Name: Champaran Mutton Handi
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 375 g Goat Meat, with bone and some fat; 250 g Onion, thinly sliced; 2 Garlic, whole bulbs, unpeeled; 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste; ¼ cup Mustard Oil, heated until smoking, then cooled completely; 2 Dried Red Chili Peppers; 2 Indian Bay Leaf; 1 tbsp Ground Coriander; ½ tsp Ground Turmeric; ¾ tbsp Red Chilli Powder; ½ tbsp Garam Masala; ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds; 1 tsp Salt, to taste

2 hr 30 mintotal

2 hr hands-on30 min hands-off

Prep 30 min · Cook 1 hr 30 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Spicy

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Method

In a capacious mixing bowl, combine the mutton pieces, sliced onions, ginger-garlic paste, coriander powder, turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala, black pepper, cumin seeds, bay leaves, dry red chillies, and salt.
Heat the mustard oil, let it cool, then pour it over the mixture. Work everything together with your hands for 5 minutes, which tenderises the meat and carries the flavour in.
5 min
Select a clean, seasoned earthen pot (Handi). Transfer the entire marinated mixture directly into it. Submerge the whole, washed, unpeeled garlic bulbs deep within the meat mixture.
Hermetically seal the mouth of the Handi using a snug lid and fresh wheat dough (atta) to establish a perfect Dum cooking environment, ensuring zero steam escapes.
Mount the Handi on a traditional charcoal fire or place it on the lowest conceivable heat setting of a gas stove. Allow it to cook entirely undisturbed for 60 to 75 minutes.
1 hr–1 hr 15 min
Every 15 minutes, grasp the sealed pot with a thick protective cloth and gently swirl it in a circular motion to prevent any scorching at the base. Under no circumstances should the seal be broken.
15 min
Once the cooking duration is complete, extinguish the heat and permit the Handi to rest majestically for 15 minutes prior to cracking the dough seal.
15 min
Stir the intensely aromatic, dark, robust gravy from the bottom up. Encourage diners to squeeze the sweet, softened roasted garlic cloves directly into their bites.

How to tell it's done

Utterly tender meat in a thick, dark, sweet-and-spicy onion-based masala, flavored heavily with mustard oil and roasted garlic.

Getting it right

Tip

The sheer brilliance of this dish relies on the raw pungency of mustard oil and the magic of whole garlic bulbs slow-cooking in their own enclosed steam. Absolutely no water is required; the onions naturally weep sufficient moisture.

What to serve it with

An unparalleled rustic masterpiece best consumed directly with hot Phulkas, traditional Litti, or simple steamed rice.

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Ingredients