Light Mutton Stew .... spicy, soupy and protein rich galore

Sunday done right.

 With a mutton curry that is very light with a thin soupy gravy to sip on while the rain dances outside.
Don't go by the plain Jane look of it .... this innocent looking bowlful packs quite a punch.
Fragrant with whole garam masala , spiced with black pepper ,
garlic as well as red chilli powder. 

I love spicy food and this one did clear up my throat later .
It is protein rich  and perfect for immunity boosting.

The recipe is very very easy.

I marinated the mutton  with vinegar and turmeric powder for more than an hour .... I finished cooking the vegetarian meals then .... and then in a heated pressure cooker added ghee ,
whole garam masalas, sliced onions and dry red chilli. 

Fried well till the onions browned well. 

Then added the mutton and fried on high heat for 2 minutes.
Then added ginger garlic paste, a little curd, red chilli powder and fried well till the masalas were well cooked. 

Added hot water and salt and a little sugar.
Rounded off with a sprinkle of my homemade garam masala powder. 

Closed cooker and cooked for 5 whistles on low heat.
And oh .... added potatoes too .

And it is done! Soupy, spicy thin gravy with tender, succulent pieces of mutton that actually melted in the mouth.
Mmmm 😋

 Can you see the mutton actually falling off the bone ?!
It was that soft and tender 😊 

You can pair this with either rice or parathas or rotis. 

Enjoy !! 

Do you like recipes written this way or do you prefer the whole list of ingredients and the detailed process? 
Do let me know in the comments. 

Mutton Kheema or Minced mutton curry

It has been around more than a month that I had fish last. I did not buy any and cleaned out my freezer just before my trip to the Big Apple. Neither did I buy or make any mutton ... which I eat very little anyway. So I was practically on a little chicken here and there.
And now, with being ill with a bad throat, fever and all the other accessories that come along with, I was craving some non vegetarian food.
I longed for spicy, throat tingling food that would rattle my taste buds back to their senses.
Everything seems to taste bland and smell of nothing right now.

But cooking non vegetarian food, especially when you are ill, is no mean feat.
The very thought of washing the stuff under running water made me cringe and I would bundle myself up even more. Not to mention the lack of strength to actually stand and cook.
B was handling the cooking part initially and was doing pretty well when it came to putting some soft, steaming hot khichuri on my plate both times.
But then just one week into my illness, he came down with the same too.
And then, it was milk, bread, biscuits and some bread again ... all the way.

We had to cancel our trip home twice .... and now have given up trying booking tickets again.
Right now, we are focusing on getting well first ....  even before we start to think of making a trip to the cold, cold North India right now.
I have started to cook and have fallen back on my cooking in bulk plans ... which is helping hugely and ensuring that we are getting home cooked meals at least.
When the paracetamol is working, I make dal in bulk and knead atta too.
Also cook rice in bulk and make some vegetable bhaja.So all we have to do during mealtimes is load the plate and warm it in the microwave for a minute.
And we have a plateful of hot, homecooked food in a jiffy.

Now that winter is here in full swing, I am getting desperate to go out and buy fresh vegetables.
This is the time for hot, fresh vegetable parathas ... be it the methi paratha, aloo paratha, gobhi paratha or mooli paratha. Winter dinners have to have the parathas on the plate. Along with home made fresh achars.
But I will wait for a few more days.

Last evening, B said "Let's go out for a small drive. "
It was indeed getting suffocating at home ... staying put all these days while the outside rejoiced in the beautiful weather.
So we went out.
It was early evening and the sun was mellow. The trees were turning dark against the orange sun.
The air was crisp when I rolled own the windows for a while.
But the traffic was bad and we decided to turn back. Both of us mentioned at the same time that we ahve seen Pune in the best of times .... when there was almost no four wheeler traffic and zero pollution.
And especially when the outskirts of the city still had those rolling jowar fields and we could see a sunset just by standing on the banks of a river.
All of these are a dream these days .... the way the city has grown into a jungle in just 7 to 10 years.

We turned back and were heading home when B said "Would you like to buy some fish?" I was about to say yes then did not feel like eating fish. So we drove on.
And then, just around the corner, I spied the old mutton shop and immediately felt like eating some hot, soupy mutton jhol and bhaat.
I felt like eating something in a long time, given my taste buds have gone for a long vacation.
So, I went in and bought some good mutton.
And then, visions of the very soothing, warming and soft Mutton Pishpash swam before my eyes.
And I knew that was what I want.
The jhol can wait.

So today I will be having some steaming hot mutton Pish pash for lunch.
And I have this beautiful, spicy Mutton kheema recipe for you.
Beautifully cooked, creamy and spicy, this mutton kheema is the perfect dish for a winter dinner.
Or a lunch too.

