Easy Mutton curry

The important part is getting good quality mutton. While I'm no expert, frozen branded meats have rarely brought satisfaction. In countries where a butcher is easily accessible it is important to form a bond with this person.

I bonded with my butcher who runs his operations in Aundh Gaon over dogs and his niece.
It was Christmas afternoon last year (2013) when I first visited his shop. Somehow we got to talking and it transpired that his niece had just been born. She is now called Pari (Angel) but her grandfather insists on calling her Mary.

We also share dog tales-various strays lie on the couple of stairs in front of the shop and it is easy to step on their tails if you do not pay attention. The butcher has a long and moving story about the dogs in his life.

He does his surgeries on a huge log. Particularly fascinating is his way of making mince by mincing the meat with his cleaver on this wooden log. We've rarely if at all been disappointed in the quality of his meat. If a complaint has to exist it is merely that he will not sell liver separately.

Of late I've begun to enjoy liver. For years this was a part of meat that I would go all out to avoid. There is a theory that our nutritional deficits dictate our food choices. And as it stands I am now anaemic, a deficiency which I never thought I would ever have!

Quick and Tasty Mutton Curry

1 kg mutton -some 250 gms worth of liver included would be nice
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp red chili powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder

Curry leaves

1 cup finely sliced onions

1/2 cup oil
1 black cardamom
1 small cardamom
2 cloves
1 small piece of cinnamon
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 or 2 tej pattas

1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
5-6 green chilies slit

1-2 Tbsp garlic paste

1-2 Tbsp ginger paste or juliennes 

A large handful of green coriander, washed and chopped fine

Method

Chop the liver into bite sized bits. Heat a bit of the oil (About a tablespoon or less), saute some onion slices and curry leaves. Add liver and stir fry till the liver changes colour fully.

Wash the mutton and rub in any meat masala that is lying around (I used Shaan Nihari masala). A large tablespoon should do. Add the chili and coriander and turmeric powders. Rub well and set it aside. I cooked it a few days after buying the meat and had left it in the marinade in the freezer.

You can marinate it for a lesser amount of time-anything upwards of an hour. But if you are keeping it raw for longer than an hour, it is better to store it in the fridge.

Heat the oil and fry the sliced onions for some 5 minutes on a high fire (try not to burn them!). Lower the fire and continue until the onions get a bit brown. Keep stirring. Add the cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, pepper and tej patta.

Add the tomato and green chili and fry well for some 5 minutes. Add the ginger-garlic pastes and continue stirring and frying until it forms an unholy gook. Add the meat and fry some more till the meat is well coated.

Add a cup or so or more of water. Depends on how you like it-I love a thin curry.

Pressure cook.

Garnish with green coriander before serving.