INGREDIENTS
For curry
● Kashmiri dry red chili, soaked in warm water ● for an hour: 10 nos
● Mutton (leg meat): 500 gm
● Natural set yogurt: 1/2 cup
● Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
● Cumin powder: 1 tsp
● Coriander powder: 2 tsp
● Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
● Ginger garlic paste: 2 tbsp
● Ghee (clarified butter): 2 tbsp
● Black cardamom: 2 no
● Green cardamom: 3 no
● Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
● Cloves: 3 nos
● Bay leaf: 1 no
● Onions (finely sliced): 3 nos medium size
● Garam masala powder:
1/2 tsp
● Salt to taste
● Coriander leaves (chopped for garnish): Few
sprigs
For smoking
● Wood charcoal: 3 pieces
● Ghee: 1 tsp
● Cloves: 3 nos
METHOD
For chili paste
● Take ½ cup water in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the soaked Kashmiri red chillies and all the dry spices including cumin seeds, black cardamoms, green cardamoms, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaf into the water.
● Let it boil and switch off the flame once the dry red chili becomes soft.
● Let it cool a bit and then grind the spices into a fine paste in a mixer grinder.
Marinating the mutton
● In a large mixing bowl, add mutton, yogurt, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, one tablespoon ginger garlic paste
and the dry red chilli paste which we prepared in the beginning.
● Mix everything well and set aside to marinate in the refrigerator for an hour.
Cooking the curry
● Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed handi. Add sliced onions and sauté till they turn golden in colour.
● Add the remaining ginger garlic paste and sauté for a minute.
● Add the marinated mutton to the onions and sauté on high heat for two to three minutes.
● Add the required salt, cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for 20 to 25 minutes. You can add more water if you want gravy of thin consistency.
● Once the mutton is cooked, light the piece of charcoal, place it in a small metal bowl and place the bowl in the centre of the pan.
● Add two to three cloves to the coal, pour some ghee and quickly cover the pan with a lid and set aside for two to three minutes.
● Remove the charcoal bowl, reheat the curry and add garam masala powder to refresh the flavours. Transfer the contents of the handi into a serving bowl.
● Serve with steamed rice or baati.