Mutton Kuruma
Check out photos of mutton dishes
Mutton Kuruma is the key meat dish in those days before broiler chicken became famous. Even in this present day, mutton is the preferred meat during festivals or celebrations in country side.
Mutton Kuruma is great with rice during lunch or dinner and a delicious mouth watering combo with Idly during breakfast or dinner.
Mutton is goat meat. In general in South India we do not eat Lamb. We prefer Goat. However for those living in areas where goat meat is not available, Lamb meat works good too.
Tamil cuisine style Mutton Kuruma is famous not only in India but also in other Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia.
Let us see tradional way of making Mutton Kuruma here.
Ingredients
to temper
- Cinnamon sticks - 1 inch long - 2 pieces
- Cloves - 4
- Whole black pepper - 10
- Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
- Oil - 4 tbsp
to grind
- Oil - 2 tsp
- Black pepper whole - 1 tsp
- Fennel seeds - 1 tbsp
- Cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp
- Poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Shallots - 7
- Ginger - peeled 1 inch long - 2 pieces
- Garlic - 8 cloves
- Green chilli - 2
- Coconut - grated 1 cup
to pressure cook
- Mutton - 1/2 kg
- Water - 3 cups
- Ginger garlic paste - 3 tsp
- Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
for kuruma
- Onion - Big size 1
- Tomato - 2
- Curry leaves - 2 string
- Mint leaves - a handful
- Coriander leaves - a bunch
- Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
- Garlic - 4 cloves crushed
- Sambar powder - 2 tsp
- Chilli powder - 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
- Salt - as per taste
Preparation
1
Clean the mutton pieces in water. In a pressure cooker, add mutton, 3 cups of water, ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder. Cover the cooker and cook for 5 min in high flame. Then lower the flame and cook for 15-20 min.
NOTE: The cooking time for mutton is based on the quality of meat. For meat from a tender and young goat, it takes just 15-20 min over all. For meat from a medium sized goat, it takes about 30 to 40 min. For meat from a full sized grown goat, it takes about 50-60 min in pressure cooker. So if pressure cooker is not available, it will take a very long time to cook in stove. Usually young goat meat is preferred as it is soft, delicious and grabs the flavor completely.
2
Heat oil in a small pan. Add black pepper and when it starts to burst, add fennel and cumin seeds. Fry for a min and add ginger cut into small pieces along with garlic, shallots and green chilli. Fry in low flame for 3-4 min till the raw smell is off. Add poppy seeds, mix well and switch off the flame.
Let this cool down and then using a mixer grinder, grind along with coconut to a fine paste.
3
Heat oil in a large cooking pot, add cinnamon sticks, cloves, black pepper and fennel seeds. When the pepper begins to splatter add finely diced onions. Fry till golden brown. Then add ginger garlic paste. Fry till the raw smell goes off. Then add chopped tomato, crushed garlic, curry leaves and mint leaves. Fry till the tomatoes gets soft and mushy.
4
Add the pressure cooked mutton (from Step 1) with broth in it to the cooking pot. When it boils add salt, sambar powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix well. Then add ground coconut masala (from Step 2)
4
When it boils, cook well with lid on the pot for about 15 minutes in low to medium flame.
5
Turn off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves.
6
Serve mutton kuruma with steamed rice. Pour mutton kuruma over rice, mix and eat. Side dish of mutton fry makes a great combo.
