Mutton Chops

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These are such a delicious option to eat especially if you don't eat lamb for ethical reasons. Mutton has a richer flavour and since it is older sheep or goat, takes a little extra time to cook.  Most people cook it by sautéing it in a frying pan, I prefer to sear it and bake it. This way I can throw some veggies in the pan and I have a whole meal ready.

Ingredients
8- 10 mutton chops marinate overnight

Marinade6  roasted garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp crushed black pepper
1 tsp chilli paste
Salt to taste
Juice of a lime
Olive oil
1 sliced onion

Process
Mash the garlic with a muddler or the back of a spoon. Smear the marinade all over the meat on both sides. When marinated, drizzle with some olive oil sear in a pan on each side for a few minutes and then continue to cook in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20 – 30 mins

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Ra Ra Gosht - Chunks of meat and ground meat cooked together in a spicy curry

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Most Canadians love their double double … most Indians too …2 is always better than one and when my friend told me about a dish that was prepared with both mutton chunks and ground mutton, I was all over it! I have no idea where the name come from, I tried to research it and didn't find anything that made sense. If I do find it, I will post an addendum, or if you find it, please let me know in the comments below. This curry is usually slow cooked and requires patience and TLC. If you have a pressure cooker, it can cut down the cooking time quite a bit. Watch the video to see the step by step process.

Ingredients
2. 2 lbs Mutton or lamb
1/4 pound ground mutton or lamb
2 red onions sliced
2 tsps coriander powder
Garam masala – Roast and grind  1 tsp each regular and black cumin(shahi jeera), 2 pieces mace(javitri), 2 black cardamoms and a stick of cinnamon. Can sub 3 tsps garam masala
2 tbsps ginger and garlic paste
3 tsps red chilli paste (recipe)
2 chopped tomatoes
6 – 8 cups of water
1 cup stirred yogurt
1 cup chopped coriander
Salt to taste
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
Oil for frying

Process
Making sure the mutton is quite dry, heat some oil in a sauté pan and brown the meat on both sides. This can take about 5 – 7 mins.
In a separate frying pan fry 2 sliced red onions till a light golden brown.
Remove the onions and add to the meat and mix well.
Add the coriander and garam masala(previously roasted and ground).
Add the ginger and garlic paste and chili paste and mix really well.
Add the chopped tomatoes.
Add a cup of water, cover and cook for about a half hour. Squish the tomatoes down with the back of your spoon, add salt and more water and continue cooking for another hour, stirring at intervals and adding water when the gravy gets dry. If you have a pressure cooker, you could just cook it in the pressure cooker.
Once the meat is nice and tender, add the yogurt and coriander and more water if required.
Cover and cook for 15 mins, add the raw ground meat, salt as required, pepper and more water and cook till done for another 15 mins.

The end result is simply delicious!

Saag Gosht

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This is also known as Palak Gosht, Hara Gosht or Lamb Saag but what’s in a name? This is really just meat cooked in a delicious spinach gravy till it’s fall apart good.

2 pounds Lamb leg or shoulder with bone (can use mutton or beef)
salt
pepper
Juice of one lemon

1 medium red onion sliced
5 cloves garlic sliced
1 inch stick ginger sliced
3 green chilies chopped
1 tsp each coriander, garam masala, chili and turmeric powder
2 bunches young spinach
Salt

Pepper
1 cup water(add more if required)

Marinate the meat with salt, pepper and lemon juice preferably overnight. Saute the meat till golden brown. In another pan, saute the onions, add the ginger and garlic and then the chillies and fry till cooked. Add all the powdered spices. And mix. Then add the washed spinach. Cook till the spinach wilts and reduces in volume. When the spinach is cooked, remove the mixture, let it cool and then grind it. Return the ground spinach paste to the pan, turn on the heat and add a cup of water. Add the meat. Cover and cook for an hour stirring at intervals. Add salt and pepper to taste and some more water if required. Serve with rice or rotis!

Red Masala Lamb Curry

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This is a delicious gravy made using a red masala paste and other spices.


2 pounds lamb shoulder cut in small cubes.
1 onion chopped fine
3 tbsps red masala paste - view video
2 tbsps coriander powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground pepper
2 tbsps each ginger and garlic paste
2 tomatoes finely chopped
1 potato cubed and fried
Salt
Oil


Heat some oil and fry the onions till golden brown. Add  3 tbsps of red masala paste to the hot oil. Add the cumin seeds, coriander powder, pepper and 2 tbsps each of ginger and garlic paste. Add the lamb and stir in with the gravy. Add the tomatoes and cook covered for about 40 minutes. Stir and watch this at intervals and add water.  Fry some potatoes and add to the gravy and serve.

Bangalore Phal

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This is my husbands favorite dish and very popular in Bangalore, India. Lamb, mutton or goat is slow cooked in a delicate coriander gravy. This is not to be confused with the British Phaal which is known to be the worlds hottest curry and is made in a red gravy.

2 lbs lamb or mutton(mutton is older sheep)
Large bunch of coriander - about 3 cups roughly chopped
2 red onions sliced
2 tbsps each ginger and garlic paste
4 green chillies
Juice of a lemon
2 tsps each garam masala, turmeric and cumin powder
1 tsp black peppercorns
Salt
Water as needed
Oil

Fry some onions till brown and caramelized in some hot oil and keep aside. In a food processor, add the ginger and garlic paste, the coriander, the peppercorns and grind it to a smooth paste, add water if required.

Keep half the mixture aside and use the other half to grind the caramelized onions. Heat the pan again and add all the the powdered spices, the green chilies and the coriander and onion paste. Fry this for a few minutes. Add salt and the meat, cover and cook.

Check on this at regular intervals and add water and salt as required. Depending on the kind of meat you are using, it can take from 1 – 2 hours till the meat is tender. You can use the pressure cooker as an alternative. I find the color of the gravy changes when you do so and is more watery, so I prefer to just slow cook it but if I’m in a rush, the pressure cooker is the best way to go.