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Showing posts with label Mutton Gravy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mutton Gravy. Show all posts

Wednesday, 19 December 2018

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):

Thursday, 8 March 2018

Awadhi Mutton Biryani


Photo and Recipe Courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

First of all, I want to thank all my readers for waiting so patiently for this wonderful recipe. Debarshi prepared this as a surprise treat for me almost two years back and he has been making improvements in the recipe ever since. Well, I think we have perfected it now and so, I decided to share it with everyone. Now let me tell you that this is a complicated recipe so take your time and plan it accordingly. There are quite a few steps so pay attention and have patience and believe me you will have a delicious homemade biryani better than any you have ever tasted.

Now before we move on to the recipe, let me tell you a little bit about the Biryani itself. Awadhi Mutton Biryani is indeed a dish fit to be served to the royals. This is not to be cooked in a haste so make sure to keep this reserved for exceptional soirées. Use a good quality basmati rice (which is a long grained aromatic rice) and good quality boneless meat (goat or lamb). Be generous with the spices and ghee which will bring that exotic flavor and aroma in the dish. Refer to my article on Mutton Gravy for the steps to prepare the meat. 


As I have written in my article: Achari Mutton, Indian cuisine is divided into many different categories, mainly on the region from which the dish originates. Today’s dish is from the Awadhi cuisine (Mughal inspired cuisine) of Lucknow. Hence you can understand why we will be using all those aromatic spices and ghee in such an amount for after all this Biryani was custom made for the royals. Well, we may not have the digestive strength to eat this high calorie food everyday or the time to prepare it at a moment’s notice but we can certainly enjoy it on special occasions. Biryani is soul food and should be prepared and enjoyed with friends and family or when you really want to impress someone special. Believe me when I say that ever since I have come to the U.S. there have been only a few places where I have been served authentic Biryani and it always made me sad. Well, not anymore! Now I can prepare this delicious Biryani whenever I want.



The final stage of the Biryani is called ‘Dum’ which means slow cooking over a low heat and this is where your oven comes handy. The al dente rice is layered with the fried onion and cooked mutton and then sprinkled with aromatic waters. I used Kewra and Rose Water along with Saffron to create that authentic fragrance and color. You can use an aluminum foil pan to cook the biryani, although it will get quite heavier with the rice and meat in it so I recommend using an oven safe baking dish. Cover the top with foil and seal it with dough. Then leave it in the oven for two hours and relax.
Biryani is a meal in itself so you don’t have to worry about preparing anything else with it. A side salad or plain yogurt raita are the ideal combinations. Follow the steps patiently and you will be rewarded with the most delicious and heavenly dish.
Bon Appetit!


Awadhi Mutton Biryani prepared by Debarshi

Tips:
  • Refer to my article on Mutton Gravy to know how to marinate and cook the mutton.
  • We usually get Royal Basmati rice. It is available at most Indian stores and Costco.




Ingredients:
For the biryani rice:
  • Rice – 2 cups
  • Ghee – 2 tablespoons
  • Canola or Vegetable Oil – 2 tablespoons
  • Cinnamon – 1 small stick
  • Green Cardamom – 3-4
  • Black Cardamom – 1-2
  • Dry Red Chilli – 3-4
  • Bay Leaf – 1 big
  • Cumin Seeds – 1 teaspoon
  • Star Anise – 2
  • Cloves – 4-5
  • Mace – 1 
  • Nutmeg – ¼ 
  • Whole Black Pepper – 5-6
  • Salt – to taste (about ½ teaspoon)


For the final Biryani:
  • Milk – ½ cup 
  • Turmeric Powder – a pinch + 2 pinches
  • Saffron – 2 pinches
  • Red Food Color – a pinch
  • Onions – ½ cup, julienned 
  • Oil – 1 cup (to fry the onions)
  • Potato – 1 large, peeled, washed and cut into medium size cubes
  • Salt – about 2 pinches
  • Kewra Water - 2 teaspoons
  • Rose Water - 2 teaspoons



