GONDHORAJ MUTTON

Finally we have reached that day of the week, that marks the beginning of something new.

Yes I am talking about Sunday .

A bright sunny Sunday.

And in Kolkata, and for Bengalis all across the world, what marks the beginning of this day is queuing up at your local trusted butcher, for that precious cut of meat (generally raan meat, if not specified otherwise). As bongs are known for their adda sessions, these ques often turn out to be cauldrons of ideas and knowledge that is passed on without much stirring. As the day proceeds lanes and bylanes of the Bengali dominated areas are dominated by the sounds of whistling pressure cookers and heady aromas of the spices making wild love, while living up to the expectations of the society, either under the lid of pan or the cover of a pressure cooker. Not to forget the potatoes that have had to face the scorched heat of the pan and the hot oil ( I love the smell of potatoes frying in oil, dressed up in some salt and turmeric). Let me add, the cooker that I have is fiery red in colour. Meaningless to mention, but a hint of warmth always suffices. Right??

Did I mention lunchtime also brings out the flavour of the Gondhoraj lime, a typical speciality of Bengal.

And for summers my mom soaks the fresh aromatic Gondhoraj in a bowlful of water. Do not ask me the reason,  I said what I see every time. Jokes apart, mom says the scanty juices of this fragrant native lime of Bengal, yields more juices that way.

And post all these words and conversations, it doesn't make much to realize that I am going to talk about a mutton recipe today. While I cannot boast of being a pro at cooking mutton, this one surprisingly turned out good. Parents said so, and here are some images for you to decide, but only by the look of it.

1. I took a kilo of mutton, cleaned and washed well to get rid of those primitive blood stains , the grim & grit of the roadside butcher shop.

2.Take a bowl and add in the following stuffs: 200gms of yoghurt (regular kind works well, do not spend on Greek yoghurt here), 2 tbsp of garlic paste + 2 tbsp of ginger paste (I hand pounded mine in mortar & pestle. Do not feel shy to use it from a readymade packet) + juice of 2 no. Gondhoraj limes ( Do not be intimidated to change this ingredient. Learn to accept good things come in small packages, in this case seasonal packets.) + 1 tbsp  green chilly paste ( I pounded them 5-6 of them roughly) + 1 tbsp mustard oil. Mix well. Add the cleaned pieces of meat to this, and massage well, making sure all the pieces are well coated with this yogurt mix. Marinate it for about an hour. I kept mine in fridge, you can do the same.

3. In the meantime, peel and quarter 3 potatoes. Mix in a pinch of turmeric and some salt and fry them in oil. We want the potatoes to turn golden brown & blistered in parts, I love the crispy bits (This is an easy step and needs no further explanation I guess. One can happily give salt and turmeric a miss, but I love the yellowness of potatoes).

4. Heat oil in a pressure cooker, and add the following whole spices: 5-6 dried red chilies + 1/2 tbsp black peppercorns + 2 bay leaves + cinnamon stick 1 pc. Once fragrant, add in 2 no. medium onions, chopped. fry till it caramelize on a medium low flame. ( we are not looking at converting it into beresta for sure).

5. Once it turns a golden mass, add in 2 heaped tbsp of ginger & garlic paste and fry for 1 minute or so. Add in the following spice powders: Cumin 1 tbsp + Coriander 1.5 tbsp + Turmeric 1/2 tbsp + Red chilly powder 2 tsp. Mix well with the onions on high flame till the raw smell is replaced by a heady aroma of spices hits your nostrils.

6. Time to add in the mutton to the pan and give a good mix. I tend to do this on a medium high flame. Do not be alarmed, if the mutton gives out a lot of water (that is a normal thing to happen). Cook it ( we call it koshano in Bengali, or bhuno in hindi, the most important step in any cooking process) till all the water evaporates. I repeat, do not hurry this process, if you wish to make a sumptuous dish, whether for yourself or your guests.

7. Once the meat is left behind minus the water add in salt to taste + 1 tsp sugar + zest of 2 no Gondhoraj limes + 10-12 lime leaves & required amount of hot water to the mutton in the pressure cooker ( I swirled the water in the bowl in which the meat was marinated, dissolving in whatever of the marination was left behind. Being wasteful is not my cup of tea). Give a good mix. Add in the fried potatoes at this stage and close the cooker. Cook it till 2-3 whistles, depending upon the quality of your meat. ( I took the liberty of opening the cooker after 2 whistles and then going in for the third one. I adjusted salt requirement at this stage as well.)

8. Once done, add in half a teaspoon of Garam Masala powder and cooked it for a minute more. And finally the not so complicated dish is ready to be served.

8. In all Bengali home, this is served with steamed rice, like mine!!

And once you have feed everyone, and earned in enough compliments, take a nap (siesta is a mandatory ritual for Sundays), and then write to me about your experience. You can also tag me on Instagram if you wish to.

Notes:

1. Do not remove all the fat from the meat. Remember, it's the fat that renders itself and adds to the flavour of the mutton curry, not only in this, but in all cases.

2. I used dried lime leaves ( you will always find a bagfull stacked up in ziplock in my freezer), re-hydrating them in warm water for 5 mins. You can of course use fresh ones, since they should be easily available now.

3. A friend of mine, after hearing from me, tried making this recipe, with one hideous mistake. She squeezed the life out of the lime slices and added the lifeless pieces of lime to her curry while cooking it. There is a risk of adding in bitterness to your beloved and awaited curry. It's advisable not to do this.

And now I am tired after all this typing, will go for a shower.

P:S: Please do not be sad, if you have already cooked in your mutton for the day, following your usual or any other recipe. The intelligent vegetarian friendly government is yet to put a ban on the not-so-clever, humble goat meat. So cook it next week. But do not delay it for long, as you never know, we all might have to turn vegetarian and mutton curry will only provide orgasms, through photographs in the pages of history.



Chow!!