Lamb

Shepherds Pie


Shepherd’s pie, or hachis Parmentier, is a ground meat pie made with lamb, hence the namesake, with a crust or topping of mashed potato; it is most likely of English origin.[ Cottage pie is the same as shepherd’s pie with the exception that it is made with beef or red meat.  I prefer using minced beef when available and still call it Shepherd’s pie😉

The dish has many variants, but the defining ingredients are ground meat cooked in a gravy or sauce with onions, and a topping of mashed potato. Sometimes other vegetables are added to the filling, such as peas, sweetcorn, celery or carrots. It is sometimes also gratinated with grated cheese. – adapted from Wikipedia

It is a favorite dish with my children who can really feast on it.  I have made this many many times and always turns out perfect and have never had to look for a better way to prepare it.  The ready potato flakes are a good substitute for making mashed potatoes from scratch, so feel free to use this option which is definitely quicker and less labor intensive. Follow the package directions on the box as per the quantity you may require, for creamy and fluffy mashed potatoes!  This video I have used the traditional method of boiling and mashing fresh potatoes.

Shepherds Pie

Ingredients

  • 1 kg. minced beef or lamb
  • 1 kg. potatoes, boiled and mashed
  • 1 tbsp. oil
  • 1 medum onion,chopped
  • 100 gms. mushrooms (optional)
  • 2 tbsp. plain flour
  • 300 ml beef stock  (Heat the water and add 2 soup cubes and stir till dissolved)
  • 1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
  • 1 egg beaten
  1. Heat the oil and saute the onions until soft and golden. If using mushrooms, slice and saute alongwith the onions.
  2. Add the meat and continue cooking for  5 to 10 minutes till it changes color, while stirring well..  Gradually add the stock.
  3. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for a minute. Gradually add the stock.  Continue stirring over a low heat for 5 minutes. Season with worcestshire sauce.
  4. Place the mince in a oven proof dish.
  5. Add half the egg to the potatoes and mix well.
  6. Place on the meat, mark in lines with a fork and brush with remaining egg.
  7. Bake in a preheated moderately hot oven (200 deg C/400 deg F) for 40 minutes.

Beef Croquettes


Beef CROQUETTES

Ingredients

  • 1 Kg. Boneless Beef or Beef mince (substitute with lamb/chicken)
  • 4 medium onions, chopped
  • 12 cloves garlic
  • 2” fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 2 tsp. garam masala powder, or to taste
  • 1 lemon, juice
  • 2 bread slices without edges
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • ½ cup freshly chopped coriander leaves
  • 6 to 8 green chillies
  • Salt to taste
  • Rawa/semolina for rolling
  • Oil for frying

Method

  1. Combine ingredients upto turmeric powder, add salt, ½ cup water and cook till almost dry.
  2. Set aside to cool down a bit.
  3. Break the bread into pieces and add to the cooked mince with the garam masala, lemon juice and coriander.
  4. Mix well and grind to a fine paste. 
  5. Add egg and mix well. 
  6. Chill the mixture for half an hour to make it easier to handle.
  7. Shape the mince paste into small cylindrical rolls and roll in rawa to coat. 
  8. Chill another 15 minutes. 
  9. Remove and shallow fry in a pan on medium flame till lightly brown and crisp.
  10. Keep turning the croquettes so that they are evenly browned on all sides. 
  11. Drain on absorbent paper and serve hot.

Goan Roast Beef


Goan Roast Beef

A delicious roast, can be cooked with steak slices or a chunk of beef roasted and then sliced before serving. Serve as a starter or with a main meal. Leftover roast can be made into tasty sandwiches. Yummy…..

Use boneless Lamb instead of beef!

