1 no, finely chopped
4. Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
5. Cumin powder - 1 tsp
6. Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Kashmiri red chilly powder - 2 tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Take a bowl, add all the above ingredients and mix well. Marinate the mutton for at least an hour before cooking.

1. Whole spices : 6 small(green ) cardamoms, 2 big cardamoms, 6 cloves, 2 star anise, 2 inch stick cinnamon, and 3 bay leaves
2. Onions - 4 medium sized, finely chopped or grated
3. Tomatoes - 4 medium sized, finely chopped or grated
4. Green chilly - 2 to 3, roughly chopped
5. Coriander leaves - for garnish
6. Ghee or butter or oil - as required

Method:

1. In a sauce pan, heat oil and add the whole spices. Stir for a minute and then add the onion. Add a tsp of salt and sauté till the onion is browned. This will take time, so you need to be patient.
2. Add the tomatoes when the onions have browned well and continue cooking till the tomatoes are completely melted and the oil starts to separate from the masala.
3. Add the green chilies and and the mutton with the marinade. Stir well, and bring the mutton to a boil, lower the flame and cook till the mutton is done, stirring every few minutes. Mutton takes a long time to cook, so you will need to allocate about 30 - 45 minutes of cooking time depending on the cut and age of the meat. 
4. When the meat on the bone starts to loosen, you know the mutton is cooked well. Once done, garnish with coriander leaves, and serve with phulkas or steamed rice.