Mutton Curry

Today I stumbled upon the fact that what should I write on my blog post. It should not be a memoir of my life in Kolkata as usual...I want to include little bits of my life, here in Abidjan...the way I spend my days...the way I had started to like this place...the way Abidjan also has made a special place in my heart.....................

Working here demands fluency in French, with which I am having a real tough time. Although I can speak a little French, I am horrible in understanding them when someone in front of me is talking in it fluently. The language was the main barrier that I had locked up myself last year. But now, I am a lot more relaxed and curious about the city I live in. I go for marketings, I buy the groceries and vegetables and when I have time I go for long walks. I greet the passing people and breathe in the fresh air. I am kind of growing a liking over it. 

Then again, I have 4 cats in my home, and they demand a lot of attention. I always have to be careful in cleaning their litter places, because they do not like to do litter in dirty places. If I don't clean them properly then in just a few hours they will start pooping around, and that is a mess I really hate to clean up.  My cats also like to eat crunchy cat foods, so every time I feed them, I have to change the leftover food. The don't drink normal water also. Every 1 hour I have to fill up their bowl with chilled water. Gradually they are developing man like symptoms. So many demands. Then I have my blog, and cooking takes away a lot of time.Then comes the most important task of taking images, creating the background, looking for props, editing the image and writing posts. I have my whole days sorted out. And finally I am so sooo happy. 

Mutton Curry
Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 kg mutton with bone
• 2 large onions - sliced
• 2 tbsp garlic paste
• 2 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 and 1/2 cup hung curd / greek yogurt
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cardamom
• 3 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp home made garam masala
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• salt - as per taste
• 1 tsp sugar
• a bunch of coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp + 2tbsp oil

Home Made Garam Masala:

• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 2 green cardamom 
• 1 black cardamom
• 1 mace
• 1/4 of a nutmeg
• 1/4 of a star annise
• 5-6 black peppercorns
• 2 dry red chilies

Method:

For the Garam Masala:

• Dry roast all the ingredients listed under homemade garam masala, and then grind them to a fine powder. Keep in an airtight container and use accordingly.

For the Mutton Curry:

• Marinate the mutton with curd, lime juice, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and 1 tbsp oil, for 3-4 hours.
• In a kadai heat oil and temper with cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf. 
• When the oil becomes aromatic add the sliced onion and sauté until the start to become golden.
• Now add the ginger - garlic paste and sauté until the onions are golden brown. By the time the raw flavor of the garlic will be gone.
• Now add the sugar and sauté until it dissolves and gives a nice brown color.
• Now add the marinated mutton with all the marination paste.
• Mix and put cover.
• Let it cook until all the water, that oozes out of it is evaporated.
• Now add 2 cups of water and cook covered until the mutton becomes soft and gets cooked from inside.
• You can also transfer this to a pressure cooked and cook until it blows 15 whistles.
• Once the mutton is done thoroughly, simmer until the gravy reaches its desired consistency.
• Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Add the chopped coriander leaves and garam masala powder.
• Simmer for a more 2-3 minutes.
• Put cover and put off the flame, and do not open the lid  for a minimum 15 minutes.
• Serve hot.