Nepali Mutton Curry~Khasi Ko Masu

Nepal...our friendly neighboring country is full of delicious surprises. Their cuisine is a lot more than just momos and soups. I was searching for authentic momo recipes when I came across their very own Khasi Ko Masu, which is nothing but a fiery and very traditional goat meat curry. I used lamb, because that is what I get here normally...and you can see from the pictures the curry looks fantastic!!

I have used yogurt but the traditional recipe does not use any such. Use very good quality meat, with a generous amount of fat content and the curry will be lush. Trust me.

Marinate the mutton with yogurt, salt and ginger-garlic paste.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add cinnamon stick, dry red chillies, black peppercorns, bay leaves, green cardamoms and cloves. Saute for a minute.

Add onions and sprinkle some salt over them.

Fry the onions until golden brown.

Add the marinated mutton.

Cook the mutton until they change colour and then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and ground raw cumin and coriander seeds.

Cook the mutton until all the moisture evaporates.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they become mushy and get totally mixed up with the curry.

Add some salt and water and cook on pressure until the cooker blows 6-8 whistles. (I sneaked in 1 potato because my hubby loves potatoes in mutton curry.)

Simmer till the curry thickens and add the meat masala / garam masala powder.

Simmer for another 3-4 minutes or until the oil starts to float on top of the curry. End with a generous amount of coriander leaves.

Nepali Mutton Curry~Khasi Ko Masu

Serves 5

Ingredients:

1 kg mutton / lamb (boneless or on-bone)

2 onions – sliced

½ cup thick yogurt (optional)

2 tomatoes – chopped

8 fat cloves of garlic – paste

1 inch ginger – paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp ground cumin and coriander seeds

3 dry red chillies

2 medium bay leaves

1 medium cinnamon stick

3 green cardamoms

3 cloves

5-6 whole black peppercorns

1 and ½ tsp fresh homemade garam masala powder / meat masala

A handful of fresh coriander leaves

Salt

½ cup white oil

Method:

Marinate the chicken with whisked yogurt, salt and ginger – garlic paste, for 1 hour.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, green cardamoms, cloves, black peppercorns and dry red chillies.

Sauté them for some seconds or until the oil becomes aromatic and then add the sliced onions to them.

Stir and cook the onions until they become nicely golden brown. Do not overcook and make them black. That will make the curry bitter.

When the onions are prepared add the marinated mutton to them.

Cook the mutton pieces until they change their colour and then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, ground cumin and coriander seeds.

Mix well and cook until all the moisture is evaporated.

Add tomatoes and cook again for 10 minutes more or until all the tomatoes has disintegrated totally.

Give a good stir and some salt.

Pour 2 and ½ cups of water and stir to mix everything.

Put cover and cook on pressure until the cooker blows 6-8 whistles.

Switch off the flame and let the pressure vent out naturally.

After the cooker has release all the pressure open the lid and put the flame on medium.

Simmer until the gravy thickens and then add the meat masala or garam masala.

Mix them well and simmer for 3-4 minutes more or until the oil starts to float on top of the curry.

Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves on top of them and serve hot with rice / chapatti.