Mutton Recipes: Diverse Delights

We're nearing the end of our mutton dish journey (MUTTON MARVELS & MUTTON MEDLEY) While a few more recipes exist, they simply tweak ingredients, not warranting sharing. Yet, here are three essential insights:

Mutton Dish Hues
Notice how some mutton dishes boast vibrant reds, while others are deeper in tone? It all boils down to the type of chili and curry powders used. Different brands incorporate various spices, so peek at the ingredients to pick your preference.

Gravy Thickness
After cooking mutton curry, you might think there's excess gravy. But as it sits, the curry thickens as it melds with the meat. If you prefer more gravy, simply add extra water.

Resting Time
Since the mutton was pressure-cooked beforehand and added later, it won't have absorbed the gravy fully. Let it sit for 1 or 2 hours before serving for optimal flavor.

And now, onto the final set of balanced mutton recipes.

Mutton Chukka (South Indian Mutton Curry)
Ingredients
For the Mutton
400g mutton, cut into bite-sized pieces (pressure-cooked with some water)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp plain chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp crushed black pepper
Stir all these ingredients well into pressure-cooked mutton

Other Ingredients
1 large onion, sliced
Spices: 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, 1 star anise, and 3 lightly crushed cardamom pods
2 or 3 dried chilies, snipped
3 potatoes, simmered to soften and sliced
2 sprigs coriander leaves, sliced
Salt to taste
1/4 cup oil

Method
Sauté onion, spices, and dried chilies in oil.
Add the mutton mix, potatoes, and some water if needed.
Stir together and let it cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add crushed black pepper and season with salt.
Off the heat, combine in coriander leaves. 

Masala Mutton Chop
Ingredients
For the Mutton
6 mutton chops
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
Least amount of water 
Pressure cook these ingredients together

Other Ingredients
Plain chili powder, as needed
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
1 egg, lightly beaten
Salt, as needed
Oil, for frying 

Method 
Into pressure cooked mutton, add chili powder, garam masala, fenugreek leaves, and salt to the mutton. Stir well.
Heat oil in a pan. 
Dip each chop into the beaten egg and fry until golden brown.
Remove from oil, drain excess oil on a kitchen towel.

Mutton Leg Soup (Attukal Soup)
Ingredients 
For the Mutton
1 mutton leg, chopped into pieces
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
5 shallots, smashed
½ tbsp turmeric powder
Some water 
Pressure cook these ingredients together 

For the Veggies
1 carrot, sliced
2 potatoes, sliced
¼ cauliflower, cut into large florets
2 tomatoes
Spices: 2 bay leaves, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 star anise, and 4 cloves
½ tbsp coriander powder
Some water (for simmering)
Simmer all these ingredient together to soften the veggies

Other Ingredients
Some coriander leaves
White pepper powder, to taste
Salt, to taste

Method
Into the pressure cooked mutton, add the simmered veggies. 
Add water if needed.
Season with white pepper, salt, add coriander leaves.
Simmer and then turn off the heat.

Chinese Style Mutton Stew
Ingredients
For the Mutton
6-7 pieces mutton chops
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
5 shallots, smashed
Some water 
Pressure cook these ingredient together

Other Ingredients
3 potatoes, skin removed, simmered to soften, and cut into medium-sized pieces
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
Crushed black pepper, as needed
Some spring onion (or basil leaves)
Salt to taste

Method
Into pressure cooked mutton, add add the potatoes, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, crushed black pepper, spring onion (or basil leaves), and salt to the pressure-cooked mutton (all ingredients listed at other ingredients). 
Simmer thoroughly, then turn off the heat.

Moroccan Mutton Shank
Ingredients 
For the Mutton
1 mutton shank
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
5 smashed shallots
Some water (for pressure cooking)
Pressure cook these ingredients together

Other Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
1 ½ tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
2 bay leaves
3 large tomatoes, chopped
1 ½ tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp fennel powder
2 tbsp crushed black pepper
1 ½ tbsp yogurt, whisked

Method
In a pan, heat butter and add all the ingredients listed in the "Other Ingredients" section, except yogurt.
Quickly stir and pour the liquid from the pressure-cooked mutton into the pan.
Stir and simmer until a thick sauce/gravy forms.
Add the pressure-cooked mutton, heat through, stir, and then remove from heat.

Ms. Nava’s Mutton Chop Curry
Ingredients 
For the Mutton
1 mutton shank
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
5 smashed shallots
Some water (for pressure cooking)
Pressure cook these ingredients together

Other Ingredients
1 ½ tbsp plain chili powder
1 tbsp crushed black pepper
**Mix these two ingredients with some water for a thick paste
Spices: 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 star anise, and 4 cloves
Some dried fenugreek leaves
Some mint leaves
2 tbsp ghee
Salt to taste
1 tsp lime juice

Method
Heat ghee in a pan, add the mixed paste and spices. 
Stir and cook until the oil splits.
Add the pressure-cooked mutton with its liquid. Stir and simmer.
Add salt, lime juice, and fenugreek leaves.
Off the heat and garnish with mint leaves before serving.

Murungakkai Drumstick Mutton Curry
Ingredients 
For the Mutton
1/2 kg mutton chops
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
5 smashed shallots
1 tbsp turmeric powder
Some water 
Pressure cook these ingredients together

Other Ingredients
5 drumsticks (murungakkai), strings removed and sliced
Spices: 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 star anise, and 4 cloves
1 ½ tbsp meat curry powder (mixed with some water to form a thick paste)
Some curry leaves
2 tomatoes
¼ cup oil
Salt to taste

Method
Heat oil in a pan, add spices, curry paste, and curry leaves. Stir and cook until the oil splits.
Add drumsticks and tomatoes. Stir well.
Pour in some water and cook until the drumsticks soften.
Add the pressure-cooked mutton with its liquid, add salt, and stir well.
Simmer until flavors meld, then turn off the heat.