I have made it the traditional Bengali way ... with lots of garlic, ginger and whole garam masala.
If you want to make it slightly dryish and pair it with Luchis, you can follow the recipe here.

Need :

Mutton kheema or minced mutton - 250 gms
Curd - 1 teacup
Onion - 1 medium, chopped
Onion paste - 1 tbsp
Ginger + Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Turmeric / Haldi powder - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Whole garam masala - 2 cloves, 1 small piece cinnamon, 1 black cardamom, 1 bay leaf
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Coriander / Dhania powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp ( I use mustard oil )
Water - for gravy

How  to :

Wash the minced mutton and marinate it with the curd for at least half an hour.
( You can marinate it and then go about preparing the masalas and other things in that time. )

Heat oil in a heavy pan or kadahi.
I use a well seasoned  iron kadahi / wok.

Add the sugar and wait till it changes colour to brown, on low heat.
Add the haldi powder + red chilli powder + the whole garam masalas very quickly.

Add the chopped onion and fry till it turns brown.
Now add the pastes and fry well till dry and oil starts to leave the sides.

Now add the minced mutton and stir and mix well.
Keep stirring and mixing on low heat till everything comes together.

Add salt and a little water and cover.
Cook on low heat till mutton is cooked.
Do check for water in between.

Once the mutton is done, remove cover and cook till all water evaporates.
Add the garam masala powder and cover for around 5 minutes.

Remove cover and serve hot.

This goes best with rotis or parathas.
But you can pair it with some crisp, toasted bread too.

A sprinkle of fresh lemon juice and some chopped onions on it, and you are good to go.

Enjoy!!

Mutton fry ... sweet, sour, spicy .... ( the way I make and like it )

August is not a very good month for me. Has never been.
I had not noticed it earlier; but now I have numerous reasons to wish from the bottom of my heart to dislike it with a passion.
How I wish I could delete August from the calendar forever.

 I have not been keeping too well recently.
And the weather is not helping much.
Initially it rained on and off the whole month of July. I love the monsoons that way.
A few spells of rain and then a burst of sun one day. Perfect for me.
But with the start of August, the heavens have opened up with determination.
Nothing to complain about that .... but when it comes to Pune, I have a good reason to dislike this.

The dark and dreary outside with rain pelting down on the trees standing in quiet submission is still alright. In fact is beautiful to watch too. But it is too darned cold inside.
Thanks goodness for our bay windows of glass that we can keep them shut forever and still get to see the view outside.
I keep burrowing inside layers of warm clothes. The temperature is almost always 22 degrees.... goes down in the nights ... when we resort to the room heater.
Talked to FIL just this morning, who is visiting Didi in Delhi ... and he complained about the heat and humidity and the a/c on. We wished we could swap places.

All this is no woe at all when compared to my condition right now.
I have been very ill recently and had to cancel our trip home twice. And now when we are all set to leave tomorrow, I am all wound up again.
I have been dreading this journey for ever since this year started. But time never stands for a moment. And now it is one year already.
The same rains; the same turmoil in the heart; the same uncertainty; the same heart rending pain; the same tears.
I am going home for Bapi. And for Bapi's absence.
My heart feels like it will break into a thousand pieces and life will never be the same again.

I fought with myself for long and finally decided to make a post after all.
I did not want to disappear just like that. 
So I am leaving you with a beautiful mutton fry that I had made one of these months .... when I had some friends over.
Sweet, sour, sticky, spicy ... everything heavenly ... it is finger licking good.

I did not want to make the usual mutton curry or the kosha. So just threw in some things together ... as I usually do with my chicken dishes.
Since I have not followed any recipe and eyeballed everything, I do not have a proper name for this.
But I am trying to give the measurements here.

This mutton fry is very spicy ... tone down the heat level if you want to.

Need :

Mutton - 250 gms

For marination -
Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Vinegar - 3 tsp ( I used chilli vinegar )
Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
Onion - 1 small, chopped
Ginger + garlic crushed together - 2 tbsp
Black cardamom - 1, crushed
Grated papaya - 3 tbsp (optional )
Bay leaf - 1
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp

For cooking - 
 Cooking oil - 3 tbsp
Onion - 1 big, sliced
Sugar - 2 tsp
Ginger + garlic crushed - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Chilli sauce - 1 tsp
Soy sauce - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

How to :

Mix the mutton with the marination well.
Let it stand for around half an hour.

Pressure cook, with salt, ( I never add salt when marinating) and around two big sized cupful of water, for 3 whistles on low flame.
This cooking time will depend upon the quality of your mutton.

Remove from heat and cool.
Remove the pieces ... they should be done but not mushy.
Keep the stock aside. You can use it for other dishes later.

