Kari Muttai Chops

Remember my mom's Cauliflower Masala Fry, one of the most popular recipes on the blog? I said you can never find it anywhere at any hotels. And this recipe is something you cannot guess (exactly) unless I tell you what it is! And this recipe is my grandma's and she has been keeping this under lock and key. Even my mom does not make this often, its my granny who prepares this all the time. No one else in our entire family can make it like her. You can never find this dish else where. But if you do, am all ears!

KARI MUTTAI CHOPS....Mutton Chops is a spicy curry and the chops is actually hidden inside the eggs. See I told you, you can't guess unless I tell you what it is. Its a family favourite. You got to try this I tell you, and wow your family or play guessing game with the guest! 

You Will Need:

1 Kg Mutton, Boneless

4 eggs Per 250g of Mutton 

1 Small Onion, Finely Chopped

1 Small Tomato, Finely Chopped

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

2 - 3 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

For the Chops Masala:

100g Peppercorns

50g Cumin Seeds

1 tbsp Fennel Seeds

2 inch Ginger 

8 Garlic Cloves

Some Curry Leaves

Some Coriander Leaves

6 Green Chillies

4 Cloves

1 Cinnamon

The Cooking:

Step 1:

Place all the ingredients for the chops masala and grind them to a paste. It should be smooth and at the same time not very coarse. 

Step 2:

Clean the mutton and place it in a bowl and smear it with the prepared masala. Make sure you massage the mutton well and that the masala is fully coated. Let this rest for an hour at least.

Step 3:

Heat a pressure cooker with oil and add the chopped onions. Once they are translucent add the chopped tomatoes and saute for a 2 - 3 mins. 

Now tumble in the marinated mutton, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, required salt and give it a quick stir. Water is not required to cook the meat since it will cook in its own juices and chops masala. But if you find the water content its too low then sprinkle some but not much. 

Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles or until the meat is done. 

Step 4:

The chops will be little runny. So transfer it to a kadai and simmer till it dries up.

Step 5:

Break eggs into a large bowl and add required salt. Whisk. Add couple of ladles of chops with the mutton pieces into the beaten eggs. If the eggs are in excess you can make a spicy omelet out of it. So don't stress about the mutton to eggs ratio. 

Step 6:

Heat a heavy bottom kadai. DO NOT use flat base ones, the bottom should be curved. Scoop the egg along with a piece of mutton and place in oiled kadai. The kadai must be really hot. It only needs fews seconds of cooking. Now its not tricky, just roll the edges with a spatula couple of times so that the eggs seal the chops. If you see a tear and chops peeking out, then just pour a little beaten egg on it. 

Happy Cooking!

South Indian

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Bhuna Gosht - My Guest Post to My Eaterspot!

This is my first guest post and I was definitely so excited about that. One of my fellow food bloggers friend Beula Pandian Thomas, invited me to write a guest post for her food blog My Eaterspot. India's Independence day was around the corner and she is celebrating it by dedicating this whole week to Indian Food. So, Thank you so much Beula for this wonderful opportunity :) She also requested me a Non Veggie dish and I very happily obliged her. 

I made one of the most popular dishes in India....the BHUNA GOSHT! 'Gosht' is a Persian translation for meat and here I have take Mutton as the protein.  The part that makes this dish special and gives its name is "Bhuna". Bhuna means sloe cooking / frying the meat in onions, tomatoes and spices for a long time. And this part is what gives the flavour and taste the dish. It actually a very easy recipe to follow. You can cook this in a pressure cooker too but traditional method calls for gently simmering away the meat in very less oil so that they cook in their own juices. Their is nice punch form the whole garam masalas that are used and its little spicy. 

You can find the full recipe HERE in my guest blog post at My Eaterspot! 

Happy Cooking!

