Cooch Behar Mutton Curry Royal North Bengal

Ingredients

• 700 g mutton — bone-in pieces
• 1 cup yogurt, 1 tbsp ginger paste, 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric, salt for marinating
• 3 tbsp oil
• 2 bay leaf, 4 green cardamom, 4 cloves, 2 black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon
• 2 onions — finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger paste, 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/4 tsp mace powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg — freshly grated
• 1 cup water, 1 tsp garam masala, salt
• fried onion and coriander for garnish

Method

1. Marinate mutton: Combine mutton with yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Marinate 3 hours.
2. Heat oil: Heat 3 tbsp oil in a heavy pot on medium-high.
3. Add whole spices: Add bay leaves, both types of cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. The black cardamom is specifically the Cooch Behar influence — it adds a smoky note.
4. Cook onion: Add chopped onion. Cook 12 minutes until deep golden.
5. Add ginger and garlic: Cook 2 minutes.
6. Add spice powders: Turn low. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, mace and nutmeg. Stir 3 minutes — the mace and nutmeg give this preparation its distinct character.
7. Add marinated mutton: Add mutton with all marinade. Cook on medium-high stirring 8 minutes until the yogurt reduces.
8. Add water and salt: Add 1 cup water and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover tightly.
9. Slow cook: Reduce to lowest heat. Cook 50 minutes until mutton is completely tender.
10. Finish: Add garam masala. Garnish with fried onion and coriander. Serve with rice or roomali roti.
11. Note: Cooch Behar in the foothills of north Bengal was a princely state of the Koch Rajbanshi dynasty that maintained its own distinct court culture until accession to India in 1949. The royal kitchen of Cooch Behar was influenced by both the Bengali tradition of the plains and the hill cooking traditions of neighbouring Bhutan, Assam and Sikkim — producing a meat cooking style that uses mace and nutmeg more liberally than standard Bengali mutton preparations. Maharani Sunity Devi of Cooch Behar was one of the first Indian royal women to write about her family's food traditions.