Directions to cook the Rice:
  • Wash and soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes. 
  • Drain the water and keep it aside (use a sieve).
  • Heat a wok over high heat.
  • Add the Ghee and Oil in it.
  • Add the whole spices (Cinnamon, Green Cardamom, Black Cardamom,
  • Dry Red Chilli, Bay Leaf, Cumin Seeds, Star Anise, Cloves, Mace, Nutmeg and Whole Black Pepper) in the oil. 
  • Wait for a few seconds then add the rice.
  • Reduce the heat to medium and fry the rice gently and carefully. Use a rubber spatula. Fry till the color changes to golden. Make sure it is not burning.
  • Add 3 cups of water and Salt. Mix well.
  • Cover and cook till the rice is ¾ done. This is a very critical step so make sure to pay attention. It should be al dente. (I followed these steps: Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, Stir, cover and cook for 5 minutes more).
  • Fluff the rice then switch off the heat and place on the counter top. Keep it covered.


Let’s do some preparations for the final biryani:


  • Take 2 small bowls and add 2 tablespoons of Milk in each.
  • Place both of them in the microwave and heat for 40 seconds.
  • Mix a pinch each of Turmeric Powder and Saffron in one bowl. 
  • Mix a pinch each of Red Food Color and Saffron in the other bowl. Keep aside
  • Heat a wok over high heat.
  • Fry the julienned onions till brownish red in color and crisp. Keep aside.





  • Debarshi added Potato to add a Bengali touch. Season it with about 2 pinches each of Turmeric and Salt. 
  • Fry them in the Oil on high heat.
  • Press a piece with your spatula to check if the potatoes are cooked. Deep frying usually cooks it thoroughly.


Directions to prepare the Biryani:
  • In a baking pan (I used a 3-4-inch-deep and about 8 X 12-inch pan) spread half of the ¾th cooked rice evenly.



  • Spread the fried onion evenly on the rice layer.



  • Next spread the layer of mutton, potatoes and all the mutton gravy.



  • Finally, spread another layer of rice (use all the leftover rice).



  • Pour the colored milk (Turmeric milk and Red Colored Milk) in different places keeping some white rice areas (make a small hole using your finger and pour a teaspoon or two of colored milk in it, this will help the bottom layer to soak up the color too).
  • Now sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of milk on it along with the Kewra Water and Rose Water.
  • Cover well with a foil. 
  • Use some wheat dough to seal the foil and baking pan together. 
  • Preheat the oven to 300 F.
  • Bake for about 2 hours. You will know it is cooked because the whole house will smell like a Mughlai restaurant!
Enjoy!




Recommended Reading:

Mutton Gravy


To prepare this lip smacking Mutton Gravy, make sure to use a good quality boneless meat (goat or lamb). I highly recommend using my recipe of Garam Masala for this gravy because it will bring that exotic flavor and aroma in it.  Also, marinate the meat overnight (or up to two days), so that it develops that succulent taste. To prepare the gravy, sear the mutton pieces on high heat till the oil separates, then pressure cook. This will bring that juicy flavor in them. 

If you are making Awadhi Mutton Biryani, then proceed as it is. If you are serving this as a gravy then after cooking the meat as directed, add just a little water and adjust the Salt. Enjoy with Naan or Pulao.

Ingredients:
  • Garam Masala Powder – ½ teaspoon
  • Star Anise – 2
  • Goat or Lamb – 1 ½ pounds (preferably good boneless pieces), washed and cut into medium size pieces
  • Ginger – 1 inch
  • Garlic – 3 big fat cloves
  • Green Chili – 3-4
  • Turmeric Powder -  1 teaspoon
  • Red Chilli Powder - 1 teaspoon
  • Yogurt - 4-5 teaspoons
  • Salt – to taste (about ½ teaspoon)
  • Canola or Vegetable Oil – 2 tablespoons
  • Ghee – 2 tablespoons
  • Onion – ½ cup, finely chopped


Let’s marinate the meat:
  • Make a paste of Ginger, Garlic and Green Chili. You may use your Nutri Bullet (extractor blade).
  • Marinate with Garam Masala Powder, Star Anise, the above paste (of Ginger, Garlic and Green Chili), Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Yogurt and Salt. 
  • Mix well to coat all the pieces. 
  • Cover and refrigerate.


