Name: Dhaba Style Mutton Curry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 160 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 250 g Goat Meat, curry cut, bone-in; 1 tbsp Indian-Style Yogurt, for marination; 2 Onion, finely sliced, generates the bulk of the gravy; 1 Tomato, pureed; 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste; 2 tbsp Mustard Oil, mandatory for authentic Dhaba pungency; 1 Indian Bay Leaf; ½ Cinnamon Sticks, 2 inch stick; ¾ tbsp Meat Masala, any good quality ready-made blend; ½ tbsp Kashmiri Chili Powder; ½ tbsp Ground Coriander; ½ tsp Ground Turmeric, half for marination, half for gravy; 1 cup Water, hot; ¾ tsp Salt

2 hr 40 mintotal

1 hr 40 min hands-on1 hr hands-off

Prep 10 min · Cook 1 hr 30 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Hard
Spice: Spicy

Add to your week

Method

Marinate the mutton pieces with curd, a portion of the turmeric, and a little salt for at least 1 hour.
1 hr
Heat mustard oil in a heavy-bottomed pressure cooker until it smokes, then reduce the heat. Add bay leaves and cinnamon, letting them flavor the oil for a few seconds.
Add the sliced onions. Fry them patiently on medium heat for 12-15 minutes until they are a deep, dark caramelized brown. This is the foundation of the gravy.
12–15 min
Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 2 minutes.
2 min
Add the marinated mutton. Increase the heat to medium-high and 'Bhunao' (roast) the meat vigorously with the onions for 10-12 minutes until the meat is browned and sealed.
10–12 min
Lower the heat. Add tomato puree, the remaining turmeric, coriander powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, and the Meat Masala. Roast for another 5 minutes until oil visibly separates.
5 min
Pour in the hot water and adjust salt. Close the pressure cooker and cook for 5-6 whistles (or until the mutton is completely tender and falling off the bone).
Let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid—a thick layer of red, spicy oil (tari) should be floating on top. Serve hot.

How to tell it's done

Incredibly tender, melt-in-the-mouth meat blanketed in a robust, deeply browned, fiery, and oily onion gravy (tari).

Getting it right

Tip

Never add cold water to the roasting mutton to make the gravy; the sudden temperature drop tightens the meat fibers, making it chewy. Always use boiling hot water.

What to serve it with

Best enjoyed at a roadside charpoy (or your dining table) with thick Tandoori Roti, raw onion rings, and a wedge of lemon.

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Ingredients