Mutton Rezala (Bengali recipe: Tender Meat in Cashew Poppy Seed sauce)

The first time I had Rezala was right after I came to the U.S. Some of Debarshi’s friends were coming over to watch the Alabama game together and meet me. Debarshi was cooking the main course and he asked me if I wanted to prepare some finger foods for the party. I think it was really sweet of him to do most of the cooking himself. You see I was jet lagged and very tired. This gave me an opportunity to feel involved without fretting over anything. I prepared some Pyaz ke Pakore (Onion fritters) and Bread Pakore (Bread slices stuffed with spicy potato, dipped in Gram flour and deep fried) as finger food. We all had a jolly time that evening. Alabama won and we started our dinner. Mind you, I wasn’t that fond of eating goat meat back then. However, when I tasted the Rezala, I was completely blown away! It was so good! and not only the Rezala, everything he cooked tasted amazing.

Now you must be thinking, what is this dish? Let me tell you all about it. Rezala is a gravy prepared with a paste of cashews and poppy seeds. It is quite rich and goes very well with plain Pulao. The addition of Kewra water makes it very aromatic while the cream makes it mild. You can of course make it a bit hot by adding more peppercorns or red chili powder. Rezala is a white curry, so do not add any turmeric or tomato in it. The red color in the photo is due to the goat meat in the gravy. If you prepare Chicken Rezala the gravy will look white.

Rezala sauce is a mixture of yogurt (tang) and cream (sweet) and the flavor is beautifully balanced with the help of spices and cashews. Debarshi prefers a thick sauce which I have to admit tastes amazing! I have had Rezala only a couple of times (because it is so rich!) but I absolutely love it.

The only reason, I have not been able to take the recipe from him earlier is because, he always prepares this as a surprise. However, this year when I planned the thanksgiving menu, he said, ‘Fruitcake and puff pastry sounds really good but a man needs his meat!’  and then after a while he said, ‘I will make Mutton Rezala.’

This time Debarshi cooked the Rezala in the Dutch oven and it turned out really good. Now if you don’t have a Dutch oven at home, you can just use any non stick pot. Mutton needs some time to cook through and be tender so the cooking pan/ pot/ wok should be of good quality. This will prevent the curry from sticking or burning.

After seeing the list of ingredients and the directions, you may think that Chicken Rezala sounds easier, however, Mutton Rezala is tastier. The meat is slow cooked along with the sauce which helps to infuse the flavors even more. Since mutton takes longer time to cook through, the sauce gets more flavorful. This dish is unlike anything you have ever tasted before. I read somewhere that the dish was invented by the Royal Chefs of Bengal so hats off to you. It does taste like a royal treat.

Whether you are serving this dish to someone special or as a main course in a get together party, it is bound to impress everyone. The Nutmeg and Mace along with the peppercorns, cashews and poppy seeds create an exotic aroma in the dish. Plus, the whole process of slow cooking is simply breathtaking. You may not like frying the onions, but when the meat starts cooking along with the sauce, it smells really good. In fact, by the time it gets ready, you will feel super hungry with the beautiful fragrance filling up your senses. This dish is so creamy and delicious that you are bound to take an extra serving. I love it with plain Pulao but I am sure it will taste amazing with roti or naan as well.

Since both Debarshi and I love hot foods, we prefer to add a little red chili powder for that extra heat. You can of course skip it or just add white peppercorns. This will also help to maintain the white color of the sauce.

Whether you choose to prepare Rezala with mutton or chicken is totally your choice. Just don’t forget to marinate the meat overnight. This will help to tenderize it while adding all the delicious flavors. Do not skip the Kewra water because it is one of the most important ingredients of this dish.

Bon Appetit!

Photo and Recipe Courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

Ingredients:

• Goat Meat (mutton) – 1 pound, cut into big cubes
• Yogurt – 1 cup
• Heavy Cream – ½ cup
• Poppy Seeds – 2 tablespoons
• Cashew Nuts – 2 tablespoons
• White Peppercorn Powder – 1 tablespoon
• Sugar – 1 teaspoon
• Ghee – 2 tablespoons
• Ginger -1 tablespoon
• Garlic - 2 tablespoons
• Onion – 1 large, grated
• Dried Red Chili – 8 whole
• Cloves – 3-4
• Green Cardamom – 3-4
• Cinnamon – 2 sticks
• Kewra water – 1 – 2 teaspoons
• Salt – to taste (about ½ teaspoon)
• Nutmeg – ¼ teaspoon
• Mace – ½ teaspoon

Tips: 

• If you don’t have White Peppercorn Powder at home, you can use Green Chili paste.
• You can also add ½ teaspoon of Red Chili Powder for more heat.

If you are making Chicken Rezala:

• Use 8 pieces of Chicken on the bone. Make sure to remove the skin.
• Do not add Garlic

Marination:

• Take a big plastic/ glass bowl.
• Whisk the Yogurt in it along with the Peppercorn powder, Salt, Sugar and half of Kewra water.
• Next add the Nutmeg, Mace and Red Chili Powder (if using).
• Wash and clean the mutton pieces. 
• Pat them dry and place them in the bowl.
• Soak the Cashew and Poppy Seeds in warm water for 10 minutes.
• Make a paste of Cashew and Poppy seeds with the Ginger and Garlic (optional: Green Chili). You can use your Nutri Bullet for this.
• Mix everything well.
• Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Directions:

• Before cooking, bring the mutton to room temperature.
• Heat a non stick pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat.
• Add Ghee in it and as soon as it melts add all the whole spices (Dried Red Chili, Cloves, Green Cardamom and Cinnamon) in it.
• After about 30 seconds, add the grated Onion (you can use your Food Chopper for this). Fry till it turns golden in color.
• Remove the mutton pieces from the marinade, and shake off excess. Add the mutton pieces in the Dutch oven. Do not throw out the remaining marinade, we will add it later.
• Stir to mix and fry the mutton pieces for 10-15 minutes.
• When the mutton will change color and look fried, add the reserved marinade to it.
• Now you have to fry everything till ghee starts separating. 
• Add the Heavy Cream in it.
• Turn down the heat to low. Cover and cook for about two hours stirring occasionally.
• Remove the cover and check the consistency of the sauce. The sauce should be thick with a layer of ghee floating on it.
• Break a small piece of the mutton and eat it. This will help you to know if the mutton has cooked through.
• Adjust the Salt.
• Add the remaining Kewra water
• Serve hot with Roti or Pulao.

Recommended reading (some more recipes with Goat meat):

• Achari Mutton
• Mangshor Jhol (Bengali Style Mutton Curry)
• Mutton Gravy
• Mughlai Mutton Stew
• Goat Dhansak (Mutton with Red Lentils)
• Goat Stew with White Wine
• Kosha Mangsho (Bengali dish: Slow cooked aromatic Mutton gravy)
• Jhinge Alu Posto (Ridge Gourd and Potatoes With Poppy Seeds)
• Papa’s Kosha Mangsho (Grandpa’s Special Goat Curry)
• Keema Matar (Minced Goat meat/ Beef with dried Peas)
• Hariyali Ghosht - Herbed Goat Curry
• Kashmiri Rogan Josh (Slow cooked mutton in red curry)