Goan Roast Beef

Ingredients

  • 1 Kg. Beef
  • 3 medium onions, chopped into large pieces.
  • 15 to 18 cloves garlic
  • 1.5”pc. ginger
  • 15 cloves
  • 4 piece cinnamon (1” pc. Each)
  • ¼ tsp. pepper corns
  • 1 tsp. cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp. turmeric powder
  • 4 red chillies
  • 2 tsp. sugar (optional)
  • ¼ cup vinegar, or to taste
  • 2 tbsp. ghee
  • 1 tsp. salt or to taste

Method

  1. Grind the spices from garlic to turmeric powder with the vinegar. 
  2. You can add some water to get the spices to move while grinding. 
  3. Transfer the masala to a wide bowl, add salt, mix
  4. Marinate the beef with the ground masala for one hour.
  5. To cook, heat ghee and add the red chillies and onion. 
  6. Saute till the onions are translucent. 
  7. Then add the meat with the masala water and cook till meat is tender and gravy is almost dry. 
  8. Serve hot. 
  9. Leftover beef can be used for sandwiches.

Shahi Biryani Kacchi Biryani


Shahi Biryani (Lamb)

The mother of all biryanis! How to make 5-Star quality Biryani!!  You don’t need to go to a five star hotel/restaurant, you can enjoy it at home!  The recipe may seem daunting but the result is a foolproof excellent biryani sure to please.

Source : Wikipedia

  • In a kacchi biryani, layers of raw marinated meat are alternated with layers with wet, pre-soaked, raw rice (which may be treated with different spices as above), and cooked together by baking or medium-to-low direct heat (typically, for at least an hour). Cooking occurs by a process of steaming from the ingredients’ own moisture: the cooking vessel’s lid is sealed (traditionally, with a strip of wheat dough) so that steam cannot escape.
  • A yoghurt-based marinade at the bottom of the cooking pot provides additional flavor and moisture. Potatoes often comprise the bottom-most layer (a technique also used in Iranian cuisine), because, with their natural moisture content, they brown well with less risk of getting burned accidentally. The lid is not opened until the dish is ready to serve.
  • Kacchi biryani is technically much more demanding and time-consuming than pakki biryani, for the following reasons:
  • The different ingredients—meat, rice, potatoes—have different cooking times: tender cuts of meat/chicken can be fully cooked well before the rice is done. To prevent this, many kacchi recipes use parboiled (semi-cooked) rice rather than raw rice.
  • If direct heat is used, there is a risk that the food layer in contact with the vessel bottom may get burned while the interior’s contents are still raw. This risk is minimized by sustained baking with moderate heat, or very slow cooking on low direct heat. This approach, however, increases cooking time considerably.
  • One method is cooking the dish “blind”, with the cooking vessel sealed, so one cannot monitor cooking progress—it takes experience to cook a kacchi biryani just right.

Watch the video for tips and information on making the perfect Kacchi Biryani!

Shahi Biryani / Kacchi Biryani

I Meat –

  • 1 Kg. leg and shoulder of mutton
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. yellow color
  • 3” pc. Ginger
  • 15 flakes garlic
  • 5 green chillies, or to taste
  • 1 large bunch coriander leaves
  • 1 ½” x 1 ½” pc. Peeled raw papaya (I sometimes omit this if not available)
  • 2 tsp. white cumin seeds (regular cumin seeds)
  • 8 cloves
  • 6 cardamoms
  • 1” pc. Cinnamon
  • 1 ½ tsp. black cumin
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg powder
  • 2 blades mace
  • 2 cups beaten curd
  • 1 ½ tsp. salt or to taste
  • 2 tsp. chilli powder or to taste
  1. Clean and cut mutton into large pieces, wash and drain. 
  2. Rub in the salt and keep aside for 15 minutes. 
  3. Drain out the water completely and apply yellow color. 
  4. Powder all the ingredients from cloves to mace.
  5. Mix the masala powder into the mutton and set aside. 
  6. Grind all the ingredients from ginger to white cumin seeds to smooth paste. 
  7. Marinate the mutton for minimum 30 mns. to 1 hour with the ground paste, curd, chilli powder and salt if required.
  8. At this stage the mutton can be pre-prepared and refrigerated overnight.

