Mutton/goat meat – 600 to 800 gms, curry cut with bone-in pieces
Potato – 6, medium, peeled, washed and each cut into half
Onions – 6, medium, thinly sliced
Garlic – 10 to 12 cloves, chopped
Bay leaf – 2
Green cardamom – 4 to 6
Cloves – 4 to 6
Cinnamon – 2-inch stick
Ginger & Garlic paste – 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Red chilli powder – 2 tsp [Reduce the quantity if you don’t want it too hot!]
Kashmiri red chilli powder – 2 tsp [For that beautiful bright red color!]
Tomato – 2, medium, finely chopped
Yogurt – 2 tbsp
Sugar – 1 tsp
Garam Masala powder – 1 tsp
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Mustard oil – 4 to 6 tbsp
Salt to taste
Hot water – 3 to 4 cups
Instructions
Wash the mutton pieces and drain out all the water. Take it in a large bowl and add yogurt, turmeric powder, half of the red chili powder, half of ginger-garlic paste and 1 tsp salt. Massage all spices and aromatics into the meat cubes well and let it marinate for 1 hour.
Heat about a tablespoon of mustard oil in a frying pan. Once the oil is hot, tip in the potatoes into the pan and fry them until they turn golden brown on all sides. This would take about 10 minutes. Take them out and set aside on a plate.
Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed pressure cooker (I prefer the pressure cookers with outer lids as it’s easier to stir the food inside.). Once the oil is hot, temper it with bay leaves, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Sauté them until the oil become fragrant, about 30 seconds on medium-high heat. Also add the sugar which will lend a bright caramelized color to the mutton curry.
Then add the chopped garlic and sauté for couple of minutes on low. Ensure the garlic doesn’t burn. Tip in the sliced onion and the remaining ginger-garlic paste. Fry the onion till they turn golden brown.
Next add the chopped tomato and stir well. Cook until the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
Next goes in the turmeric powder and red chili powder. Sauté them on high with a splash of water until the oil starts to separate.
Finally goes in the marinated mutton along with the marinating liquid. Sauté the mutton on medium-low heat for approximately 30 to 40 minutes or until they turn brown on all sides. You will have to scrap the bottom of the pan to avoid spices getting burned.
When the oil starts separating, add about 3 cups of hot water. Also drop in the fried potato pieces.
Cover the pressure cooker with lid along with tightly securing the valve. Keep the cooker on high until the very first whistle. Then reduce the flame to lowest setting and pressure cook the mutton for about 5 minutes after the very first whistle. Ideally the mutton pieces and the potato cubes should all be completely cooked by then.
Switch off the flame and let the pressure release out completely on its own. Do not even try to open the pressure cooker at this stage; if you do you will simple call for a mishap for yourself!
Once the pressure is completely released, uncover the cooker and check for the doneness of the mutton. Also check and adjust the seasoning if needed.
If you feel that your meat is undercooked, then cover the cooker with the lid again and pressure cook it for another couple of whistles.
Once the mutton is cooked thoroughly, adjust the consistency of the curry to your liking. If its too watery, you can boil off some excess liquid; or if it is too thick, you can add another cup of hot water and bring it to full boil.
Finally sprinkle the garam masala and drizzle the ghee on top. Shut the flame off and loosely cover the pot with a lid and allow the mutton to soak up as much flavors as possible before serving.
Your classic Bengali mutton curry a.k.a mangsher jhol is ready to serve and devour! Serve it warm with fluffy and hot Basmati rice. Enjoy!
Recipe by Flavor Quotient at https://www.flavorquotient.com/2013/02/classic-bengali-mutton-curry-bengali-style-mangsher-jhol/