Mutton Handi

This is a great dish of mutton although experimental. It seems every meat lover should have this dish at least once in their lifetime. :)

Ingredients:

• Mutton                             - 1 kg
• Yougurt                            - 1/2 cup
• Turmeric powder           - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder           - 1/2 tsp(adjust according to your level)
• Cumin powder                - 2 tsp
• Coriander powder          - 1 tsp
• Onion                               - 2 large, chopped
• Tomato                            - 1 large, chopped
• Green Chilli                    - 4-6, chopped
• Garlic cloves                   - 6 fat ones
• Ginger                              - 1 inch, chopped
• Dry red chilli                  - 3
• Cinnamon stick             - 1 inch
• Green cardamom         - 3
• Cloves                             - 8
• Black pepper corns      - 10
• Bay leaf                           - 1
• Mustard oil                    - 3 Tbsp
• Salt                                  - to taste

Method:

1. Marinate the mutton with yogurt, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and 1 Tbsp mustard oil. Keep it for 4-5 hours or overnight.

2. Add 1 Tbsp oil in a pan. When hot temper with bay leaf, green cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper corn, clove and red chilli.

3. When whole spices release aroma add chopped onion and green chilli. Saute till onions are cooked.

4. Add tomatoes, garlic and ginger and cook till tomatoes are cooked and turns mushy.

5. Remove the mix from pan and allow it to cool. Then make a smooth paste of the mix. Add little water if needed.
6. Heat the remaining oil in pan. 
7. When hot add the paste in oil and saute for few minutes.

8. Add the marinated mutton and mix well. Cook till oil separates from masala.

9. Add 1 cup water, mix well. Cover and cook on low heat till mutton is cooked well. Give a good stir few times in between.
(It might take around 45 minutes to 1 hour)

10. Serve hot with rice or naan or roti.

Mutton Kosha - Mutton Curry

Another mouth watering Bengali dish, Mutton kosha(Mutton curry). Slow cooked meat and the heavenly gravy is bound to make your taste buds bend on their knees and beg for more.

Ingredients:

• Mutton(Goat)              - 2 lbs
• Onion                         - 3 Medium (2 paste and 1 chopped lengthwise)
• Tomato                      - 1 large
• Green Chilli                - 5-6
• Ginger paste               - 1½ tsp
• Garlic paste                - 2 tsp
• Potato(Optional)         - 2 medium sized (peeled and cut into halves)
• Cumin powder            - 2 tsp
• Coriander powder       - 1½ tsp
• Turmeric powder        - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder        - 2 tsp (Adjust according to your taste)
• Mustard oil                 - 6 Tbsp
• Green Cardamom        - 4 (Break them open a bit)
• Cinnamon                   - 2" stick
• Bay leaves                  - 2
• Cloves                        - 10
• Black pepper corn       - 10
• Garam Masala powder - ½ tsp(Powder of green cardamom, cinnamon and cloves)
• Salt                            - as per taste

Method:
1. Make a paste with 2 onions, tomato and green chilli. Marinate the mutton with ginger-garlic-onion paste, turmeric-red chilli-cumin-coriander powder, salt and 2 Tbsp oil. Keep in refrigerator for 4-5 hours.

2. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy bottomed pan till smoking hot.
3. Mix the potato with a pinch of turmeric powder and salt and fry them till golden brown. Take out the potato and keep them aside. (This step is optional but as I always say, Bengalis like potatoes in everything, so this step needs a mention.)
4. Temper the same oil with bay leaves, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper corn. 
5. When aroma of whole spices come out add the chopped onion.

5. When onions turn pinkish add the marinated mutton mix. Mix well and cook in medium heat till the raw smell of masalas fade.

6. Turn heat to low and cover the pan with lid and cook till oil separates from masala.
7. Add the potatoes and add a cup of water. Mix well, cover and cook, stirring in regular intervals, till mutton is cooked.
(It takes around 45-60 minutes for the mutton pieces to get cooked properly. If the mix becomes too dry you can add some more water.)
8. Sprinkle the garam masala powder and mix well. Remove form stove.

9. Serve hot with rice or roti.

Metey'r chochchori - Goat liver/Kaleja masala

Goat liver or metey(as it called in Bengali) is a favorite dish of many. I never felt very great about it, I can eat few pieces but it never really amused me much. One day in an Indian store in their meat section I saw they also sell this. This reminded me of my bachelor days when a friend of mine once prepared this dish, although that was chicken liver. I liked that dish and we had a good time with few beers(Kingfishers, which used to be heavenly, nothing really beats Indian beers till date). So to live the same moments one more time for old times sake, I bought some goat liver and tried this at home. The masala turned out very good but the taste of liver was not that great. But few friends of ours loved it too much. They even noted down the recipe to try it at home.

Ingredients:

• Goat liver/Metey         – 1 lb(450 grams)
• Onion                          - 1 large, chopped
• Tomato                       - 1 medium sized, chopped
• Potato                        - 1 medium sized, cut into 4
• Ginger                         - ½ inch, grated or paste
• Garlic                          - 6-7, grated or paste
• Green chili                  - 5 finely chopped
• Red chili powder         - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder         - ½ tsp
• Cumin/jeera powder    - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder  - ½ tsp(this is a mix of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom)
• Bay leaves/Tej Pata    - 2
• Cardamom/Elaichi       - 2
• Cinnamon/Dalchini      - 1 inch stick
• Black pepper corns      - 8-10
• Cloves/Laung              - 6

Method:
1. Mix the metey pieces with little salt, turmeric powder and oil and keep aside for an hour.
2. Heat oil in a pan/wok, fry the potatoes with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder.
3. When the pieces turns brown remove from pan.
4. In the same oil add khada garam masala or whole spices. (Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and black pepper corns).

5. When the aroma of garam masala comes, add the chopped onions and green chili.

6. Fry till onions become translucent.

7. Add chopped tomatoes and keep cooking until tomatoes are done and all mushy.
8. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and cumin powder. Cook for a minute or till oil separates.

9. Add the metey pieces and fried potatoes.
10. Add half cup water, salt and mix well.
11. Now cover the pan with a lid and cook on low flame until the metey pieces are cooked. You do not want to over cook them because they becomes hard on over cooking.
12. When metey is cooked sprinkle with garam masala powder and mix well.
13. Remove form stove. Serve hot with roti. 

Accompany with chilled beers, Kingfisher preferred. :)