SERVES 4
This is a very popular dish from the Indian state of Rajasthan. Laal Maans (the literal English translation is red meat) is not as hot and spicy as it looks. It is traditionally made using Mathania chillies which are not that spicy and yet impart the fiery red color to the dish. These chillies are named after village in which they grow. If you cannot find them, you can also use Kashmiri chillies. The Rajput warriors from Rajasthan first started cooking this dish when they went hunting and used the meat from the game that they had killed. However, over a period of time, this became part of the mainstream Rajasthani, and then Indian, cuisine, and the game meat was substituted by mutton or lamb.
2 lbs mutton, prefer to use mutton chops
2 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste (70% garlic + 30% ginger)
¼ cups clarified butter (ghee)
2-3 cloves
10 black peppercorns
2 small cardamom
1 black cardamom
3 small onions, thinly sliced
Salt to taste
20 Mathania chillies or 8 Kashmiri chillies
¾ cup yogurt, beaten
1½ tbsp ocriander powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp cumin powder
2 tbsp mustard oil
Few dried rose petals for garnish (You can also use finely chopped cilantro for garnish)
1 In a mixing bowl, add mutton, ginger garlic paste and mix well. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
2 Soak the chillies (Mathania or Kashmiri) for about 30 minutes in warm water. Grind them to a fine paste in a food processor. Set aside.
3 In a large sauce pot, heat ghee, add cloves, black peppercorns, small cardamom, black cardamom let the whole spices splutter.
4 Add onions and saute till it gets light brown. Add the marinated mutton and saute for 4-5 minutes.
5 Add mathania chilli paste and saute well for another 8-10 minutes to remove rawness of the chilies. Add salt to taste & mix well. Cover and let it cook for 10-12 minutes on low flame.
6 In a bowl add curd, coriander powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, mustard oil and mix well.
7 Transfer the curd mixture into the pot and stir well. Cover with the lid and cook for 30 minutes on low flame till the mutton becomes tender.
8 Garnish with dried rose petals and serve hot.
Serve with whole wheat naan or bajra (millet) rotis.
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