II Browing Onions and Potatoes

  • 2 cups ghee
  • 6 to 10 large onions  (I have used 10 as I like to use more onion as it does enhance the taste)
  • 6 large potatoes
  • 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
  • ½ tsp. yellow color
  • 10 boiled eggs (optional)

N.B. Don’t be alarmed by the proportion of ghee, its just for frying the onions just about 1/2 cup will be used for the Biryani.

  1. Slice onions.
  2. Heat ghee and fry till rich brown and crisp.  This process will take about an hour. 
  3. Initially keep the heat high and as it begins browning, lower the heat otherwise the onions could get burnt and impart a bitter taste.
  4. So it is a good idea to start with browning the onions first and as they are frying you can go about preparing the meat, etc. 
  5. Drain the onions and keep aside.
  6. Peel and cut potatoes horizontally into half, wash and drain.
  7. Prick lightly with fork and apply yellow color and pinch of salt.
  8. Fry the potatoes in the same ghee as the onions to light brown. Drain and keep aside. 
  9. Add about ½ cup of the remaining ghee to the marinating mutton, mix.
  10. Boiled eggs are optional.  But as we love the addition of eggs, I have added 10 eggs. 
  11. Boil for 3 minutes, switch off and leave in the water for 10 to 15 minutes minutes. 
  12. Drain the water and shell under running water so it is easy to peel.
  13. Make a slit on one side of the egg and keep aside.

III Rice –

  • ½ to 1 kg. Basmati (good quality) Rice (I used 1 kg. rice as we prefer the biryani to have more rice)
  • Sufficient water to cook the rice
  • 6 cloves
  • 4 black cardamoms (use 6 green if you don’t have black on hand)
  • 1/2 “ pc. Cinnamon
  • 2 tsp. salt or to taste
  • ½ tsp. black cumin
  • ¼ cup rose water
  • 1 tsp. saffron
  • ½ cup warm milk
  • ¼ tsp. yellow color
  1. Wash and drain the rice. 
  2. Soak for atleast 30 minutes. 
  3. Bring water to a boil and add the cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, cumin and salt. 
  4. Add rice, cook 5 minutes only, till half done and then drain, but keep aside 1 cup of the drained water. 
  5. Heat, crush and soak saffron in the warm milk. 
  6. Mix the yellow color in the saffron milk. 

IV Assembling the Biryani –

  1. Take a deep thick bottomed vessel wide enough to hold the mutton in a single layer without space in between the mutton pieces. 
  2. Spread the mutton with the marinade at the bottom of the pan. 
  3. Dot with a little of the remaining ghee and arrange the potatoes and boiled eggs alternating with each other over the mutton. 
  4. Sprinkle half the rose water, some of the saffron milk and generously with the fried onions, crushed (save some for garnish). 
  5. Over this place the parboiled rice and press slightly. 
  6. Sprinkle the rice water all over, then the remaining rose water and dot with the saffron milk and pour the remaining milk in the centre. 
  7. Drizzle some of the remaining ghee, if desired. 
  8. Cover and seal the vessel.  Either use dough made of wheat flour and water to seal the edge of the vessel or use silver foil to seal and cover tightly. 
  9. Place the sealed vessel on a high flame for 15 minutes. 
  10. Then transfer to a very hot (450 deg F) oven and cook for 1 hour. 
  11. Alternately, cook on the stove top on very low flame (after the 15 minutes on high) for 1 hour. 
  12. Serve hot with boondi or tomato onion raita.

Mutton Masala


Mutton Masala

The best mutton masala! Requires little preparation and is my go to dish if I have to cook abundantly for a party or festive occasion as it can be marinated the previous day and refrigerated. Next day, just put it on the fire and continue with your other preparations! So one of your main dishes gets out of the way leaving you time to concentrate on other food preparation.

