Mutton Kuzhambhu

Ingredients

Mutton  - 1/2 kg
Turmeric - 1/4 sp
Cinnamon (1 inch piece) - 1
Cardomom - 1
Cloves - 3
Red chillies - 4
Cumin (Jeera) - 1/2 sp
Fennel (Perunjeeragam) - 1/2 sp
Whole peppercorns - 1sp
Coconut (cut to small bits) - 6 sp
Coriander powder - 1 sp
Poppy seeds (Kus kus) - 1/2 sp (soaked in warm water)
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 7 pods
Gingelly oil - 4 sp
Mustard & Urad dhal - 1/4 sp
Curry leaves - 10 Nos.
Coriander leaves - 5 strings (chopped)
Big onion - 1/2
Tomato - 1
Potato - 2 / 3 (skin peeled & cut)
Red chilli powder - 1/4 sp (optional)
Salt - To taste
Coriander leaves - To Garnish

Method

1. Chop the mutton into bite - sized pieces and clean well with water (4 - 5 times).
2. Add the mutton pieces to a pressure cooker with turmeric, salt and water to cover the mutton pieces. Pressure cook for 5 - 10 whistles in a low - medium heat.
3. Place a frying pan on a low - medium heat. Add cinnamon, cardomom, cloves, red chillies, cumin, fennel, peppercorns all at the same time & dry roast till they change color and a nice aroma starts coming out of it. Keep them aside in a bowl.
4. Similarly, dry roast the coconut pieces (can use coconut gratings also) till the aroma of the coconut starts coming. Add this to the bowl.
5. Turn off the heat and add the coriander powder to the frying pan & roast for 2 min w/o burning it. Keep aside.
6. Grind the dry roast items of step 3 & step 4 along with the soaked poppy seeds, adding a little water in a mixer / blender.
7. Gring ginger & garlic to make a fine paste.
8. Peel the skin of potatoes, cut into big bite sized pieces and put them in a bowl of water.
9. In a pan in a medium heat , add gingelly oil.
10. When oil is hot, add mustard, urad dhal, curry leaves, coriander leaves and onion, one after the other.
11. When the onion turns transparent, add chopped tomatoes.
12. When tomatoes turn mushy, add ginger garlic paste & fry till the raw smell goes off.
13. Now, add the potato pieces and fry for 2 min.
14. Add the grind masala (from step 5), the coriander powder & the red chilli powder (optional).
15. Add the cooked mutton pieces along the water.
16. Add salt to taste & water, if necessary.
17. Let this simmer to the required consistency.
18. Garnish with coriander leaves.
19. Serve with white rice, idly, dosa, chappati and parotta.

Note

1. The number of whistles required to pressure cook mutton depends on the age of the goat. Young goat meat cooks faster whereas aged ones take more time to cook(may be 15 whistles in a medium - high heat)
2. Poppy seeds is a must for mutton kuzhambhu.
3. Potatoes are added to mutton kuzhambhu in Tirunelveli style recipe. This gives an unique taste to the curry. The same recipe can also be tried w/o potatoes.