Sides

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Mutton Biryani - Pressure Cooker Method

Amma's Recipe #14

This version of My mom's Biryani is quick, simple yet does not sacrifice in flavour or taste. BIRYANI in a PRESSURE COOKER! In this pressure cooker method the mutton is cooked with onions, tomatoes, mint, coriander and spices and uncooked rice is added to the mutton with required water and cooked till the rice is done. Its so easy and one pot. Recently we both have been trying different Biryani Recipes and sometime I crave for this version. Served hot with boiled eggs, Onions Rita and Biryani Kathirikai. 

Other Biryani Recipes on blog:

Madrasi Chicken Dum Biryani, Mutton Dum Biryani, Dindigul, Mutton Biryani, The Royal Mutton Biryani, Tomato Biryani 

You Will Need:

1 kg Basmati Rice, Soaked 30 mins & Drained
7.5 Cups of Water
A pinch of Orange Colour mixed with 2 tbsp milk

Mutton Marination:

1.5 kg Mutton, Large Cuts

Juice of 1/2 a Lemon

100ml Yogurt

4 Green Cardamoms

4 Cloves

1 Stick Cinnamon

Other Ingredients:

5 cardamom Pods

6 Cloves

2 Cinnamon Sticks
1 Star Anise

1/2 Kg Onions, Thinly Sliced

1/2 Kg Tomato, Chopped

10 Green Chilies, Whole
2 tbsps Ginger Garlic Paste

1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Mint

1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Coriander
1.5 tsp Red Chill Powder, According to taste

Juice of 1/2 a Lemon

100ml Yogurt

50ml Ghee

100ml Vegetable Oil

Salt to Taste

The Cooking:

Step 1:

Marinate the Mutton:

Heat a kadai with a tbsp of oil and roast the cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon for couple of mins till they change in colour slightly. Then Cool and grind them to a fine powder. In a large bowl place the mutton and add the ground spices, juice of lemon, yogurt & salt. Mix well using your hands making sure you rub the marinate all over the mutton. Leave this to marinate for an hour at least.

Step 2:

Heat a pressure cooked with oil and ghee on high. Once hot crackle the cardamom, cinnamon, bay-leaf and cloves. Then add the sliced onions and green chilli.

Note: Poke the whole chilies with knife to avoid bursting when cooking.

Note: Place a lit on and stir once in a while.

Step 3:

Saute the onions till they turn a deep golden colour. Now add the the ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 -3 mins till the raw flavour of the ginger garlic paste goes. Then add the red chilli powder and yogurt. Keep stirring to till the oil separates and the gravy bubbles.

Note: Stir constantly after adding the ginger garlic paste to avoid the paste from sticking to the bottom.

Adding Ginger Garlic Paste

Adding Red Chilli Powder

Adding Yogurt

Step 4:

Then tumble in the chopped tomatoes and coriander. Stir and lid on. This needs to cook on high flame till the tomatoes are mushy. Keep stirring in between.

Step 5:
Once the tomatoes are all mushy add the marinated mutton and mix well. Add required salt for the biryani followed by lemon juice and cook for 5 mins so that the mutton is well coated with the gravy.

Step 6:
Pour in water and lid on with the weight. Cook the mutton until 4 - 5 whistles or until the mutton is well cooked. Turn off heat and open after the pressure releases on its own.

Before Mutton Cooked

After Mutton is Cooked

Now check for salt and spice. 

Step 7:
Turn on heat on high and now add the rice.

Note: DO NOT put all the rice together. Take handfuls and put them in spreading evenly. 

Give one quick stir and sprinkle colour water. once the rice starts to bubble, put the lid on with the weight and bring the heat to its LOWEST.  

Turn the heat off after exactly 20 mins. 

Step 8:
Once the pressure has been released by itself, open and run a steel spatula around the biryani. Invert it on to a large basin and gently mix everything together. 

This is how it should look after 20 mins. 

Happy Cooking!

