Mutton Nadan Curry: Kerala Style

Kerala cuisine has a lot to offer in terms like variety. Nadan recipes for example are special variety of Kerala recipes. The Kerela style mutton curry is made using Nadan recipes is in one word, delicious. The speciality of the Kerela mutton curry is that it is cooked with fried spices. The whole spices used in this traditional Kerala recipe are first fried and then blended.

Nadan recipes do not always use coconut that is so typical in all other Kerala recipes. The Kerala style mutton curry was traditionally cooked in a clay pot over slow fire. This Indian curry gets a flavour of burnt wood and warm clay through the process of cooking. However, if you cannot arrange the fire and the pot in your modern kitchen, cook this Kerala style mutton curry in a pressure cooker.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Mutton- 500 grams (cut into medium sized pieces)
• Turmeric powder- 1tsp
• Dry red chillies- 10
• Coriander seeds- 1tsp
• Fennel seeds- 1tsp
• Cloves- 5
• Cinnamon stick- 1 inch
• Peppercorns- 10
• Baby onions- 5 (chopped)
• Onions- 2 (chopped)
• Garlic pods- 5 (minced)
• Green chillies- 2 (chopped)
• Ginger- 1 inch (minced)
• Tomato- 1 chopped)
• Garam masala powder- 1tsp
• Curry leaves- 5
• Oil- 3tbsp
• Salt- as per taste

Procedure

1. Boil the mutton in a pressure cooker with salt and turmeric. Pressure cook for 4 whistles and then let it cool.

2. Meanwhile fry the whole spices namely, dry red chillies, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon, peppercorns and cloves in steaming hot oil for 1-2 minutes.

3. Drain them and set them aside to cool. In the same oil saute the chopped baby onions till they turn golden brown.

4. After the fried spices cool, blend them with the fried onions and keep aside.

5. Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan. Saute the big onions in it till the turn translucent. Add the ginger, garlic and green chillies and fry for 2-3 minutes.

6. Add the tomatoes and sprinkle salt on it. When the tomato melts into a gravy, add the blended paste of spices to it.

7. Drain the water from the boiled mutton and add it to the pan after 2 minutes. Mix the masala with the mutton well and sprinkle garam masala.

8. Let it cook over low flame for 5 to 7 minutes. Keep stirring it once in while so that the gravy cooks uniformly.

Garnish with curry leaves and serve this Kerala style mutton curry with rice or neer dosa.