The fiery red mutton curry from the royal kitchens of Rajasthan
Rajasthani Laal Maans is a tasty meat curry from the Rajasthan, India. A favourite in royal kitchens, the maans or meat use to be the game meat, the dish was cooked after the hunt and a since very few masalas were carried along, and tomatoes and other vegetables are not native to this land of desert, the fresh game meat was cooked in dried red chilies and whole spices. Simmered for long hours while the flavors intermingled. The recipe uses red chilies but you can reduce the heat by substituting the Rajasthani fiery red chilies with the less hot Kashmiri red chili (remember to deseed) and reducing the quantity of red chilies used. The beautiful red colour of the curry is due to whole red chilies.
Tip
Traditionally instead of curd a fruit called Kachari, a wild variety of cucumber that resembles a brown-yellow Mellon, is used which not only tenderizes the meat but also gives a tang to the dish, but since it’s available only in some parts of India (Madhya pradesh and Rajasthan) you can use sour curd and get the same taste. You can buy Kachari on ebay.
Laal maans
This is a meat curry from Rajasthan, India. It is a mutton curry prepared in a sauce of curd and hot spices such as red chilies. This dish typically is very hot and rich in garlic, the gravy may be thick or liquid and is eaten with chapatis made out of wheat (usually eaten in summers) or bajra (a millet grown in Rajasthan and eaten in the winter months). Traditionally, laal maas was made with wild game meat, such as boar or deer and chillies were used to veil the gamy odour of the meat. It was a favourite among the royalties. While the spicy flavour is remained intact now, the meat used is tender mutton. Source: Wikipedia
Ingredients
- Mutton 1 kg (with bones)
- Onions 4 finely chopped
- Dried Red Chile 10 (deseed if you want it less fiery)
- Coriander Seeds 3 Tbsp
- Cumin 2 Tbsp
- Garlic 3 Tbsp crushed
- Ginger 2 Tbsp grated
- Curds 1/2 Cup (should be sour)
- Mustard oil 1 cup
- Salt to taste
- Cardamom 5 pods
- Black pepper 1 Tbsp
- Mace 3-4 strands
- Black Cardamom 2 pods
- Cinnamon sticks 1"
- Fresh Coriander - chopped for garnish
- Dried Red Chile 2-3 whole for garnish
Method
Step 1
Dry roast 10 whole red chillies, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Once roasted grind them together to make a fine powder.
Step 2
Heat most of the mustard oil in a pressure pan, after it smokes reduce the heat and add garlic and ginger. Fry for a few seconds and add the mutton.
Step 3
After the mutton browns, add salt and curd and keep frying till all the curd gets absorbed and the oil starts leaving the sides.
Step 4
While the mutton is browning, in a separate pan, heat the remaining mustard oil, add cardamoms, cinnamon, whole pepper, and mace. Stir for a few seconds and add the onions and fry till they brown.
Step 5
After the mutton has browned, and all the water has evaporated, add the red chilly, coriander, cumin powder mix to it and fry till it becomes fragrant. Add the browned onions and keep frying for about 2-4 minutes on low heat.
Step 6
Add about 2 cups of water, shut the lid of the pressure pan and allow the mutton to cook for about 20 minutes after the first whistle. Turn off the gas and allow the pressure to drop on it's own
Step 7
Open the pressure pan, carefully remove the mutton pieces and keep aside. Strain the gravy and remove the khada masala (cardamoms, peppercorns, cinnamon stick). Run the thick paste through the mixer and strain it further. Straining the gravy this way gets rid of the whole spices and keeps all the flavors intact.
Step 8
Put the pressure pan back on the stove, add the mutton pieces and the strained gravy to it. Taste for salt and adjust. Allow the mutton to cook on low heat till it becomes very tender. Adjust the consistency of the gravy by adding warm water if needed.
Step 9
After the mutton is cooked, remove the mutton and the red gravy in a bowl, garnish with chopped coriander and whole red chilies and serve hot.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Rajasthani Laal Maans with Hot Bajra Roti or Hot phulkas. It also tastes good with steamed rice.
[mc4wp_form]
