It’s funny how living in hustling and bustling city life for too long makes one takes lots of things for granted. I have been so busy with my life that I forgot to take a pause and enjoy the beauty and simple pleasures in life. Spending the last few weekends up at the mountain house with a snowy mountain view reminded me about it and it also brought back a lot of fond childhood memories. So before I post today’s recipe, I would like to share with you this lovely poem that I came across when I was 14 and it has since then imprinted in my heart and mind.
Leisure
“What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this is if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.”
W.H. Davies
Today’s recipe is by my best friend Leeza, who taught me how to cook this delicious mutton curry. If you are like me, who doesn’t really like mutton because of the smell of the meat when cooked, you shouldn’t worry about it when making this dish. The trick is to get rid of as much fat surrounding the meat as you can possibly take out, leaving only a bit here and there as it is needed for cooking.
Mutton Curry
(Leeza’s recipe)
Ingredients
- 500 or 600 g mutton or lamb (preferably with bones)
- 1 thumb sized ginger (to blend)
- 1½ big red onions (to blend)
- 4 cloves garlic (to blend)
- ½ big red onion (quartered or sliced)
- 1 tomato (quartered)
- 140 g tomato paste
- 1 yogurt
- 2 long red chili (take out the seeds)
- 50 g butter
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 green cardamons
- 4 cloves
- 1 star anis
- 1 to 2 tbsp meat curry powder (more if you prefer it spicier)
- A bunch of coriander and mint leaves
- Salt
Directions
- Remove as much fat as you could around the meat (leaving behind a little bit only) and cut it into big chunks.
- Blend ginger, garlic and 1½ pieces of red onions together into a paste.
- In a big wok or pot, put in the meat and bones, blended paste, tomato, ½ onion, yogurt, chilies, cinnamon, cardamons, cloves, star anis, curry powder, mint leaves and coriander.
- Blend the tomato paste with a bit of water and pour into the pot (covering the meat half way).
- Bring the pot to a boil (stirring it now and then) and then let it simmer for 2 to 2½ hours, stirring it now and then. Season it with salts once the gravy has thickened.
- Serve this with rice. Enjoy it to the very last bit.
The Verdict
SHIOK ! (DELICIOUS)
The meat is so tender and savorous with its very aromatic and spicy gravy.🙂 A great dish to have during cold season – sure warms you up right away.
If there is any leftover gravy, don’t throw it away. It tastes great with pasta.🙂
What I love about this dish is that it is very simple and easy to prepare (fuss free) – just dump everything into the pot and bring it to boil and then let it simmer for 2 hours and the meal is ready.
Notes
If you prefer to have more gravy, add more tomato paste and water. Add more curry powder if needed for the spiciness.
