Mutton Pepper Fry Recipe

I love food and cooking has been a hobby of mine since the time I was 3 years' old! In fact, this blog started out as a food-blog around 5-6 years back and if you go way back into the archives you'll find 4-5 basic recipes that I'd posted here in the first flush of excitement of having a foodspace of my own on the interweb. But some unfortunate things happened in my life and I let this space lie as vacant and void of substance as I was feeling during those long dark years...
But now that I've finally been able to reclaim my old happy self and given this much-loved space of mine a makeover of sorts, I hope to post recipes and musings on my various experiments in the kitchen more frequently here! :)
So yesterday Sunny (my husband) brought home some mutton - as goat meat is referred to here in India - and announced that as the father of my only son he expected some special treatment at least for the day, it being Father's Day and all. Not an unreasonable demand, all things considered! So instead of the usual Robibarer Mangshor Jhol (the Bengalis' revered Sunday-special mutton curry) I decided to make this favorite mutton dish of mine as a change.
There are many versions of Mutton Pepper Fry, most notably the Kerala and Andhra versions, and my recipe leans more towards the Andhra style. Having said that, I have customised the recipe a little bit in terms of the level of heat and the initial preparation, so feel free to play around and increase/decrease the fieriness as per your taste. My family LOVES this version, and we feel the spiciness is just right as Frodo (my son) can have it comfortably too without asking for water after every bite!

Mutton Pepper Fry is traditionally had best with Appams, but I like it with rotis/paranthas too. Yesterday I served it with plain Basmati rice and Makhmali Sondhi Dal - the fall-off-the-bone-tender meat literally melts in the mouth with the spicy heat of pepper perfectly melded with the caramel-ly sweetness of onions balanced by the slight tang of tomatoes; slurped by the spoonfuls between bites of meat, the mild, earthy flavor of the dal offsets the complexity of this dish beautifully against the fragrant rice.

With a squeeze of our favorite Gondhoraj Lebu (an aromatic lemon revered and worshipped by Bengalis!) this simple home-made meal was the perfect way to mark an otherwise mundane Sunday as a special day for Frodo's Papa! :)

Ingredients:

1. Goat meat/Mutton - 750 gms.
2. Fat garlic cloves - 4
3. Bay leaf  - 1
4. Black peppercorns - 4
5. Salt - 3/4th level tsp. or to taste
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 level tsp.
7. Water - 3 cups
8. Dry Roast and Grind Together:

• Black peppercorns - 6
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch stick
• Green cardamom - 3
• Cloves - 3
• Cumin seeds - 1-1/2 tsp.
• Coriander seeds - 1-1/2 tsp.
• Khuskhus/Poppy seeds - 1-1/2 tsp.
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp.

9. Oil - 2 tbsp. (I used Mustard oil, you can use coconut/olive/vegetable oil)10. Curry leaves - a few11. Green chillies - 2 or more as per taste12. Dry red chillies - 213. Onions - 250 gms. sliced thinly14. Sugar - 1/2 tsp.15. Freshly grated ginger - 1 tbsp.16. Freshly grated garlic - 1 tbsp.17. Tomatoes - 250 gms, chopped finely18. Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup or to taste chopped
Method:

1. Clean and wash the mutton pieces thoroughly. I like to trim away any excess fat and just reserve 2-3 chunks of it for flavor.
2. Now pressure-cook the meat alongwith the ingredients marked 2 to 7 for 5-10 whistles depending on the toughness of the meat. I usually give 7-8 whistles it makes the meat tender enough for Frodo to eat without chewing on it interminably! My mom gives just 4 whistles as my father prefers his meat a bit al-dente. Experiment and find out what works for you.
3. Once the meat is boiled, drain and keep the pieces separately. Reserve the stock/cooking liquid.
4. Heat oil in a wok and once it's smoking hot pop in the green and dry red chillies - each split into two.
5. Add in the sliced onions alongwith the sugar (to caramelise onions faster) and curry leaves and fry over high heat.
6. Once the onions start getting brown, add the ginger and garlic and fry over medium heat for 2 minutes.
7. Add the tomatoes and fry for 2 minutes again. Increase the heat to high.
8. Now add the meat pieces and sear over high heat till any liquid in the wok has been absorbed.
9. Reduce the heat to low and add the dry-roasted ground spice mix. Continue frying over low heat for 5-6 minutes.
10. Add 1-1/2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid and increase the heat to high. Boil it till the liquid gets completely absorbed. Keep stirring at intervals to prevent sticking at the bottom of the wok.
11. Once the gravy has completely dried, reduce the heat once again to medium and fry the mutton till the masala starts leaking oil at the sides.
12. Turn-off the heat, cover the wok and let it rest for 7-8 minutes. This helps the meat to seal in the flavours.
13. Now add in the coriander, and serve garnished with sliced chillies.

The ingredient list might look long but let me tell you honestly, it is one of the easiest and quickest mutton dishes that I prepare. I chop, grate, roast and grind stuff while the mutton is being pressure cooked, and from start to finish it takes only 30-45 minutes depending on your speed. And no marination so no additional waiting!
I hope you'll try this version of the classic Mutton Pepper Fry in your kitchen too... it is seriously yummy! Do let me know how it turned out for you!
In case you have any suggestions / clarifications please feel free to use the comment box below :)