Heat oil in a kadahi and deep fry the onion slices till golden brown.
Drain and remove.

Raise heat and let the same oil become very hot.
Add some sugar and let in the mutton pieces carefully.

Sear both sides till dark brown.
Lower heat.

Add the rest of the ginger garlic paste and lightly fry ... try not to add any water.
Cover for a while.

Remove cover and give a good toss.

Add chilli powder + chilli sauce + soy sauce.

And the fried onions.

Stir lightly and let everything come together.
Do a taste test and adjust salt or sugar accordingly.

Finally round off with the lemon juice.

Here is a closer look at the beautiful caramelisation of both the meat and the onions. 

Serve hot with parathas, luchi or this light mishti polau.  
I hope you will enjoy this mutton fry on your plate in these rains.

Here are a few other Mutton recipes for you to try this beautiful season.
Happy monsoons all.

I will not be around for some time.
Do take care everyone.
And stay well.

Mangshor patla jhol / A light, soupy mutton curry

To be honest, I had wanted this post to be a happy post. Some thoughts, some writings.
And lots of happy thoughts.
When I had cooked this light mutton curry, I had some friends staying over.
There was much banter and an easy air all over in the house.  Light food and close friends always make for a cosy, homely feel.
So I had thought I would write about all the fun we had and about all the food we took turns to cook.
But the months passed, not to mention the dark ones, and the photos languished in my folder.

In fact, when I started to post again, I kept skipping this recipe, waiting for better days that will echo in my post.
Which is why, right now, I have a recipe of the Chole tikki in my drafts.

But a few days back, I wrote on my Facebook page as to which recipe would my readers like to see in my next post.
And Monalisa wrote in to say " Light mangshor jhol sounds yummylicious!! Light golden jhol is apt for the gloomy lazy days of winter" 

 My friends have been a huge support the last few months.
Always with me when I needed them. A warm word here. A strong encouragement there.
Asking about my absence. Inquiring after my health.
So I will let the Chole tikki sleep in the drafts for a little while longer.
My friends will get what they want. So decided to make this post on the light mutton curry right away.

The sun has set on 2015 a few hours back.
Now comes the waiting part. Waiting for a new day. A whole new year.
New hopes. New fears.
New aspirations. New achievements.
2015 has taken much from me. I just hope 2016 will, if not give anything, not take anymore.

This jhol is light, runny and is light on spices.
It does have garam masala but in much less quantity than usual.
I have used chilli flakes, that I ground at home, for a little heat; you can skip that in case you want a plain jhol.

This is very different from the rich Mangshor jhol, that I make when I have guests.
Ma used to make this when she ran short of time.
Or in winters ... but that would have carrots, green peas, cabbage, etc.
I just added the much loved aloo or the potato ... a must in a mutton curry for Bengalis.

Need :

Mutton - ½ kilo, cleaned and washed
Potatoes - 2, halved
Onion - 1 medium, sliced
Curd - 1 teacup
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp ( I use mustard oil )
Salt - to taste
Sugar - a little
Black cardamom - 2. crushed
Black cardamom powder - just little pinch or maybe half a teaspoon (grind them fresh if possible)
Cinnamon - 1 small piece, crushed
Chilli flakes - 1 tbsp ( I dry roast red chillies and give them a short burst in the mixie )
Grated ginger - 1 tbsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tbsp
Water

How to :

Marinate the mutton with the curd + ginger + garlic + turmeric + chilli flakes.
I do not add salt in the marination.

Keep aside for at least half an hour.
Of course, you can keep it for a longer time or make it immediately if you are pressed for time ... but then, as everybody knows ... the longer the marination time, the better the flavours.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
Add the sliced onions and fry on low heat till well browned.

Add the crushed cardamom + cinnamon.
When you start to get the aroma, add the mutton and stir well for a while ... till everything is mixed properly. No need to fry for a very long time ... as in 'koshao'ing.

Raise heat, add the potatoes and enough water to make a gravy.
( I do not fry the potatoes first ).
Add salt and sugar.
Sprinkle the cardamom powder all over it.

Close lid and cook for 4 whistles on low heat.
The cooking time depends on the quality of the mutton ... so if needed you may cook for a few more whistles.

Remove from heat and cool.

Remove cover and check for the consistency of the gravy. If needed add water to make it thinner, but do check the salt accordingly.

Serve hot with rotis or rice.
 
Some chunky mutton pieces, some robust flavours in a spoonful of this light jhol, some winter sun, some chill in the air  ... all make for a great lunch ... holiday or otherwise.

Revel in health, love, sunshine and food, dear friends.
Wish you much happiness in the coming new year.