South Indian

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Mutton Curry

Amma's Recipe #13

Ok, the one thing that will hit your mind first when you look at the pic is "This will give me a heart attack, look at the oil floating!"....he he he, my mum's usage of oil specifically in non vegetarian food is a long story. My mum born in chennai grew up in Sivakasi at her grandma's home during her teens. She leant the basics of cooking from her. And my great grandmother, even at the age of 90 was so particular about the look and taste of food. She points out whenever there is less oil in a dish and says the fat makes it tastes better. I have even heard stories of my great grandmother, storing goat's fat in jars like ghee. And any restaurant or mess in Sivakasi, uses oil abundantly. So now you know why my mom uses oil in excess. In fact, my great grandma is right. The oil from the curry when mixed with hot rice tastes heavenly. 

This MUTTON CURRY is one of the dishes shared and cooked exclusively by my mom. So so easy to make. Serve this curry with hot rice, rasam and boiled eggs....Its a killer combination. 

You Will Need:

500g Mutton, Small Cuts

250g Shallots, Chopped

4 Dried Red Chillies, Broken

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

2 tsp Cumin Powder

Few Curry Leaves

Salt to Taste

1 cup Water

100 ml Gingelly Oil

The Cooking:

Heat a non stick kadai with oil on high. Crackle the dried chillies and cumin seeds. Add shallots and saute till golden brown. Now the washed mutton and saute on high for 2 - 3 mins. Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mix well and saute for 5 mins on high. Pour in the water and cook till the mutton is tender. Once there is a gravy seen sprinkle cumin powder and simmer for 5 - 10 mins till the mutton is done and oil separates from the gravy. 

NOTE: You can also cook the curry in a pressure cooker. 

Other Recipes By Mom:

Chicken Dum Biryani

Mutton Dum Biryani

Dindigul Mutton Biryani 

Cucumber Raita

Biryani Kathirikai

Muttai Milagu Varuval

Cauliflower Masala Fry

Mutton Soup

Mutton Pepper Fry

Aatu Moolai Varuval / Bheja Fry

Gajar Ka Halwa

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Happy Cooking!

South Indian

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The Royal Mutton Biryani

My mom & me are on a major Biryani quest. Its like we just can't get enough. We have already cooked and blogged about 4 types of biryani (Madrasi Chicken Dum Biryani, Mutton Dum Biryani & Dindigul Mutton Biryani) including this biryani recipe on the blog and guess what, we are just getting started. I have been hunting down recipes for different varieties of biryani across the nation. Wow, that sounds like am really on a mission ;) My mom has her own version of biryani (am yet to blog about it) since we are busy trying nation's different varieties of biryani, its been very long time she cooked it. If you have got a must try biryani recipe, am all ears! And I also have few more variations in biryani lined up, so do stay tuned. 

The Royal Biryani, not so royal photography! ;)

Breaking of the DUM! Make sure you take a whiff of the steam that is released. 

The Final Mix! 

So, this biryani recipe was shared by Reema Haseeb, author of food blog RIMZYS KITCHEN in one of a food groups. And I immediately knew I got to try it. She calls it Pulao Biryani. But the first word that struck me when I tasted it was 'Royal'. And hence I call it THE ROYAL BIRYANI. It was AMAZING! Through out the making of this biryani, me and my mom kept saying 'wow it smells amazing, wow it smells amazing'. And am so very sorry for the poor photography. My dad was so hungry, he just could not wait till I clicked something good. You can serve this biryani with raita or like us you can enjoy this with Mutton Pepper Fry & Brain Fry, Goat's I mean not the you know ;P 

Serves 4

You Will Need:

1/2 Kg Basmati Rice (Soak 30 mins)

Ingredients 1:

1/2 Kg Mutton

1 inch Ginger

12 Garlic Cloves

1 Big onion, sliced

1 Tomato

1 tsp Salt

1 Stick Cinnamon

1 Black Cardamom 

4 Cloves

15 Black Peppercorns 

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1 Bay Leaf

4 Cups Water

Ingredients 2:

3/4 Cup of Browned Onions

1 tsp Ginger garlic Paste

1 1/2 Cups Thick Yogurt

1/2 Cup Oil

1 1/2 Tsp Red Chilli Powder

1 tsp Garam Masala

2 Green Chillies

1/4 Cup Chopped Mint

1/4 Cup Chopped Coriander

Required Salt

Orange Food Colour / Few Strands of Saffron Soaked in milk

The Cooking:

Step 1:

In a deep vessel or pressure cooker add all ingredients 1. Cook this for 30 - 45 mins till the water is reduced to a cup. If in a pressure cooker, cook till the 5 or 6 whistles and simmer to reduce the water. Once this this done strain and separate the stock and mutton. 