Depending on the occasion, your can manage the consistency of the gravy. If it is for a regular family meal where you need just one curry with a vegetable or some side, keep the gravy fairly thin to serve over steamed rice. For a party menu where the spread would include several dishes, keep the gravy thick. Both taste awesome!!

Mutton Masala

Ingredients

  • 1 Kg. Mutton/Lamb
  • 4 large tomatoes
  • 6 green cardamoms
  • 6 Cloves
  • 2”Cinnamon
  • 6 flakes garlic
  • 1.5” pc. Ginger
  • 4 medium Onions
  • 4 Kashmiri chillis or 2 tsp. Kashmiri chilli powder or to taste
  • 1 tsp. turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp. cumin seeds
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tbsp. ghee
  • 1 cup green peas
  • 2 tbsp. Chopped coriander
  • 3 Boiled eggs for garnish
  1. Clean and wash mutton and chop into cubes.
  2. Grind all the ingredients from cardamom to cumin seeds to a paste with salt.
  3. Rub the mutton with the masala paste and let it stand for half an hour.
  4. Blanch and chop tomatoes.
  5. Heat ghee and add the mutton together with all the masala.
  6. Fry for 5 minutes, then add tomatoes and ½ cup water. (Add an additional cup of water if thinner gravy is desired)
  7. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover tightly and let it simmer 1 hour or until is mutton is done.
  8. Add green peas and cook further 10 minutes till ghee separates.
  9. Add chopped coriander leaves, save some for garnish.
  10. Serve hot garnished with green coriander and sliced boiled eggs.

P.S.: To Blanch Tomatoes, wash tomatoes and make a small cross-cut on the top of the tomato and immerse in hot water for 10 mintues.  Drain and peel off the skin. Chop and use as desired.

Potato Chops


Potato Chops

I remember years ago my East Indian friend & colleague telling me that in an East Indian household a Sunday lunch is incomplete without Potato Chops. While growing up we enjoyed Potato Chops often as my mother made them frequently. Can’t say it is a mangalorean dish but certainly due to the East Indian influence of neighbours and friends, perks of being raised and growing up in a cosmopolitan city like Bombay (now Mumbai).

Potato chops is something me and my family relishes anytime! The mince filling can be made with Beef, Chicken or Lamb mince. A finely chopped carrot may also be added to the mince. It is quite versatile and can be served as a starter, snack, appetizer or with any main meal or in a sandwich! Make a large batch and freeze some so you can just fry and serve quickly in case of unexpected guests. If freezing make sure to line them up on a tray and transfer to boxes or ziploc bags once frozen.

Potato Chops

Ingredients

For potato coating:

  • ½ Kg. Potatoes
  • 1 tsp. salt, or to taste
  • 1 tsp. sugar (optional)
  • 1 tsp. butter (optional)

For meat filling:

  • ½ Kg. Beef, Lamb or Chicken Mince
  • 2 medium onions
  • 1 large tomato
  • 2 green chillies
  • 1” pc. Ginger
  • 3 flakes garlic
  • ¼ cup coriander leaves
  • ¼ cup mint leaves
  • ½ tsp. turmeric powder
  • ½ tsp. garam masala powder
  • ½ tsp. black pepper powder
  • 1 tsp. Salt or to taste
  • 1 tbsp. ghee
  • Egg & bread crumbs for coating the chops
  • Oil for shallow frying

Method

  1. Wash mince & drain.
  2. Boil potatoes for ½ hour till tender, peel and mash well adding salt, sugar and butter. 
  3. Chop finely, onions, tomato, ginger, garlic, green chillies, mint & coriander leaves.
  4. Heat 1 tsp. ghee in a pan
  5. Add the chopped onions, saute for a minute
  6. Then add the ginger, garlic, green chillies an fry till onions are light brown. 
  7. Add the tomato and saute till tomatoes turn soft. 
  8. Add the mince, salt and saute the mince till it changes color and liquid evaporates. 
  9. Add the turmeric, pepper and garam masala powders and mix well. 
  10. Add ¼ cup hot water, stir, bring to a boil, cover and cook 30 minutes on medium flame till mince is tender, stirring in between. 
  11. Add the mint and coriander leaves and cook till mince is dry and water has evaporated completely. 
  12. Take off flame and leave to cool.