Mete Kosha / Masala fried Mutton Liver

Happy b'day Kichu Khonn!!

There, I said it. I wished Kichu Khonn; right on time.
Well, almost.
Given my history of forgetting my blog's birthday every year, consistently, only to remember it a good few weeks later, a couple of days is nothing at all; I'm sure.
Yes, my blog's birthday was exactly two days back and as usual, I forgot.
But as I woke up tand sat in my favourite chair by the window, this morning,  to watch the morning unfold, something went 'ding!' inside my head.
I sat up with a jolt.
"Just a minute! It is May going on, right?!"
"Bapi just had his b'day,right?!
"In that case, it has to be Kichu Khonn's b'day too!!"
 Maybe it was my conscience, finally woken up at the realisation that if I did not forget Bapi's b'day, how could I possibly forget Kichu Khonn's, just one day later?!!
Tch tch tch. 

But all is not lost.
I started this post right away ... I am going to make a post to celebrate my blog's b'day; yes sirree, I am.

Happy b'day Kichu Khonn!!
Thank you for surviving all the ups and downs all these years.
Thank you for staying by me in this roller coaster of a ride of seven whole years.
Thank you for not being morose and not holding a grudge against me when I abandoned you for long times at a stretch.
Thank you for being your own self and welcoming me back like an old friend waiting, whenever I returned.
Thank you for not judging me; and accepting all my posts with equal love.
Thank you for being my friend.

And the same goes for you, my friends, both old and new.
And my readers, both active and silent. 
A huge thanks to you!
Who have consistently stayed by me all the while.
Who have goaded me on, with much love.
Who have mailed me, messaged me, shared recipes with me.
Who have loved my recipes and trusted them enough to try them out.
And especially who have cared to stop for one more extra little moment and wrote to me in my comments section.
Thank you again!

Now, let me quickly share the recipe of this wonderfully spicy dish made from mutton liver.
This is also called as Mete chorchori in Bengali. It takes all of twenty to twenty five minutes to cook, not a minute more, I can say.
It has no gravy but the masala is enough soft to be mopped up with your favourite piece of bread ... be it the roti, the paratha or the luchi or poori.


Mutton liver takes hardly any time to cook; all the time that is needed is for the masala to fry well.
Do take care not to over cook the liver .... it will easily turn tough and grainy to eat.
The perfectly cooked liver is soft and moist and just done.

Need :

Mutton liver - 250 gms
Ginger - 1" piece
Garlic - 8 cloves
Whole red chillies - 2
Onion - 1 medium sized, sliced
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Mustard or any cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Garam masala - 1 black cardamom, 3 cloves, 1 small stick of cinnamon, 3 pieces of whole black pepper, - slightly roast on a tawa / pan and coarsely grind in a mortar and pestle or anything heavy
Salt - to taste

How to : 

Grind the ginger + garlic + the whole red chillies to a paste.

Marinate the liver with vinegar + the above paste + salt for around fifteen minutes.

Heat oil in a heavy wok or kadahi.

Add the sliced onions + sugar and fry till they turn pink.

Add the liver + turmeric powder and fry well.

Cover and cook till the liver is done and the oil from the masala starts to leave the sides of the wok.

Remove cover and sprinkle the freshly made garam masala.

Dry up gravy to desired consistency.

Cover and let it stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Other than any kind of breads, this goes great with rice or pulao too.

Enjoy!!

And oh! ... for all of you who have been waiting for my post on the short, weekend trip to Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar, the post is up on my travelogue.

Do hop over. :-)


Another beautiful recipe of the mutton liver on Kitchen - e - Kichu Khonn -

Mutton Liver stir fry in Garlic Chilli sauce

Mangshor chaanp / Mutton chaap ... my way

Rather ... Bapi's way.

Sunday lunches were mainly of mutton curry and rice, back at home, in my childhood.
But at most times, the mutton curry would be different. Sometimes it would be the spicy, very rich jhol/gravy kind.
At other times it would be a lighter version of the same. Winter noons would see a stew, which we would enjoy with hot rotis or bread ... it used to be so cold we did not want to have rice.
On other days, it would be a kosha or spicy, dryish dish that we had with either ruti/ rotis or luchis.

And at times, Bapi would try his hand at cooking mutton.
He loves trying out new recipes, especially from the Bengali magazines.
So, every week, he would pick a recipe and wait till Sunday to try it out.
And I would be his assistant then.

I knew nothing of cooking at the time. But it felt good to be there with Bapi, listening to him counting out loud the number of garlic cloves, or asking me to pass him something.
He would keep the recipe page open, follow the measurements and instructions down to the last letter and keep on checking and re-cheking if the amount of water is just right, or just a tad more of salt is needed.