Step 2:

Heat oil on high in a pan and add the ginger garlic paste. Saute for a min and add the brown onions and yogurt. Stir well till everything is combined. Now add the chilli powder and garam masala and cook till the oil separates. 

Step 3:

Add the mutton and stock to the gravy.

Step 4:

Add chilli, coriander and mint. Cook on high till the gravy is combined together. Take off heat.

Step 5:

Cooking The Rice:

Boil plenty of water and add salt, few mint leaves and juice of half a lime. Once the water comes to a rice boil add the soaked rice. Cook for 7 mins approx. Or keep the flame high and wait till the water starts to come to a rolling boil. Once the water boils strain the rice. 

Step 6:

Layering the Biryani:

 In a wide vessel, place the rice followed by the mutton and gravy. Then sprinkle little brown onions and evenly sprinkle the food colour mix with little milk / saffron soaked in milk. 

Step 7:

Putting the Dum:

Tightly cover the top of the vessel with foil. And cook on low heat for 20 mins. You will see steam coming out after 20 mins which means the rice is fully cooked. 

Step 8:

After 20 mins, turn the heat off and wait for 2 mins. Then carefully peel off the foil (there will be so much steam trapped inside so be careful). 

Tumble this into a wide basin and with a flat spatula / metal spoon gently mix couple of time. What this does is, it evenly mixes the rice and the gravy.

Note: MIX GENTLY, twice or thrice will do.

Serve Immediately!

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Happy Cooking!

Rice Varieties

4

Mutton Soup

#9 Amma's Recipe

My mom is the first inspiration for cooking. It is from her I learned all the basics and almost all the recipes. She herself was self taught, experimenting and collecting recipes from friends, chefs and anyone whenever she came across a tasty dish. And even after 30 years of experience in the kitchen, she does not seem to lose curiosity. So While I was expecting my little one, I was away from home and spent 5 months at my mom's place. She made all my favourite dishes and I decided to share few of them with you. So starting with this MUTTON SOUP recipe, stay tuned as i will be sharing many more of my mom's cooking (exclusively cooked by her)...Hope you will enjoy trying out some.

This soup is a always a sunday breakfast at our home. Its spicy and tangy made in south Indian style with onions, tomatoes and whole lot of spices. Bowl of hot soup during a rainy day is heavenly. And its a good home remedy for common cold too ;) 

I will also be posting a Mutton Pepper Fry recipe SOON recipe posted now, something inspired from a dish we had at a small highway hotel. So stay tuned lots coming up....

Serves 4

You Will Need:

250g Mutton Bones from Ribs 

2 Medium Sized Onions, Chopped

2 Tomatoes, Chopped

2 Green Chilies, Slit

1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tsp Pepper Powder

1 Tsp Cumin Powder

1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds

Few Curry Leaves

Little Chopped Coriander Leaves

A litre of Water

2 tbsp Gingelly Oil

Salt to Taste

The Cooking:

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add fennel seeds, curry leaves, onion, tomato, chilli and ginger garlic paste. Give it a quick stir and add the mutton along with turmeric powder. Cook for 2 - 3 mins and add pepper powder, cumin powder, salt and coriander powder. Simmer for 2 mins. Then add a litre of water, mix and cook till 5 - 6 whistles. 

Serve hot with lemon wedge. 

Note: I like to strain the soup, but you can also have it as it is. 

