Kasha Mangsho / Mutton Kasha / Bengali Style Dry Mutton Curry

Kosha Mangsho is a special Bengal delicacy. Whereas a Mangshor Jhol is a noon dish, preferable to go with rice the Kosha Mangsho is a dinner dish, preferably to go with roti or parathas or luchi (puri). We used to have Kasha Mangsho whenever we had guests in our house. Juicy mutton pieces cooked in rich yogurt sauce makes this dish all the more delicious and tempting. And its perfect if you are hosting a party or gathering.

I have posted another recipe of Kasha Mangsho here. I had done this with Chicken. But traditionally Kasha Mangsho belongs to mutton category. It is also for the reason that eating chicken was once looked upon as a taboo in Bengali Culture. Rich and aristocrat Bengalis, Brahmin households, where meat and fish was allowed, used to eat only mutton. Kasha Mangsho is a dish that never fails to impress anyone. Whenever there is an occasion, a picnic, a get together or just an event that calls for a celebration, a typical Bengali choice always calls for Kasha Mangsho. Bengalis' love affair with Kasha Mangsho does not end here, even in the Biyebari menu you will still see Kasha Mangsho. Accompanied with Fried Rice or Biriyani, Kasha Mangsho rocks.

Generally Kasha Mangsho is a rare visitor in my kitchen because of its richness and oiliness. But whenever there is a gathering my husbands favorite dish is Kasha Mangsho. In Bengal Goat meat is staple for making this dish. However you can always opt for chicken and lamb. It becomes a mouth smacking dish with Khasir Mangsho i.e. castrated goat meat.

Kosha Mangsho / Mutton Kosha / Bengali Style Dry Mutton Curry
Serves 6-7

Ingredients:

• 1 kg Mutton (You can use Lamb also. Try to find meat of rich quality and which contains enough fat in it.)
• 3 medium potatoes - halved
• 3 medium onions - sliced
• 3 medium tomatoes - chopped
• 8 fat cloves of garlic - paste
• 2 and 1/2 inch stick of ginger - paste
• 2 cups of Greek yogurt (if using normal yogurt, strain the excess water from it)
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1and 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
• 2-3 tbsp red chili powder (reduce the amount if you don't want so much heat in your dish )
• 2 tbsp cumin powder
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tbsp green chili paste
• 5-6 green cardamom
• 2 black cardamom
• 3 inch cinnamon stick
• 5 cloves
• 2 large bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp caraway seeds / shahi zeera
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
• 1/2 cup mustard oil
• 1 tbsp ghee

Method:

• Marinate the mutton with half of the mustard oil, yogurt, ginger - garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, green chili paste, salt and lime juice, for at least 3-4 hours, preferably in the fridge. Overnight works best.
• Fry the onion till they are golden brown. Do not make them black, it will give a bitter taste to the dish. Once they are fried, keep them aside and let them come to room temperature.
• Mix the potatoes with a little salt and turmeric powder. And fry them in the same oil, in which you fried onions. Once the sides are golden brown put them out of the pan and keep aside.
• Once the meat is marinated enough, take them out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature.
• Heat oil in a pan. Pressure cooker works best for this. Otherwise it takes almost 2 to 2 and 1/2 hours to fully cook the dish, which is just too much. 
• Once the oil is hot enough, add the shahi zeera, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves and bay leaf. Sauté for some seconds, or until the oil becomes fragrant.
• Add the tomatoes and sauté until they become mushy. Once they are done add the fried onions and sauté for some seconds.
• Now add the meat pieces, shaking off the excess marination paste and sauté until the meat changes its color. At this point add the excess marination paste that you have kept aside. Mix evenly, cover and let them cook for 7-9 minutes. After 7-9 minutes, when the gravy starts bubbling, add water (if using) and put it on pressure.
• You will see the water level slowly increasing, as the yogurt and meat pieces will release lots of water from themselves Do not add water. If you are using large amount of mutton, you will not need water. But if you are cooking small amount of water, add 2 some water and put it on pressure. As for me,with 1kg mutton, I used 2 cups of water. Otherwise there are chances that the gravy may burn while it is on pressure. Also add the potatoes before putting it on pressure.
• If you are slow cooking then put cover and let them cook until the meat is totally done. Stir in between, so that the meat and gravy do not stick to the button. If the gravy tends to dry, then add little water.
• Cook until the cooker blows 15-17 whistles. The entire cooking process should be done on low flame. Once the steam gets out of the cooker, open the lid and put the cooker on medium flame.(the lid should be open now).
• Add garam masala powder and nutmeg powder and simmer until the gravy becomes thick. For Kasha Mangsho, the gravy should be thick and sticking to the meat pieces, The mutton kosha is not a liquid / curry dish. Its rather a very dry dish, with oil floating on top of it. So, give it that time, so that the water that we have added evaporates and the yogurt can work to make a smooth and dry gravy. This generally takes 30-40 minutes of simmering.
• Once done, add a little ghee and cover the lid, until serving.