Kosha Mangsho (Bengali dish: Slow cooked aromatic Mutton gravy)

First the update on my pregnancy. I am now at week 26. We came to know that we are going to have a baby girl and we are so happy about it. I have started feeling the baby move inside my belly and it is a superb experience. I have also been following a more planned schedule to better manage my time because believe it or not all those stories are true. Although you do gain back a lot of your energy in the second trimester, you also start becoming clumsy, forgetful and at times just plain irritated. Things keep falling out of my hands and every time I have to bend down to pick up something it is not an easy task anymore. So, once Debarshi leaves for office, it is a very tight schedule for me. I clean, cook, read, work on my blog and go out for interval walks. It may sound hectic but I am loving this. I have planned all my pending tasks so that I can finish them on time before the little one comes and takes all my time and attention.

So, without further ado, let me share today’s recipe – Kosha Mangsho. I think I have mentioned this dish several times ever since I started this blog (which is almost 4 years now). If you are wondering why I took all this time to upload the recipe, you may already know the answer. In our home Debarshi is the one who cooks mutton and every time he keeps on improvising the recipe. I finally got the recipe from his mom while she was visiting us and now I am ready to share this lip-smacking dish with you.

Kosha (slow cooked) Mangsho (mutton) is an authentic Bengali dish. This is not the typical light curry (Mangshor Jhol) which is usually prepared for Sunday lunch. The gravy is smooth and thick, a little high on the spices and the meat is juicy. This iconic Bengali delicacy goes best with Luchi/ Paratha/ Rice or Pulao. This dish is prepared by slow cooking the mutton with the gravy over low flame for a long time so make sure to plan ahead. Give proper time for marination so that the mutton absorbs all the delicious flavors from the spices. Then cook with patience till the gravy turns rich and dark brown in color. At this time the mutton will be perfectly cooked with a melt-in-the mouth texture and beaming flavors. Make sure to use a good quality non-stick wok or pot. Dutch oven is the best option because it provides even heat for slow cooking. This dish tastes even better the next day so if you have leftovers hurray!

As you know Bengali cooking uses quite a few different staple ingredients. One of these is mustard oil. We just love the pungent taste and aroma of this rustic oil. Of course Mustard oil has several health benefits as well. It is made from pressing the seeds of mustard plant to produce a spicy oil. Mustard oil is full of Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) which is very essential for our health. It's good for the heart, lightens skin, helps in hair growth and prevents premature graying of hair. We will be using a combination of mustard oil, canola oil and ghee for this recipe which will create that unique flavor in the dish.

This dish may be a little hot and spicy for those who are not very adventurous with their food. However, I think it will be wrong to assume that only Bengalis or Indians eat hot and spicy foods. I have quite a few American friends who enjoy nice bold flavors in their meals. Now goat meat may be a preferable choice of meat for Indians but you can also try this with lamb. Make sure to cook extra if you are having guests over so that you can have some leftover for the next day. This dish does look like a red hot lava with chunks of juicy meat in it. The Garam Masala, chili and mustard oil create a unique heat and kick in it. A bowl of hot Kosha Mangsho with Luchi or Paratha is bound to bring tears of joy for the foodies. If you want to impress someone with a grand meal, it doesn’t get any better than this. In fact, the end result makes laboring in the kitchen for all those extra hours worth it. Then fry some phulko Luchi and dunk it in this goodness and enjoy!

The beauty of this recipe is, you can pressure cook/ slow cook according to your preference. Just make sure not to skip the Kosha stage that is, when you are frying the meat for a long time over low heat. It allows not only the spices to cook and release their aroma but also create that dark brown color in the gravy developing the flavors even more. In our home, we plan ahead for these special dishes. So, if we want to have Kosha Mangsho for dinner, Debarshi would start around noon and give it 3-4 hours so that it can properly cook through. The result, finger licking good gravy with spicy, hearty pieces of juicy meat.

Try this recipe then post your comments and photos using #lifewithoutalu

Ingredients:

• Mutton (Goat Meat) – 2 pounds, cut and washed
• Ginger – 1 inch
• Garlic – 4 big cloves
• Green Chilies – 2-4
• Yogurt – 1 cup
• Turmeric powder – about 2 teaspoons
• Salt – to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
• Coriander powder -  1 teaspoon
• Red Chili Powder – ½ teaspoon
• Sugar - 1 teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon
• Onion – 2 cups, finely sliced
• Ghee – 6 tablespoons
• Garam Masala – ½ teaspoon
• Methi – 1 teaspoon
• Mustard Oil – 3 tablespoons
• Bay leaves – 2
• Green Cardamom – 3
• Star Anise – 2
• Black Cardamom – 2
• Mace – 2-3 blades
• Cloves – 4
• Red Pepper Pods – 2- 3
• Canola Oil – 3 tablespoons
• Nutmeg – freshly grated (about ¼ teaspoon)
• Cashew – a handful

Marination:

• Wash the mutton well. Check properly to remove any hair. Drain and pat dry before adding in the marinade.
• In a skillet or pot, add 2 tablespoons of ghee and fry the sliced onions till they are brown and crispy. Keep it aside.
• Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Dry roast the Methi and grind to a fine powder. 
• Make a paste of Ginger, Garlic and Green Chili. 
• Whisk the Yogurt and add the Turmeric, Salt, Coriander Powder, Red Chili Powder, Sugar, Onion (fried above), Garam Masala, Methi Powder and Mustard Oil in it. Whisk to mix.
• Add the mutton in the marinade and mix.
• Marinate for 4-5 hours or overnight.

Tip: I use my Nutri bullet to grind the Methi and make the paste.
Recommended Reading: Handling Raw Meat with Safety

• Bring the marinated meat to room temperature.
• In a big pressure cooker/ non-stick pot/ Dutch oven, heat the canola oil and ghee (2 tablespoons) over medium heat.
• Add all the whole spices (Bay Leafs, Green Cardamom, Star Anise, Black Cardamom, Mace, Cloves and Red Pepper Pods).
• Add the meat with the marinade in the pot and increase the heat to medium-high. Stir to mix.
• The marinade will spit, so cover and cook, stirring occasionally. If it starts to stick, lower the heat so that the water of the meat and marinade can help unstick the spices.
• Cover and continue cooking till the color changes to deep red and the water reduces.

• Now lower the heat to medium low and continue cooking without covering.
• Add the Nutmeg.
• Adjust the Salt and Sugar (¼ teaspoon if required).
• Add 1 ½ cups of warm water and stir to mix. If you are cooking in a pressure cooker, 2 whistles on medium heat should cook the meat thoroughly. If you are cooking in a Dutch Oven or pot it may take up to 2 hours for the meat to cook thoroughly. Make sure to cover and cook over low heat.

• In a skillet or pan, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee over medium low heat. Fry the Cashews till they are pink in color.
• Once the pressure drops, add the cashews, mix and heat over low heat. Tip: If cooking in Dutch Oven, break a small piece of the mutton and eat it. This will help you to know if the mutton has cooked through.
• Serve hot with Luchi/ Plain Paratha, Lachha Paratha or Pulao and enjoy.

Love Goat meat? Try these recipes as well:

• Goat Dhansak (Mutton with Red Lentils)
• Mughlai Mutton Stew
• Mutton Rezala (Bengali recipe: Tender Meat in Cashew Poppy Seed sauce)
• Mughlai Kabab
• Mutton Gravy
• Mangshor Jhol (Bengali Style Mutton Curry)
• Achari Mutton
• Goat Stew with White Wine
• 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)