To make the potato chops:

  1. Take a large lemon sized ball of potato mixture, flatten on the palm of your hand
  2. Put a tbsp. of mince mixture and bring the potato edges over the mince to cover and form a round shape, then flatten a little. 
  3. Coat with beaten egg
  4. Roll in bread crumbs. Thus make all the potato chops.

To fry the chops:

  1. Heat a pan, add 2 tbsp. oil, just a little more than you would need to coat the pan. 
  2. When heated, place the chops on the pan without crowding and fry on medium low till brown on both sides. 
  3. Make sure you don’t add too much oil or keep the heat high as the chops are likely to break when frying.

Mutton Green Curry with Turnips & Veggies


Mutton Green Curry with Turnips & Veggies

This is my mother-in-laws signature mutton curry which she served with much love Sunday after Sunday. Sadly she passed away too early for me to enjoy her delicious cooking. Apart from our holiday trips, after marriage, I was fortunate to stay three months with her before joining my husband in Kuwait.

My husband has just not had enough of this mutton curry and the turnips that go with it! He relishes the curry especially the turnips. Whenever turnips are in season, he invariably picks them up and when they enter our home they must end up in this curry. No, they absolutely cannot be cooked in any other way! But the truth of the matter is that they are amazingly delicious in this mutton curry. For those who are not very fond of turnips, potatoes are included and make sure to cut them in a shape different from the turnips, either in wedges or halves if the turnips are in cubes, because once cooked it is difficult to differentiate between the potatoes and the turnips in the curry. My children rarely eat turnips so the usual question when serving will be “Mama are the long pieces potatoes”?

So do cook and enjoy this tasty lip smacking curry, the only dish I learnt from my mother-in-law!!

Ingredients

To cook meat

  • 1 Kg.  Mutton/Lamb
  • 2 medium onions
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 2” pcs. Cinnamon
  • 4 to 5 cloves
  • 3 to 4 cardamoms
  • ¼ tsp. peppercorns
  • 1 tsp. salt or to taste

Vegetables

  • 1 or 2 turnips
  • 1 or 2 potatoes
  • 1 to 2 cups French beans
  • 1 cup green peas

Grind to a paste

  • One bunch coriander leaves
  • 6 green chillies
  • 1.5”pc. ginger
  • 6 flakes garlic
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp. cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp. mustard seeds
  • ¼ tsp. pepper corns
  • ¼ tsp. turmeric powder
  • 1” pc cinnamon
  • 4 cloves
  • 4 cardamoms
  • 4 to 5 flakes tamarind
  • 4 tbsp. heaped coconut powder
  • 2 to 3 tbsp. coconut oil or ghee

Method

  1. Clean, cut and wash mutton.  Drain and set aside. 
  2. Chop the onions and tomatoes. 
  3. Heat oil in a wide vessel. 
  4. Add the onion and saute.
  5. Add the whole spices. 
  6. When onions are light brown, add the tomatoes and fry till soft.
  7. Add the meat and saute, cook till meat changes color.
  8. Then add sufficient hot water to cook the meat and bring to a boil. 
  9. Lower heat and cook for one hour, stirring once or twice in between. 
  10. After one hour add 1 tsp. salt, and check if meat is cooked. 
  11. If still to cook, add hot water if required and cook further 15 to 20 minutes till tender.
  12. As the meat is cooking, clean and prepare the vegetables. 
  13. Cube the turnip into 8 pieces each, the potato into four wedges each, the French beans break into 2 to 3 pieces.  Shell the green peas clean if using fresh. Set the vegetables aside.
  14. Meanwhile grind the masala to a paste. 
  15. When the meat is tender add to the meat with the masala water and check required consistency. 
  16. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.
  17. Add the  turnips and French beans and cook 10 minutes. 
  18. When turnips and French beans are almost done, add the potatoes and green peas and cook further 10 minutes till potatoes are cooked. 
  19. Check seasoning and take off heat when oil surfaces. 
  20. Serve with steamed rice, pulao, sannas, panpole, appam, bread, etc.