And the best part came when we sat down for lunch. The dish would be much discussed, appreciated and there would be mental notes on what to do the next time to make it a little more different ... and better.
A little of this more, a little of that less or to be plain omitted.
Sometimes, when the dish turned out very different from what expected ... an usual thing when following recipes from magazines, he would say with all seriousness ... "Ora eta nischoi ranna kore dekheni ... emni likhe diyeche. " :-)
Something that I follow now, on my Kichu Khonn ... every dish has to be cooked and tasted first ... and then presented here.

One such mutton dish that Bapi used to make very frequently is the Mutton chaanp or the ribs. The reason, I guess, is the simplicity of the recipe. No complicated steps, not too many ingredients.
Just a few things put together and cooked on low heat.
Not too dryish, not much gravy ... simply flavoured and easy to make.
I love the way Bapi cooks the mutton ribs.

Need :
 Mutton chaanp or the rib pieces
Ginger paste
Garlic paste
Curd
Red chilli powder
Turmeric powder (very little)
Raw papaya - grated
Salt
Sugar
Mustard oil
Whole garam masala - cloves, cinnamon, black cardamoms

How to : 


Marinate the mutton ribs with the curd+ginger paste+garlic paste+red chilli powder+grated papaya+ turmeric powder+mustard oil for around 2 hours. 

Then heat some mustard oil in a pressure cooker.
Add the whole garam masalas. Sprinkle the sugar in a layer covering the base of the cooker.
Just when the sugar starts to caramelize ... it will start to bubble and change colour ... be careful not to burn it ... add the marinated mutton and salt. 
Give a good stir, put on lid and cook for 4 whistles. 
(I usually do not add water ... but if in doubt, you can add half a cupful ... and then dry it up later.)

This goes great with rotis, parathas or luchis/puris.
And of course, if you want to, you can have it with rice too.

Enjoy!!

Mangshor chop / Mutton chop

The 'chop' here does not mean a particular cut of meat.
In Bengal and Odisha / Orissa, it refers to a deep fried snack ... usually with a spicy filling encased in a potato or any such binder casing, dipped in gram flour batter and deep fried.

Growing up in my little hilly town in Odisha, and still at school level, eating out was almost a non existent term. Once in a while, we would get a samosa or shingara ... that too, when we had guests at home. Otherwise outside food was a huge no no.

After school, when I started junior college, I insisted on walking to college with the rest of my friends ... most of them from around our home. Given that the college was very near, too near to my home, I did not get to explore too much. But getting that break from the school bus was indeed a huge relief to me.
A quiet girl always, I wouldn't step out of the house unless entirely needed. Not to shop, not to anybody's house to visit. The very thought of meeting people and holding a conversation was unthinkable for me.

But those walks to the college along with a bunch of restless girls did a whole lot of good to me. While they were busy talking and giggling, I would quietly soak in the sight and sounds of the road and its side. So many small shops, selling all kinds of eatables. Some of them would have a huge iron wok or kadahi, black with smoke, oil and usage, sitting in the front, on a mud stove or chulha.
Sometimes a man would be frying some snacks in them, hot oil filled to the brim ... almost ... wielding an equally black and greasy, huge slotted ladle, giving the frying samosas or chops a gentle stir now and then.

And the aroma .... wafting all around ... was enough to pull anyone passing by to stop and buy a few.
Early mornings and the smell of fried snacks ... especially chops and samosas ... will always remain connected in my memories. 

There was one shop that had this as a speciality ... the mutton chop or the mangshor chop.
And I had got to taste it once ... just once. My friends would stop at almost any eatery and try out new things everyday. While I wasn't too interested in eating at the time, I would give a skip to many such adventures. But they were successful in making me try out that Mutton chop.
And the taste would haunt me for the rest of my days.

I never got to eat another mutton chop there again. Why ... I don't know. But no chance came along. And after I left home, I would dream of that mutton chop on days when the dabba food was so bad our Aunty's dog would refuse it too. And of course, on ok days too.
It wasn't until recently that I got a chance to recreate that long remembered and much missed taste and flavour in my kitchen. Even since I have been getting to buy mutton, am on a roll.

And so found a hot, humid forenoon me ... sweating it out in the kitchen ... making that mutton chop ... trying to recreate a piece of my childhood.

Today I am posting the Odia Mutton chop.
I will post the Bengali version of the mutton chop sometime in the future.

I had made the filling of the mutton kheema a day before ...  to shorten preparation time.

Originally, the chop would have very small pieces of mutton and not the mince.
And the encasing would be of soaked Cholar dal / Bengal gram lentils. Very htick and very crisp on the outside .... fluffy and honey combed inside.
And the flavours would be dominated by ginger and garlic more and less of garam masala .... as Odia mutton dishes are wont to be.
Fiery, earthy, full bodied flavours.