Tips:
  • You should plan this ahead. Once the meat gets time to soak up all the flavors, it will be juicy and packed with the essence of all the spices.
  • Try to marinate the meat overnight or up to 2 days. This is very important. Use a plastic or glass bowl (do not use a metal bowl for this step).


Directions to prepare the meat:
  • Bring the mutton to room temperature. I usually keep it outside the fridge for an hour and then cook it.
  • Heat a pressure cooker over high heat.
  • Add the Oil and Ghee in it. 
  • Add the Onion in it. Fry until golden brown in color. (Use food chopper to chop the onion evenly and finely).
  • Now start adding the mutton pieces in it (do not add the extra marinade at this step). The high heat will bring a beautiful sear on them. 
  • Once seared, add the rest of the marinade and cook on medium heat. We call this process ‘Mangsho Kosha’ in Bengali. It will take 15-20 minutes to cook the mutton properly. Keep stirring occasionally. (I cooked 5 minutes on medium high, then 5 minutes on medium and finally 5 minutes on low).
  • When you see the oil separating, add ½ cup water and increase the heat to medium (this will help to build the pressure quickly). Mix well.
  • Attach the lid and let the mutton cook thoroughly. Usually 2 whistles should be enough to cook it. Wait until the pressure drops and the lid can be opened easily.
  • Now if you are using this to prepare the Awadhi Mutton Biryani then check the consistency, it should be like thick gravy. If there is extra water, you may dry it a bit. If on the other hand, you are serving this as a Mutton gravy then you may add a little water (adjust the Salt as well). Serve with Naan or Pulao. 


Recommended Reading:

Doing Low Carb diet? Try these as well:

Saturday, 30 April 2016

Achari Mutton





Photo Courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

Lazy Sunday afternoon, Debarshi and I are sitting on the couch watching TV. We have just had a late brunch and the next meal will be an early dinner. Debarshi loves to cook on weekends so normally I don’t worry about it. 



The commercial break starts and we start discussing about our dinner options. I ask Debarshi if he has something in mind for dinner and pray in my heart, “Please suggest something”. He keeps quiet for a while then very lazily says “Mutton?” I am a bit relieved thinking to myself, ‘Ok Mutton is his area of expertise, he knows how long to marinade and cook’ but then he completes his sentence, “Honey, can you cook Mutton today? May be try some new recipe?”


Now, I have prepared Mutton only a few times, nevertheless I take on the challenge. I must confess, I was a little excited at getting the opportunity. I immediately take out the frozen mutton and dip it in cold water to thaw. Fun fact: it is always better to use cold water to thaw meat than hot as cold water keeps the taste intact. As per my calculations by the time I find a recipe the mutton will be thawed and ready to cook.

Next I take out my laptop and put my thinking cap on! Hmmm... what should I cook? Now Debarshi knows some awesome recipes like Kosha Mangsho and Karahi Gosht etc. but finding a new recipe is going to be difficult for me especially because I want to cook with my pantry ingredients. There are lots of Mughal recipes online with nuts and heavy cream but I want to try something new, and then, I found it!

As you know, Indian cuisine is divided into many different categories, mainly on the region from which the dish originates. Today’s dish is from the Awadhi cuisine (Mughal inspired cuisine) of Lucknow. It is prepared mostly during weddings with succulent pieces of meat dipped in a thick gravy and are paired with hot Tandoori Rotis or Naans straight from the Tandoor (clay oven). I may have had it numerous times but never thought of preparing it, till now.

The recipe I found was Achari Mutton, which means pickled mutton. For those who have never had any Achars (Indian pickles) before, let me tell you, they taste very different from the American pickles. Indian pickles are prepared with lots of spices in them like Onion Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, Fennel Seeds which we will be using for preparing this dish as well. This means that you will have to shop in the Indian store for a couple of spices which you may not have in your pantry. After using the spices store them in dry air-tight containers so that they can be used later for preparing other Indian dishes like Kalongi (Vegetables stuffed with spices).