Yakhni Pulao


Yakhni Pulao

A one pot meal certainly satisfying and comforting!

Any party at Farah Khan’s home is incomplete without this dish.

Ingredients
1/2 kg mutton
1/2 kg Basmati rice
3 onions sliced
3 large potates cut into large cubes
250 gms yoghurt whipped
3 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
5-6 whole Kashmiri red chillies
4-5 cardamoms
2 inch cinnamon sticks
6-7 cloves
6-7 black pepper
1 teaspoon chilli powder
Oil or ghee for frying
Salt to taste


 Method
Marinate the meat in yoghurt and keep aside. Then fry the onions till golden brown in a cooker or thick bottom pan. Add ginger-garlic paste, whole spices. Fry for a few minutes and then add the potato pieces. Add the marinated meat and let it cook till five whistles in a cooker or 1 hr in a vessel. Let it cool till the cooler lid can be opened. Add the rice and cook for another three whistles. In normal vessel, check meat after one hour, if yet to cook, add some water if required and cook furthre 20 to 30 mintes. Then add rice, and 3 cups hot water, check seasoning and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce flame and cook till rice is cooked and water is absorbed. Serve with raita.

You may wish to also check out the Traditional Yakhni Pulao here

Daoud Basha


Daoud Basha

Daoud Bash – Lebanese Meatballs in Tomato Pomegranate Molasses Sauce

Ingredients

  • For Meatballs:
  • 1 Kg. minced meat (Beef or Lamb)
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 green chillies, chopped
  • ½ cup parsley (or coriander) leaves, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. all spice powder) or 1 tbsp. garam masala powder
  • 1 tbsp. cinnamon powder) instead of all spice and cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. pepper powder
  • Salt to taste
  • Olive oil to sear the meatballs
  • Potato Chunks:
  • 2 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
  • For the gravy sauce:
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. all spice powder) or 1 tbsp. garam masala powder
  • 1 tbsp. cinnamon powder) instead of all spice and cinnamon
  • ¼ cup tomato paste (or 2 large tomatoes, chopped & pureed and 1 ½ tbsp. tomato paste or increase the tomatoes to substitute the paste)
  • 1 tbsp. pomegranate molasses (substitute with vinegar or lemon juice)
  • Fried potato chunks
  • ½ capsicum each (any colours), cubed
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • Parsley or coriander leaves to garnish

Method

  1. Mix all the meatball ingredients and make lemon sized balls. 
  2. Heat olive oil in a pan and brown the meatballs turning carefully. Remove and keep aside. 
  3. Add the potatoes to the same oil and brown. Remove and keep aside.
  4. Take a wide dish, heat it and add 1 tbsp. olive oil. 
  5. Fry the chopped onion and garlic for a 2 minutes, add the spice powders and salt and saute. 
  6. Stir in the tomato puree or paste and cook till moisture evaporates. 
  7. Add the pomegranate molasses and mix well. 
  8. Place the meatballs in a single layer. 
  9. Pour enough hot water to cover the meatballs.
  10. Bring to a boil, lower flame and cook for 30 minutes, till meat is cooked and sauce thickens.  Stir occasionally. 
  11. Add the potatoes and capsicums and adjust seasoning. 
  12. Cover and cook further 10 minutes. 
  13. Garnish with parsley and serve hot with rice, bread or pasta.