To make the kheema :

Need :

Mutton kheema / minced mutton
Ginger + garlic paste
Turmeric / Haldi powder
Red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Oil to fry
Onions - chopped
Garlic - chopped
Ginger - grated
Garam masala powder
Lemon juice
Roasted jeera powder
Dhania powder

Yoiu may use a pinch of cooking soda too … I did not.
How to :   

Cook the kheema in a pressure cooker with a little haldi powder, ginger + garlic paste and salt and a little water ( not too much ... the kheema will release water too).
Around 4 whistles on low heat is good enough ... but of course, will depend on the quality of the mutton.
Cool.

Heat oil. Add chopped onion, garlic and grated ginger. Fry well.
Add the cooked kheema. Add red chilli powder, dhania powder, roasted jeera powder, garam masala, lemon juice and salt .... one by one.
Keep stirring. Cook till all water dries up ... there should not be any moisture left.
Remove and cool.

This will be the filling for the chops and can be prepared a day or 2 in advance and stored in the fridge.

To make the casings :

The Potato casing :
Boil potatoes, drain, cool and mash into a smooth pulp with some salt and red chilli powder.
Or use the easy way like I did ... add some water to potato flakes and make a mash.
Do add a little corn flour if using the flakes.

The Gram flour batter : 
Make a thick batter of besan/ gram flour + rice flour (ratio is around 5 tbsp besan to 1 tbsp rice flour), salt, a pinch of haldi powder and a little red chilli powder.

To make the chops :

Shape the chops like so .... take some of the mashed potato and make a small case and stuff it with a little of the filling. Now carefully cover it to make a smooth ball.
Be careful not to have any cracks on it ... use a finger dipped in water to smoothen out, if any.

Heat enough oil to deep fry ( I used mustard oil).
Take a chop, dip it into the besan batter ... make sure the whole things is covered well ... and carefully let it into the hot oil.
Fry on low heat till golden brown in colour.
Remove with a slotted spoon or ladle and lay it on a paper napkin to drain any excess oil.

Here's a closer look, after frying. See all the three layers?

Serve hot ... I mean real hot.
The smoke coming out when you bite into one, the spices and the heat searing your mouth ... that's what a hot mutton chop should be like.

 The perfect snack on a rainy evening, shared with lots of friends or just the family, gathered together over a hot plateful and some ginger tea and laughter and adda on the side.

Enjoy, dear friends!!

Rice & mutton stew / Mutton Pish pash

 Life is on a fast forward mode these days.

A day starts and ends even before I can blink or say 'Yahoo!' ... or so it seems.

Why I'd want to say Yahoo! I don't know ... especially when there's nothing of much import to cheer. 

And neither am I a big fan of the same.

But yes ... flying by the days are.

And the erratic weather keeps me on my toes.

What with the temperatures swinging like a clock's pendulum,
a sniffle here and
 a hynaaaacccho there prevails.

Had the sniffles a few weeks ago and craved some wholesome and hot, spicy yet bland food.

Home cooked hot food .. the perfect soothe for a troubled soul ...

a soul especially tormented by the unpredictable weather of a new place.

 Ever since I've started getting good ... very good mutton, I've been wanting to try out the Anglo Indian dish called Mutton Pish pash.
It is made of rice and lentils along with chicken or mutton pieces stewed together.
Just like a non veg khichuri or khichadi. 
Very light, very healthy.
 

The sniffles was a perfect sounding board to this wholesome dish.

I admit the mind did picture a bowl of steaming hot and very very spicy Mangshor jhol,

but sense prevailed.

The idea of cooking it from scratch was not exciting enough ....  not then at least.

This dish was so so easy to make.

And absolutely awesome in flavours and taste.

Just the kind of food and cooking I love ... simple yet flavourful ... and very quick to make.

I did not add coriander or mint as the recipe suggests. 
 I had just one lonely piece of whole red chilli  lying in the paanch phoron bottle.
Fished it out and hung on to it tenderly...
they are my photographs'
saving grace , you see.

And used chilli flakes. A good amount of chilli flakes.

And after I had tucked into two whole platefuls of this steaming manna, I knew I was so right
 in not making that mangsho'r jhol.

And the next time I get mutton, I know I am going to make this with half of it.

The rest half will of course belong to that jhol. :-)

 Need :

Mutton

Rice

Garlic - chopped 

Ginger - grated

Salt - to taste
Slices of lemon
Whole black peppercorns
Sliced onion

How to  ( or how I made it ) :

Put the mutton in a big sized pressure cooker along with the onion, black peppercorns,
grated ginger and salt.

