Mutton Kuzhambu / Gravy / Curry

      Mutton hasn't been my favourite ever since childhood .I would rather choose chicken or fish.But on the day of Diwali, it was always an exception:-).
     Waking up early to the sound of the crackers, standing in a line with sibling for nallennai(gingely oil) to be poured on the head,having a quick shower to display the new dress to everyone across the street n last comes my favourite part.......getting lost in the spicy aroma of mutton and chicken kuzhambu cooking in the kitchen.I eagerly wait with my plates to dig into the soft idlis n the crispy dosas served with a dash of both kuzhambus, altering them for every mouthful.Im lost for a second as I write this post;-).To me.....Diwalis can go without crackers but not the most brilliant combination of the perfect breakfast in Madurai.

Mutton Curry with boiled egg,Pepper Rasam,Steamed Rice and Chicken fry

Diwali Rangoli - Self made Design

     It came as a big shock to my husband who sat clueless on our thalai diwali at madurai to see meat on the table for breakfast:-).And the hilarious part of it is that he had always thought idli n dosa are only to be had with sambar n chutney.....how sad n boring!!!I said 'Dude, u have missed out the actual picture of Madurai'.So now after 5 years of marriage my adventurous young man has learnt to enjoy the day ;-).Kudos to me :-).
     After trying few recipes i stumbled upon Solai Aachi's blog for this recipe:
http://solaiachiskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/07/chettinad-mutton-kuzhambu-or-chettinad.html
She is an authentic chettinad cook.I made few variations based on how my family's taste buds are.It was the most yummiest mutton curry i have had in years.Thanks to her for sharing the secrets of the most wanted recipe of mutton lovers!!!:-)

Now letz dig into the gravy:

Ingredients:
Mutton - 1/2 kg
Shallots/Small Onion - 15-20 (shallots give a nice flavor...but if u don't find them...use 1 big onion )
Tomato - 1 big
Ginger Garlic paste- 1.5 tsp
Garlic - 7 pods
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Salt - as required
Oil - 2 tbsp

To Grind:

Table1:(Dry Masala Powder)
Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp

Fennel seeds - 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Red chilies - 5

Cinnamon - 1

Clove-2

Table2:(Cashew-Coconut Paste)

Cashew - 5

Coconut(Grated) - 2 tbsp

Fennel Seeds - 1 tspn

To season:

Fennel seeds-1 tsp

Green Chilly - 1

Bay leaf-1
Cinnamon-1
Clove-2
Star Anise - 1

curry leaf - 1 sprig

Preparation:

1.Cut mutton,Shallots,Tomato,Garlic into pieces you desire.Dry roast and grind the Masala Powder under Table1 and keep aside.Grind the ingredients under Table2 to a smooth paste.
2.In a pressure cooker,pour oil and add the ingredients from 'To Season' one after another.Make sure you don't burn them.
3.Next add shallots,saute for few minutes by adding little salt over it till they turn translucent.
4.Now add ginger-garlic paste and saute till few seconds till the raw smell goes off.
5.Add cut tomato and saute till the oil oozes out.Right after that,add the mutton pieces with turmeric powder.Wait till water  oozes out from mutton.
6.Now add the Dry Masala Powder.Fry for a minute and then add 3 cups of water.Add some salt and close the cooker.After the first whistle,reduce the flame to less than medium and cook for 15-17 minutes without any whistles further(this is where i always had made mistakes earlier.....thanks to Raji Anni for sharing this secret.The mutton cooks perfectly this way).
7.Wait till the pressure releases.As soon the cooker calms....open the lid and add the Cashew-Coconut Paste.Mix well.
8.Check for salt and desired consistency.Bring the gravy to a boil.

The most wanted Palate Teaser is ready to be served.It goes well with hot idlis,soft dosas,steaming rice or fluffy phulkas.The best combo would be a parotta;).
I made it for rotis.So the display has a combo of salads.
Happy Cooking!
Guten Appetit!!!

Tips:
#I like adding Nallennai/Gingely Oil to cook this gravy.It gives a peculiar taste.You can use sunflower oil if you don't like the smell of gingely oil in your gravy.

#I added 1tbsp of Coriander Powder at stage 8 before bringing the gravy to a boil ,as i wanted a little more  punch of Masala to the gravy.You can skip this if you are satisfied with your taste.

#Try adding Boiled Eggs and Cooked Potatoes at the end(Indian-Singaporean Style).They give a different taste all together when paired with white rice.

#Have the gravy the next day with dosai.Trust me....it tastes even better:-)!!!

Mutton Curry with boiled egg,Pepper Rasam,Steamed Rice and Chicken fry