Before cooking this dish I think it will be better for you to know the taste of Achars. The local Indian stores usually have a good variety of ready-made Achars available. I would suggest you to go there and select anything which appeals to you. This will help you to have an idea of the taste of Achari mutton. Achars are usually paired with Indian comfort food, like Bhat – Dal (rice and lentils), Khichuri (rice with vegetables gumbo) or Parathas (fried flat breads). You can pretty much pair them with any Indian dish to add some spice and flavors.

Although the list of spices may look overwhelming, the preparation is not too tough. The spices are first dry roasted and then grinded before mixing with the other ingredients. Word of caution, do not use yogurt as it will change the flavor. Indian pickles are usually spicy and tangy but you can tone down the spice level as per your taste. The original recipe says to prepare this with Goat meat but you can use lamb or even chicken to prepare this. I would recommend cooking in a deep wok with mustard oil. Do not pressure cook it as the flavor will differ greatly. Remember, the cooking technique is very important while preparing food because it determines not only the taste but the texture as well.

When I served this new dish before Debarshi, he was quite impressed and not only because he loves mutton but also because this dish is very different in taste than the other curries we prepare. I will share the Tandoori Roti and Naan recipes soon because they are a must with this dish.

“No one is born a great cook; one learns by doing”.



Ingredients: 
  • Cilantro – ½ Cup, Chopped 
  • Fenugreek Seeds – ¼ teaspoon 
  • Fennel Seeds - 1 teaspoon 
  • Cumin Seeds - ½ teaspoon 
  • Goat Meat/ Chicken – 1.5 to 2 pounds, washed and cut into 1 inch cubes 
  • Turmeric Powder - 1 teaspoon 
  • Red Chilies – 3, whole 
  • Red Chilli Powder – ¼ teaspoon 
  • Tomatoes – 4, Medium, chopped 
  • Cloves – 5 
  • Onion Seeds- 1 teaspoon 
  • Mustard Oil - 7 tablespoon 
  • Ginger - 2 tablespoon, chopped 
  • Onions – 4, Medium, chopped 
  • Salt – about ½ teaspoon 
  • Garlic - 1 tablespoon, chopped 
  • Mustard Seeds - 1 teaspoon 

Directions:
  • Roast the whole spices (Fenugreek Seeds, Fennel Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Red Chilies, Cloves, Onion Seeds and Mustard Seeds) 
  • Cool the spices a bit then grind them coarsely. 
  • Heat the wok on high heat, pour the Mustard Oil in it, when the oil begins to smoke, reduce the heat to medium low so that it cools off. This is done to remove the pungent taste and smell of the Mustard Oil 
  • Stir fry the Onions till they are brown in color. 
  • Mix in the chopped Ginger- Garlic and fry well 
  • Now mix in the coarsely grounded Masala powder. 
  • Keep it stirring for about half a minute so that the masala mixes well with the Onions. 
  • Increase the heat to medium high and add the mutton pieces. 
  • Fry the mutton till it is reddish brown in color. 
  • Add the Tomatoes, Turmeric powder, Red Chilli powder and Salt and mix well. 
  • Reduce the heat to medium low and keep frying this till you can see the oil leaving the masala, stirring it occasionally. 
  • Once the masala is cooked, add about 2 ½ cups of water, increase the heat to high, bring it to a boil and cover. 
  • Reduce the heat to low, cover and let the mutton cook. Keep stirring it every 10 minutes. 
  • It will take about 30-45 minutes to cook. Taste to check the Salt 
  • Garnish with Cilantro. 
  • Serve with Naan or Tandoori Rotis. 

Tip:
  • If you are not able to find Mustard Oil or find the ‘Heating The Oil to Smoking Point’ step too hard, you can always use Canola Oil. You can also use half Mustard Oil and half Canola Oil. This way also you don’t have to heat it to the smoking point. Remember Mustard Oil has a pungent smell and if not heated properly it will retain its smell and taste. Do not forget to cool the oil before adding Onions in it. 


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