Khatta Meat - A speciality of Jammu

A slightly tangy mutton curry that the family loved. Base recipe is from Recipes from Mum but made a few changes in the original.

Ingredients:

1 Kg mutton

4 to 5 Onions, finely chopped
3 tbsp Garlic, finely chopped
4 tbsp Ginger, finely chopped
1/3 cup Mustard oil
1 tbsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 -3 bay leaves

1 to 2 tbsp Kashmiri chilly powder
4-6 tbsp Amchur (dry mango powder)

2 big cardamom

3 to 4 cloves

1" stick cinnamon

3 green chillies

 

Roast and powder

1 tbsp cummin seeds

2 tbsp Dhania seeds 

2 tbsp Saunf 

1 tbsp Methi seeds

Method:

• Wash the mutton pieces well. Apply half the salt and turmeric and cover and keep aside.

• Peel and chop the onion, garlic and ginger.  

• Use a thick-bottom pan for cooking (a 5 litre pressure cooker can do). The meat needs to be turned often, and cooked for at least an hour on a slow flame. 

• Heat your pan and pour in the mustard oil and heat till it smokes. 

• Add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and onions and sauté for about two minutes till they turn transparent.

• Now add the mutton, remaining salt and turmeric, and the bay leaves. 

• The meat now needs to be cooked for one hour. Make sure the flame is at its lowest setting, and give it a stir gently every five minutes or so to make sure it does not start burning from the sides.

• About half an hour into the cooking, the oil will start separating from the sides. At this point, add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook. Keep a closer watch, and turn the pieces more frequently so that they are braised evenly.

• Once it is well cooked, and almost dry (takes 45 to 50 minutes) add the dry powdered spices, red chilly powder and amchur. Stir constantly to coat the pieces well with the spices.

• Cook for at least 5-7 minutes after the amchur has been added.

• After an hour, check to see if the mutton is cooked through. Add about two cups of hot water (depending on the thickness of the curry you like), stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. Add green chillies and kasuri methi. Cover and allow the curry to cook for another five minutes or so.

• If the mutton is still rare, pressure cook it after adding the water for one or two whistles.

• After cooking with the water, check for spices and add more salt/ red chilli/ amchur powder, if needed.

 Serve with rotis or rice