Mughlai Mutton Malai / Mughlai Mutton

Even sometimes back for the meat dish all I knew was Chicken Kosha / Mutton Kosha ...and even if I had some other chicken dishes all of them used to taste the same. But still now my aunt cooks the best chicken kosha in this world. However in the urge to have some variety in the chicken I looked for Mughlai dishes. Its like the tiger having the first taste of human flesh and blood. Its soo addictive that after only one dish all you will want is more of them. Mughlai cuisine has some distinctive features from all other cuisine. They use ghee/clarified butter solely in cooking. This is the main feature that puts them in a special corner than others. Then there is saffron and cashew paste...used widely in many dishes.

Mughlai Mutton is one of the simpler dishes that I have cooked till now. So...lets cook!

Mughlai Mutton
Serves 3

Ingredients :

• 500 gm mutton/lamb (I used lamb)
• 1 and 1/2 onion - fried
• 2 green chili - chopped
• 1/2 cup - heavy cooking crème / malai
• 1/2 cup - beaten yogurt
• 1/2 cup - cashew paste/powder
• 2 tbsp. lime juice
• 3tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• a pinch of red chili powder
• 2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tsp allspice
• 2 tbsp. kewra water
• 1 small bunch of mint leaves - chopped
• salt
• a pinch of saffron - optional
• 1 cup ghee or clarified butter / if you are not comfortable with this much ghee, go for oil or just mix 1 tbsp. ghee l with the oil

Method:

• Prepare ahead of time because this recipe needs time..and lots of it.
• Marinate the mutton with fried onion, ginger - garlic paste, lime juice, beaten yogurt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, salt and allspice.
• Put the marinated mutton in the fridge for at least 1 hour. 2-3 hours will be great.
• After the mutton has been marinated for a long time take kadai and heat ghee/clarified butter in it.
• Put in the mutton with the marinating mixture and fry for 10-15 minutes or until the meat has started being tender and started to ooze out oil.
• With lamb/mutton I always cook in the pressure cooker, so I add a little water and put the dish on pressure until it blows 15-20 whistles. You can obviously slow cook if you want.
• After that I let the steam out of the cooker and open the lid of the cooker.
• Now add cashew paste or powder, kewra water and cooking crème and let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes or until the water has evaporated much making a thick gravy of it.
• Now add chopped mint leaves and simmer for another 5-7 minutes.
• Put off the flame and serve hot garnishing with some crème / cashew powder / mint leaves. The choice is yours.:)