Arabian Lamb Stew


Arabian Lamb Stew Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 Kg. Lamb/Mutton
  • 1 Large onion, chopped
  • 4 Garlic cloves, chopped
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 1 large potato, cubed
  • 2 Zucchinis, sliced into thick slices
  • 2 Carrots, sliced into thick slices
  • Salt to taste
  • 5 whole cardamoms
  • 5 whole cloves
  • ½ tsp. cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp. Lebanese 7 spice mix (or garam masala)
  • 2 tbsp. Olive oil

Method

  1. Clean, cut and wash lamb. Drain and set aside. 
  2. Heat a pan and add the chopped onion, fry till light brown. 
  3. Add the lamb and cook on high till the water almost dries up and lamb changes color. 
  4. Add the whole spices and garlic and stir. 
  5. Add the tomato paste and water and let it boil, lower heat and cook for one hour. 
  6. Then add the potatoes, zucchini & carrots, and salt and cook further 15 to 20 minutes. 
  7. Add some hot to thin the gravy if required. 
  8. When meat and vegetables are tender, turn off heat. 
  9. Serve hot with rice or bread.

Mutton Korma Gosht Korma


Mutton Korma Gosht Korma

Gosht Korma is a great lamb curry which does not make use of turmeric.  The consistency of the curry can be made to your choice of taste, thin gravy or thick to almost dry and all are delicious.  Adjust the amount of water accordingly. The thin gravy can be served as a main course with steamed rice. The thick/dry version with any Indian bread.

Ingredients

  • 1 Kg. Lamb, assorted cuts if desired
  • ½ cup ghee
  • 10 green cardamoms
  • 5 cloves
  • 2 sticks cinnamon (1”)
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1 cup  chopped onions
  • 4 to 6 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
  • 2 tsp. coriander powder
  • 1 tsp. red chilli powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 cup yogurt
  • 1 tsp. garam masala
  • ½ tsp. black pepper powder
  • 2 drops vetivier (optional)
  • ½ tsp. saffron
  • 2 tbsp. milk
  • Chandi-ka-Varq (optional)
  • 20 Roasted Almonds (optional)
  1. Clean and cut lamb into 1” chunks, clean chops.
  2. Whisk yogurt in a bowl
  3. Dissolve saffron in warm milk
  4. Pound Almonds lightly with a pestle
  5. Heat ghee in a vessel, add cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves, sauté over medium heat until they begin to crackle.
  6. Add onions, sauté until light brown, add the ginger and garlic pastes and sauté until the moisture has evaporated.
  7. Then add the coriander powder, red chillies and salt and stir.
  8. Add lamb, fry for 5 minutes, add yogurt, bring to a boil, add approx. 3 to 4 cups water, cover and simmer stirring occasionally until lamb is almost cooked.
  9. Now add garam masala, and pepper and mix well.
  10. Add vetivier, stir and cover.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Adjust seasoning.
  11. Add saffron and stir.
  12. Remove to a bowl, garnish with varq and roasted almonds.
  13. Serve with any Indian bread or pulao.

Mutton Polov


Mutton Polov

This is a traditional Mangalorean dish typically served at Roce ceremonies.  The Lunch or dinner at Roce ceremonies is either fish curry or mutton polov alongwith the other main items of the menu like chone tendli sukhe, sannas, vorn etc.

In Mangalore in old times, “Korpo” was used for this preparation i.e. fresh coconut and sliced onion would be put out to dry in the sun and used with the spices for the masala paste.  I am sure this is still being done when cooking is done on a large scale for weddings, etc. For home cooking, we would go with the quicker method of roasting the coconut and onion on a pan!