Other recipes by Amma:

Chicken Dum Biryani

Mutton Dum Biryani

Dindigul Mutton Biryani 

Cucumber Raita

Biryani Kathirikai

Muttai Milagu Varuval

Cauliflower Masala Fry

Mutton Pepper Fry

Like ShobsKitchen On FaceBook! 

Happy Cooking!

South Indian

2

Dindigal Mutton Biryani

#8 Amma's Recipe

I love biryani and am back with another delicious biryani recipe. Hope you have already read my older posts on Madrasi Chicken Dum Biryani, Mutton Dum Biryani and The Royal Biryani. They are to die for.... And now am sharing with you my Mom's (of course its hers...trust me am not that good) DINDIGUL MUTTON BIRYANI! 

Dindigul is a city in Southern Tamil Nadu. Every state in India has their unique way of making biryani. And this Dindigul Biryani is so famous at places like Sivakasi (one of the best cuisines in India), Madurai, Dindigul, Virudhunagar and many more cities close by. Its so different from the Mughal biryani. And I have to tell you, this one tastes just like the biryani at Hotel Junior Kuppanna. So so goood!!! 

Milagai Muttai Varuval, cucumber raita are the best accomplishments for this biryani. Biryani Kathirikai that are served with the mughal biryani does not go with this. This biryani is cooked in a pressure cooker, the ingredients may look long, the process may seem difficult but actually they are not. Cooking in a pressure cooker is so easy. 

This recipe is a keeper of my mom's. Do try and enjoy! 

You Will Need:

1 tsp Fennel Seeds

3 Bay leaves

4 Kalpasi / Black Stone Flower

2 Star Anise

1 kg or 5 Cups of Seeraga Samba Rice

1 Kg Mutton, Large Cuts

5 Medium Sized Onions, Sliced

1/2 Kg Tomato, Chopped

10 Green Chillies

1 Handful Mint, Chopped

1 Handful Coriander Leaves, Chopped

100 ml Yogurt

Salt to Taste

100 ml Ghee

100 ml Vegetable Oil

 7 1/2 Cups of Water ( 1:1.5 Rice Water ratio)

Spice Powder:

3 Cinnamon Sticks

12 Cardamom Pods

12 Cloves

Masala Paste:

10 Green Chillies

100g Shallots

100g Ginger

100g Garlic Cloves

1 Handful Mint Leaves

1 Handful Coriander Leaves

Mutton Marination:

100 ml yogurt

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

Little Salt

Juice of 1 Lemon

The Cooking:

Step 1:

Wash the mutton and marinate the mutton with all the ingredients for marination for at least 30 mins. 

Step 2:

Heat a kadai with a tbsp of oil and fry the spices for spice powder and grind into a fine powder.

 

Step 3:

Grind all the ingredients for masala paste into a smooth paste. 

Step 4:

Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker and crackle fennel seeds, bay leaves, kalpasi and star anise. Add the sliced onions and green chillies. Saute till the onions turn golden brown. 

Step 5: 

Add the masala paste and mix well. Cook for 2 - 3 mins with the lid on.

Step 6:

Now add the mint, coriander leaves, tomatoes and curd. Give a good mix and cook for 5 - 7 mins on high. 

Step 7:

Add the marinated mutton and mix until everything is well incorporated. Then add salt and spice powder and cook for 10 10 mins on medium flame. Stirring continuously to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom. 

Step 8:

Pour required water and cook with the pressure cooker lid on until 2 whistles /sounds. Meanwhile wash and soak the rice for 15 - 20 mins. Once the mutton is cooked take off heat and wait till the pressure is released. 

Step 9:

Bring the biryani gravy to boil and add the soaked rice. Let the rice boil and soak up half of the water. Give a good mix and cook for 20 mins on low heat with the pressure cooker lid on. 

Step 10:

Take off heat after 20 mins and wait for the pressure to release. Then run a flap metal spatula around the biryani and invert into a large serving dish and gently mix so that the masala and the rice are uniform. 

Serve hot with any accomplishments you like! 

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Happy Cooking!

South Indian

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