Weekend special- spicy tasty mutton/ lamb curry

There are some normal weekends in our house where we do not do anything much fun, some weekends are fun weekends where we go out for long trips and some our special weekends.Those are the times when a husband wakes before his wife, prepares tea and waits for her to get up (not worrying up about the breakfast, he rarely gets it on weekends, his wife sleeps very late on weekends), the husband doesn't complain because he knows what he will eat in lunch will make up his bad mood!!!

So the wife gets up late, has her tea, goes to her husband and gives him a list of the places where she wants to go for shopping and will not spent a penny from her credit card (no groceries please!) and a hungry husband listens and nods with a smile!

Any guesses as who are the husband and wife? This is what happens on the weekends when we do not go out for our "long" trips! We make that weekend our special weekend.

The wife knows that the husband is waiting eagerly for the yummy mutton/ lamb curry, so ususally i (the smart wife) marinate the mutton overnight. I think if it's marinated for a long time, the spices taste better. However I know some amazing cooks who marinate only for an hour and some do not marinate at all and yet their mutton dishes taste fabulous. Meat is marinated basically for tenderizing and flavor enhancer. So it depends from cook to cook. I had once visited a friend on a surprise visit and her mother had cooked this amazing mutton curry without any marination.

To make mutton or lamb curry you need the following ingredients. I am giving you the details of the way I cook ,that is by marinating the meat.

Serving- 2 people

• 1 lb lamb,mutton
• salt-as required
• oil-6-8tsp
• whole cloves-2
• cinnamon stick-1
• bay leaves-2(if small if not then 1)
• ginger garlic paste -1tsp
• garam masala(you will get it from any Indian grocery store) 2tsp
• chili powder(depends how spicy you eat)-1tsp
• turmeric powder-1tsp
• chillies-5
• cumin powder-1.5tsp
• coriander powder-1.5tsp
• onions-2 medium chopped
• tomato-1 medium diced
• yogurt(not compulsory)-1tsp
• Biryani Masala(available at any indian grocery store)-3tsp
• pepper powder(not compulsory)-1/2 tsp
• coriander/cilantro/parsley for garnishing
• cumin powder-1.5tsp

Marination

• Marinate the meat with turmeric, ginger- garlic paste, garam masala, biryani masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder, salt and yogurt.
• Mix well and refrigerate
• Please note the spices which you are using for marination, use only 3/4 of the given quantity, the rest will be used for making gravy.

This recipe usually takes an hour to cook. I sometimes cook it in pressure cooker or a heavy lid pan.In a heavy lid pan, you can taste the salt consistency while cooking which is not possible in a pressure cooker. However cooking in pressure cooker sure does reduces time.

• Heat oil in pan
• Add bay leaves,cinnamon stick,cloves
• After 2 minutes(usually the leaves begin to sizzle by this time)
• Add onions and cook till they are golden brown.

• Add ginger garlic paste, jalapenos,pepper,salt and other spices.
• Add 1/4 cup water,cook till the water evaporates(medium flame)
• Add tomatoes and mutton or lamb now mix well,
• Keep adding water little by little,in this way the food does not stick(medium flame).
• Cook until the meat is done as per your liking and the curry thickness.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• If you are cooking it with a pressure cooker then turn off the gas after 3-4 whistles.
• Serve with steamed rice,chapatti.

My husband does not like cinnamon stick in his plate,so after the bay leaves start sizzling, i usually take out the cinnamon stick and the cloves after the meat is cooked. I don't like coriander leaves so my husband garnishes the dish with coriander leaves after I have taken my share.