Mangshor Jhol (Bengali Mutton Curry)
Hi readers! Hope you all had a great holiday time! My holidays were fabulous: spent through partying, eating out, spending a lot of time with kids and relaxing! 2011 will always be a memorable year for me because this was the year when I started blogging, as we settled in Hong Kong.
So do you have any cooking or baking resolution for 2012? I, personally, do not believe in resolutions, but this year, I plan to explore more International cuisines. And yes, I will be trying out a lot of heirloom Indian dishes as well! I promised myself to spend more time reading the manuals in food photography, which is really important. Food presentation can make a lot of difference and this year, I will concentrate on this part, along with cooking and baking.
Cooking up for my family was, of course, on my holiday agenda. One of the dishes we loved eating during the holidays was Indian-style simple mutton curry. This is such a comfort food for us and reminds me of my childhood days at my parents’ place, where this curry was cooked by my mom almost every Sunday.
Mangshor Jhol (Bengali Mutton Curry)
[Mutton is the meat of a male goat. A young goat’s front thigh meat tastes the best for this dish. I included a few pieces from the ribs and included a little liver as well. The time to cook mutton will take longer if you choose mutton from an older goat. Also, for almost any kind of Indian cooking, choose red or purple onions which have low moisture content as well as sweetness level and can be browned easily. Please note that this is just one of the preferred ways to make mangshor jhol, which can be prepared in a few other ways as well!]
Ingredients:
- Fresh hung curd (should not be sour): ¾ cup
- Salt for marination: 1.5 tsp
- Garlic paste: 1 tbsp
- Mutton pieces (medium-sized): 1 kg
- Mutton liver: 150 g
- Ghee (Indian clarified butter): 1 tbsp
- Bay leaves: 2
- Grated ginger: 1 tsp
- Cumin seeds: ½ tsp
- Fenugreek seeds: ¼ tsp
- Fennel seeds: ½ tsp
- Red or purple onion (cut into long and very thin slices): 1 cup
- Onion paste: 5 tbsp
- Garlic paste: 2 tbsp
- Fresh cream (made homogeneous in a mixer with 3 tbsp warm milk): 2 tbsp
- Cashewnut paste: 1.5 tbsp
- Coriander powder: 1.5 tbsp
- Cumin powder: 2 tbsp
- Turmeric powder: ¾ tsp
- Readymade meat masala powder (available in all Indian stores): 1 tbsp
- Red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper): 2 tsp (optional)
- Salt: 1 tsp (quantity of salt may vary from person to person)
- Fresh green or red chillies for garnishing
- Mustard oil (if not available, replace with canola or sunflower oil): 5 tbsp
- Warm water: 4 cups
Method:
The most important step in preparing this Indian (Bengali) curry is in marinating the mutton well with fresh hung curd, 1.5 tsp salt, garlic paste and ghee and refrigerating this overnight.
Heat mustard oil till it is very hot and add the bay leaves on medium heat. Add the three kinds of seeds (cumin, fenugreek and fennel) and wait till these change colour and become light brown. When these just turn brownish, add all the onion slices and sauté continuously till these are nicely browned. You can add a few pinches of salt to make the process quicker. But always keep the flame on a medium while frying onions.
Stir in the onion paste and the coriander powder, meat masala powder and cumin powders dissolved in 4 tbsp water. The flame should be low. Sauté till the mixture dries up. Please note that this is a very important step and if you use high flame for this step, the whole curry will taste bitter.
Now add the marinated mutton and mix everything well. Adjust the flame to medium now. Cook for 10 min.
Add the garlic paste and the grated ginger to this and sauté for 2 min. Add the turmeric powder and mix well. Blend fresh cream with warm milk and cashewnut paste and add to this. Mix everything well. Cook for 5 min.
Add red chilli powder and salt and continue to cook the mutton on medium flame, covered, for 30 min, till the mutton has absorbed all the sauce and oil starts leaving from the mutton.
Add 4 cups of warm water to this and mix once. Add the whole green (or red) fresh chillies and pressure-cook till the meat is tender. (If you use a “pressure cooker”, it should have three whistles on a medium flame. After that, simmer for 15 min and turn off the gas after that. Open the cooker after 15 more minutes. To see what a pressure cooker looks like, please click here.)
This mutton curry is just perfect for winters and tastes awesome with both rice and chapatti. Serve with lemon wedges.
January 3, 2012 @ 4:19 pm
They look delicious
January 3, 2012 @ 5:45 pm
Delicious Mutton Curry. Wishing you and family a happy and prosperous New year.