Mutton Polov

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 1 kg. mutton
  • ½ kg. Ash Gourd (Kuwalo) (Winter Melon)
  • 2 medium onions
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 cup light coconut milk
  • 1 tsp. salt or to taste
  • 2 to 3 tbsp. coconut

Roast and grind to a paste

  • 1 cup heaped fresh coconut
  • 1 onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 6 red Kashmiri chillies
  • 1 tbs. coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp.cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp. mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp. raw rice
  • 1” cinnamon
  • 4 cloves
  • 3 cardamoms

Method

  1. Clean and cut mutton into cubes, wash and drain well. 
  2. Clean the ash gourd, cut into wedges, remove the seeds, peel and cut into ½” cubes.  Wash and drain.
  3. Slice one onion and fry in a little oil to light brown
  4. Add the mutton pieces and cook till they change color and most of the water that is released evaporates. 
  5. Add sufficient hot water to the mutton, bring to a boil and cook for about 60 minutes.  If using a cooker, it will be quicker.
  6. Stir in between and add salt half way through cooking. 
  7. When the mutton is tender remove to another dish and set aside. 
  8. In the same vessel add a cup of water, the ash pumpkin cubes, 3 bay leaves, 1 tsp. salt (or to taste) and cook the vegetable adding a cup of thin coconut milk. 
  9. When half done, add the cooked mutton alongwith the stock. 
  10. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. 
  11. Then add the ground masala paste, adjust the curry by adding the masala water. 
  12. Cook on medium till oil surfaces. 
  13. Test seasoning and add salt if required. 
  14. Meanwhile, take a frying pan add a tbsp. of coconut oil and fry the sliced onion till golden brown. 
  15. Garnish the curry and serve hot with rice or sannas, etc.

Mince Jeere Meerem


Mince Jeere Meerem

Mince Jeere Meerem

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 Kg mince (Beef or Lamb)
  • 3 to 4 medium onions, chopped
  • 3 green chillies, chopped
  • 3 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
  • 3 tbsp. Jeere Meerem masala powder
  • 1 cup green peas (or Potatoes, cubed)
  • 1 small cup coriander leaves
  • 1 to 2 tbsp. vinegar
  • ½ tsp. sugar
  • 2 tbsp. ghee
  • 1½ tsp. Salt or to taste

Method

  1. Heat oil/ghee in a vessel
  2. Fry the chopped onions and green chillies till onions turn slightly brown. 
  3. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for few minutes.
  4. Drain the mince completely and add to the pan with a tsp of salt.
  5. Saute till the mince turns brown and the water completely dries up.  Continue to brown the mince till fat begins to separate.  Do not hasten this step.  The browning of the mince brings out the flavor in the meat.  Should take 10 to 15 minutes.
  6. Once nicely browned, add the jeere merem powder, mix, add two cups of hot water and bring to a boil.
  7. Lower flame and cook on medium for 30 minutes.
  8. Open after 10 to 15 minutes and give it a good stir. 
  9. If water dries up, add some more hot water as per the consistency you desire. 
  10. Add the peas and cook further 10 minutes. 
  11. Garnish with coriander leaves.
  12. Serve with Pao or Parathas or Pooris or steamed rice or pulao.

Mutton Palak


Mutton Palak

Mutton Palak

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 kg. Mutton
  • 3 bunches fresh spinach or ½ kg. frozen (whole leaf) spinach
  • 1” pc. Ginger
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • Small bunch coriander leaves
  • 4 to 6 green chillies
  • 1 tsp. mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp. fenugreek seeds
  • 1 ½ tsp. salt or to taste
  • 1 tbsp. ghee
  • 2 medium sliced onions
  • 1 medium tomato chopped

Method

  1. Clean and wash mutton, cut into 2” cubes. 
  2. Wash spinach and soak in salted water for 10 minutes, rinse and chop finely.
  3. If using frozen spinach, step 2 is not required. I have used frozen spinach. 
  4. Grind all the ingredients from ginger to salt to a fine paste. 
  5. Heat ghee, fry onions for a couple of minutes till soft. 
  6. Add the paste and fry well for further 2 inutes. 
  7. Add the mutton and saute till it changes color and ghee begins to separate. 
  8. Add sufficient water to cook the mutton till almost done. 
  9. Add the tomato and spinach and continue cooking on low flame till mutton is tender.

P.S.: Same recipe may be made using Chicken.

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