Cook on low heat for 2 whistles.

Cool and remove cover.

Add the rice and adjust salt.

Cover and cook for 3 more whistles.

Cool, remove cover and serve hot ... garnished with fried garlic.

To fry the garlic
Heat a little oil and add the garlic and fry till brown.

Keep stirring and add the chilli flakes after the garlic has browned 

and heat has been turned off ... 

or else 

they'll burn real quick.

Do ladle out a good amount of the oil on the stew too ... adds a beautiful flavour.
Have it with a good amount of fresh lemon juice squeezed on it.
I did ... but forgot to add the same to the picture.

I had made a Liver stir fry too ... so had it on the side.

A perfect meal.

Enjoy!!

Mutton liver stir fry in garlic chilli sauce

 The last week went by in a blur.

A blur of colours, fun and festive.

And even before I realise, we are into the end of the first week of Feb.

The festivity was created by the wonderful people I have in my life.

Thanks to my blog. And thanks to my fate.

The good ... and crazy ... souls actually created a huge stir and celebrated my b'day online.

Cooking wonderful dishes and creating a much loved air.

Making me glow with warmth. :-)
Then the man came up with a trip to the coast.

I have been missing the sea, the beach and the salty air terribly.

For ages now.

So whisked me off to a coast for a funfilled weekend.

Full three days of sun, sand and the soothing balmy air.

 Take a whiff. See what I mean! :-)

 Glorious sun rise!

 There's the coastline for you ... from the rope way ... called the Dolphin's nose.

There were some glorious dishes that I got to sample in those 3 days.
Fresh sea food platters. Good mutton.
Even an authentic South Indian thali.
Some different kinds of coffee and tea thrown in.
And a wonderful pizza and pasta party on the last day at our friend and host's place.
Some kebabs and kathi rolls and samosa thrown in too.
Was indeed in  foodie's heaven.

The Kingfisher Fashion show was on in the hotel that we had stayed in.
Got to rub shoulders with some chirpy and fun-to-be-with girls.
Couldn't help notice how down to earth they are.
Just another bunch of normal,young girls ... having fun and trying out food and the pool with equal enthu.
And working hard in the evening.
Costumes, makeup, ramp walk ... all under the eyes of numerous strangers.
All with a smile.
Braving the stares and the mosquitoes with equal ease.

Discovered a new respect for this occupation ... that looks so much fun but is as hard work as any other.


Coming back to today's dish, it is a simple stir fry.

Stir fried mutton liver.

My very first attempt at cooking mutton liver.

Now that I know how to buy mutton, chicken has been off my table for months now.

Mutton liver cooks very quickly ... almost a no hassle thing to make.

So I settled for a stir as I already had a one pot meal ready.

What is it? Coming up on the next post.

So hold your horses. :-)

 I got the man at the counter selling mutton chop up the liver into small to medium pieces.

Make sure the pieces stay similar in size ... else the cooking time won't apply to the whole lot.

And the result will be unevenly cooked liver.

A shout on FB guided me on how long to cook liver.

Almost everybody said it should not take long ... not more than 7 mins.

And no need for a pressure cooker.

Heard them. Believed and followed them.

And got my perfect stir fried mutton liver.

Not too tough. Not very soft.

Very, very perfect!

Need :

Mutton liver - chopped into small pieces

Ginger + garlic paste

Onion - sliced lengthwise

Garlic Chilli sauce ( I used Ching's)

Salt - to taste

Sugar - a pinch or more if you like it slightly sweet

Oil - to cook

Red chilli powder - a pinch

How to :

Toss the cleaned and washed liver pieces in the ginger garlic paste.

Heat oil in a pan or kadahi.

Add the sliced onions and fry on low heat for a while. 

When the moisture starts to dry, sprinkle the sugar and keep stirring.

Now add the liver pieces and keep stirring.

Add salt. Cover and cook for a while.

Remove cover after a while and check if the liver is done ... 

it should be firm ... neither tough or soft.

If cut with the spatula, it should not leak juices.

Add the chilli sauce and keep stirring for some more time.

Remove when the sides start to stick to the pan...

that will be due to the sugar caramelising.

Serve hot.

Goes great with rotis or parathas.

Mangshor Jhol / Mutton Curry the Bengali way

( Vegetarians can make this with aloo / paneer / cauliflower. )

 Presenting the very favourite, very famous and very loved  Bengali Mangsho'r jhol!
For the very first time on Kichu Khon ... Mutton!!!
Why for the first time?

Because I did not know how to buy mutton.

Because I did not have the courage to step into a mutton shop.

Because it is a Bengali man's job.

Sunday mornings started with the man of the house going to the mutton shop to get the best cuts.

