Mutton slow-cooked in a fiery, deeply red gravy of Mathania red chillies and yogurt — the most celebrated meat preparation of Rajasthan.
Ingredients
700g bone-in mutton
1.5 cups thick yogurt — whisked
8 to 10 dried Mathania red chillies (the specific dried chillies from Jodhpur; substitute with 6 Kashmiri + 3 regular dried red chillies for colour and heat)
1 tbsp garlic paste
3 tbsp oil or ghee
2 medium onions — finely sliced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
4 cloves
2 black cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick — 3 cm
Salt
Method
Soak Mathania chillies in warm water 30 minutes.
Blend with garlic paste to a smooth paste.
Marinate mutton with yogurt, the red chilli-garlic paste and turmeric for 6 hours or overnight.
Heat 3 tbsp oil or ghee in a heavy pot. Add cloves, black cardamom and cinnamon.
Add finely sliced onions. Cook on medium for 15 minutes until very dark golden.
Add the marinated mutton with all the yogurt marinade.
Cook on medium-high stirring for 8 to 10 minutes.
Reduce to medium-low. Cover and cook for 50 to 60 minutes until mutton is completely tender and the oil has surfaced, creating the characteristic red pool on top.
Uncover. Cook 10 minutes until the gravy has concentrated. Add garam masala and salt.