January 3, 2012 @ 6:10 pm
That looks really good! In England and Australia mutton refers to the meat of an older sheep, older than a year. Goat meat is usually referred to as kid if it is young or just goat.
January 3, 2012 @ 8:03 pm
Happy new year Purabi – beautiful dishes… so spicy and colourful 🙂
January 3, 2012 @ 11:05 pm
This certainly looks like a classic dish, I like the seasoning.
But I always thought mutton was a lamb over a year old. Is it typical in Indian cookery to call goat “mutton”? Goat meat is used in Jamaican cookery. I’ve never tasted goat but I bet I’d like it.
Have you ever eaten sheep (lamb)?
January 4, 2012 @ 1:26 am
Wonderful post..personally I don’t make any resolutions other then to stay healthy!
Your dish sound very delicious!! I wish you very Happy New 2012!!!!
January 4, 2012 @ 2:35 am
A very happy and prosperous New Year Purabi. Kosha Mutton looks simply outstanding and droolworthy.
Deepa
Hamaree Rasoi
January 4, 2012 @ 4:48 am
awesome curry..love it wth rice
January 4, 2012 @ 5:15 am
This looks delicious, Purabi and I like your plans for 2012! I didn’t set resolutions so much as goals for myself. I suspect that some I’ll make and some will take more effort! Have a GREAT day and nice to see you back!
January 4, 2012 @ 7:27 am
Happy 2012, Purabi! I don’t eat mutton but perhaps I should make this my 2012 resolution to starting trying mutton. Hahaha!
My hubby would certainly enjoy your mutton curry, dear! Join my NiNi Toy Bungee Review & International Giveaway!! now, for your kid or as a gift!
January 4, 2012 @ 8:39 am
Wish you and your family a very Happy New Year.
Mangshor jhol looks delicious, spicy, flavourful and tempting.
January 4, 2012 @ 9:48 am
So flavorful and easy to follow recipe! Wishing you a Happy and Prosperous 2012!
January 4, 2012 @ 11:29 am
This sounds like a delicious curry!
January 4, 2012 @ 1:24 pm
Your curry does look delicious, I will need to seek out some mutton soon!
No resolutions for me this year, but yours does sound like a good one. Happy New Year!
January 4, 2012 @ 1:28 pm
Happy New Year! And delish looking curry!!!
January 4, 2012 @ 2:10 pm
Glad to hear you had a relaxing end of the year, Purabi! Best wishes to you in 2012!
January 4, 2012 @ 5:54 pm
Happy New Year! This curry looks wonderful! I am cooking an authentic Indian dinner tonight, hopefully it turns out!
January 4, 2012 @ 6:31 pm
wow i love that dear…mutton is my weakness
January 5, 2012 @ 4:27 am
I can never get enough of mutton curry but unfortunately here in my area in US .. i am not finding the perfect mutton meat and lamb is not something we enjoy. This dish is seriously making me drool 🙂
Hope this year all your dreams and wishes come true. Keep smiling and stay happy sweetie.
January 5, 2012 @ 2:27 pm
Kankana, there must be “halal” shops somewhere in US. You can surely get the best quality mutton there. Did you ask the sales persons in the Indian stores? Sometimes, they can guide very well! Thanks for your comment.
Foodycat and Anthony Stemke, yes, in India mutton refers to goat meat, young or old. Lamb is not very common there.
Wish you all a very happy new year as well!!
January 6, 2012 @ 12:42 am
looks sensational & awesome..
happy new year dear to you & yours..:)
Tasty Appetite
January 6, 2012 @ 3:24 pm
With the chilly weather finally arriving, I’m gearing up for more curries for dinner!
January 6, 2012 @ 8:39 pm
Happy New Year Purabi! The list of spices here is amazing! I bet this is the ultimate in comfort food, and although I do not eat meat my family does…and would love this 🙂
January 8, 2012 @ 7:46 am
I’ve had mutton meat on several occasions in the past and I liked it. Your recipe for mutton meat looks very rich and delicious. This is perfect with a bowl of rice. Have a great weekend, Purabi!
~ ray ~
January 8, 2012 @ 8:38 am
Happy New Year Purabi! I sort of regret I came visit you before going to bed. Your curry looks absolutely delicious! I have been learning so much about Indian spices from you!
January 8, 2012 @ 8:08 pm
I was going to make my first own curry for ages now, but I think this time I will make it! Inspired by your recipe of course) Thanks!
January 9, 2012 @ 4:58 pm
Lip smackingly good mutton curry.
January 11, 2012 @ 3:10 pm
Thanks to each and every reader of Cosmopolitan Currymania for such motivating feedback. Stay tuned for more culinary delights!!