And the lady of the house spent hours in the kitchen preparing lunch ... of steamed rice and Mangsho'r jhol.

The years I spent away from home were spent craving mangshor jhol.

Of course once in a while a cousin would call me over for lunch ... but that was rare.

After I set up my own home, I fulfilled all my dreams of cooking chicken and fish for myself.

No more going to restaurants to get my fill of non veg ... yet stay dissatisfied ...

 craving some home cooked food.

But never got to cook mutton.

Or Mangsho'r jhol.

With gorom bhaat.

Ah ... heaven.

Until the supermarkets came along.

Everything under one roof.

Everything ... know the meaning?

Everything includes fish ... fresh fish, good chicken and mutton!

Good mutton. Goat mutton .... not lamb mutton.

I got very good mutton at Spar.

The pieces looked familiar ... exactly like the ones I got on my plate at home.

The meat looked fresh ... pinkish and not dull grey or white.

And definitely not dry.

Still ... I had my doubts.

Had once happily filled my plate with mutton at a  friend's party.

One bite and I gagged. This was not mutton! It did not taste familiar.

The friend cleared my doubt ... it was lamb!

I do not like lamb.

So cleared with the salesman.

"Goat?". "Yes Ma'am, goat."

"Lamb or goat?" ... I try.

Psychology ... you see. So that he wouldn't get to know what I want and fool me.

"Goat Ma'am."

"Hmmm."

I look around with a very serious face ... avoiding the man's eye.

No clue.
I wander a little ... all the while keeping an ear open ... trying to grasp what other customers are saying.

No luck. Until .....

"Ekdom taatka  paatha Dada ... niye dekhun naa!"

Bengali!!!!
Sweet, familiar Bengali!

The man is a Bengali! Trying to convince another customer that it is completely fresh!

I smiled. The man smiled.

And we broke into a non stop chatter of Bengali.

And I came home happily clutching on to a bagful of half a kilo taatka mangsho. :-)

So I finally cooked Mangshor jhol ... in my kitchen.

Remembering how every Sunday the family would wait with much eagerness 

for the lunch that gets cooked in numerous Bengali homes .. 

creating memories for the young and nostalgia among the elders of a family.

I cooked it the way my Thamma used to.

Completely basic with that wonderful rustic flavour of ginger and garlic 

mixed with good quality mutton ... and mustard oil ...

makes this a wonderful dish

 that stays in the memory long after it has been eaten.

 

Many people love to add cumin and coriander powder too. I haven't to this one.

Maybe I'll try with them sometime when I make this  again.

Need : 

500 gms mutton(goat meat)

1 cup curd ... will be better if is slightly sour ... I used 2 days old home made curd kept in the fridge

2 big sized onions

10 cloves of garlic

3" piece of ginger

1 medium sized onion, sliced into thin long pieces

whole garam masala -

5-6 cloves

4 black cardamoms

1"  cinnamon stick

5 whole red chillies

3 bay leaves

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp mustard oil

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp red chilli powder, or as per your taste

2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and halved

salt to taste

water for cooking

How to :

Marinate the cleaned and washed mutton with the curd and a little salt.

Keep aside for at least half an hour. Keep in the fridge if keeping for a longer time.

Grind the onions to a paste.

Grind the ginger + garlic to a paste.

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed kadahi.

Add the potatoes and fry them on a high flame till golden brown all over. They need not be cooked ... just get the colour.

Remove and keep aside.

Reduce heat and in the same oil add the whole garam masalas, dry red chillies, bay leaves and then the sliced onions.

Fry well for a while.

Add the sugar and fry for some more time.

Now add the onion paste, stirring all the while.

After it loses the raw smell, add the ginger garlic paste and keep frying.

Add the turmeric, red chilli powder and fry till the masala is well cooked and the oil starts to leave the sides.

Now add the marinated mutton and keep stirring while the masala gets and the curd and the mutton all mix together.

Add salt ... remember there was salt in the marinade ... so add accordingly.

Keep koshaoing / bhuno ing till the whole thing loses that raw look, takes colour and starts to dry up.

Now add the potato pieces and transfer them to a pressure cooker.

Add water ... this will depend on how much gravy you want ... for 500 gms of mutton to have a thickish gravy you might need around 6 tea cups of water. Again depends on the size of the cup your are using.

Add the garam masala powder.

Close cooker and cook till 5 whistles on low heat.

The time of cooking again depends on the kind of mutton and the time used for marination.

If the mutton is tender, it will cook quickly. But 5 whistles should work well.

Remove cooker from heat and allow to cool.

Serve with steamed plain rice and salad on the side for that perfect Sunday lunch. 

Nothing more to say.

Just enjoy!!