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Rajasthani Laal Maas (Fiery Red Mutton Curry)

Tanvi Srivastava
Laal Maas is a fiery red mutton curry featuring tender pieces of meat cooked in ghee with browned onions, fresh ground red kashmiri chillies, spices and yogurt.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 3

Ingredients
  

  • 4 tablespoon ghee divided
  • 1 cup (160g) sliced onions
  • 500 g goat meat or mutton or lamb
  • ½ tablespoon garlic paste
  • ½ inch ginger julienne
  • 1.5 teaspoon red chili powder I use degi mirch
  • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1.5 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 100 g plain greek yogurt or thick yogurt (make sure yogurt isn't sour)
  • 1.25 teaspoon salt adjust quantity to taste
  • ½ tablespoon lime juice or lemon juice, adjust quantity to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon garam masala powder optional

Whole Spices

  • 3 cloves
  • 1 black cardamom or use 2 green cardamom
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick cassia bark
  • 6-7 black peppercorn
  • 8-10 dry whole red kashmiri chilies Using scissors cut the chillies in half before soaking. To keep the fiery nature of laal maas, I dont recommend de seeding the chilies.

Instructions
 

PREPARE THE RED CHILIES

  • Add the dried kashmiri chilies to a small blender jar. Pour ⅓ cup warm water and soak for 15-20 minutes until soft.
  • Once soaked, blend the soaked chilies into a smooth chilli paste. Set aside.

BHUNO THE MEAT

  • Place a heavy bottomed pot (I use my 5 qt dutch oven) on stove, add 3 tablespoon ghee. Heat ghee on low-medium heat. 
  • Add the whole spices - cinnamon stick, cloves, black cardamom & black peppercorns. Toast the spices in ghee while stirring for 10-20 seconds taking care not to burn them. This perfumes the ghee rightaway since the aroma and flavor of spices blooms due to heat.
  • Next, add the sliced onion and cook on medium heat till they turn golden brown. It will take 10-12 minutes for onions to brown.
  • To the browned onions, add the goat meat and mix. Rightaway the meat will start browning.
  • After 1-2 minutes, add the salt, garlic paste and ginger julinnes. Continue to brown the meat on medium -high heat.
  • In 4-5 minutes, once you see that the meat is no more pink, sprinkle the spice powders - coriander powder, turmeric powder and kashmiri chili powder. Fry the meat after you have added spices for another 3-4 minutes. The more you bhuno (fry ) the meat this way, the more brown it gets and hence flavorful.

SLOW COOK THE MEAT

  • Next,to the pot, add 1 cup of hot water to begin with. Keep in mind that as the meat slow cooks, it will release its juices as well.
  • Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and let the meat slow cookfor next 1 to 1.5 hours. You will need to check a few times in between and make sure that there is enough water for meat to cook in. Add a splash of water (¼ to ? cup water) or as needed.
  • When the meat is about 95% cooked, open the lid and add the chili paste that we made earlier. Reduce the heat to low and mix in the whisked yogurt. Gently, mix everything for a minute or so taking care that the meat pieces don't break.
  • Cover the pot again and let simmer for 5-10 minutes or until meat is tender. We do not like fall off the bone meat hence the cooking times are noted accordingly. Please adjust cooking time as per desired softness of meat. Once the meat curry is ready, you will see a thin, reddish layer of oil on the top.
  • Finish the meat curry with a tablespoon of ghee, lemon juice and a touch of garam masala (not traditional to use garam masala, but I like to use). Let the curry rest for 30-40 minutes. 
  • Serve warm garnished with few ginger julinnes (optional). Pair with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice or tandoori rotis.

Notes

  • Don't cook cold or frozen meat. It is best to pull the meat out 30-45 prior to cooking so that there is not a huge temoerature difference when it hits the hot cooking pot. Also, meat cooks to tender.
  • Using Kashmiri Chili Powder & Cayenne Pepper Powder - If whole dried kashmiri chilies are not available, make a slurry of 1.5 tablespoon kashmiri chili powder and ½ to 1 teaspoon(dpeneding on taste) in 4-5 tablespoon of water. Add half of the slurry while slow cooking and the rest of it with yogurt.
  • Consistency of Gravy- Ideally, it is best to keep the gravy a bit thickish rather than soupy. The gravy should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.If by chance the gravy becomes too thin, simmering the curry on low heat without covering the pot, allowing excess moisture to evaporate. Stir gently and occasionally to prevent sticking.
 
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