Alma Bax Mutton kurma is a popular street food in Hyderabad (Hyderabadis call it mutthu katta, Pakistaniis call it mutthu karai, and my wife calls it mutton kurma when she is eating it with me). It’s a fried pastry made with a little bit of egg and butter, that is stuffed with mutton curry and is usually eaten with chutney. It is this dish that I want to talk about here.
Malai kurma recipe is a classic recipe of north Indian cuisine. It is made from pure yogurt, cream and a little spices. Malai kurma is also known as mohanth kurma, mooli kurma and mutton korma.
It is a very old recipe, I am not sure of the exact date, but I know it was around the time of Mughal sojourn to India. I am not sure of the recipe, but I remember my mother making it exactly the same way since childhood. So when I got married, I used to have it on special occasions. I have always loved these kinds of recipes, simple, yet delicious.
Mutton Kurma is a coconut-based South Indian stew that differs from mutton khorma/korma, a Mughlai dish from North India. Mutton kurma comes in a wide variety of flavors. This time, I’m going to show you how my mother-in-law makes it at home, typically with pulav for supper. If there is any leftover kurma, it may be served with idli/dosa for breakfast – believe me, this combo is fantastic.
Green chilies are used instead of chilli powder in this mutton kurma, which is also flavored with mint and fresh coriander leaves. This changes the color of the curry to a light greenish or yellowish hue, giving the kurma a distinct flavor and fragrance.
Time to prepare: 10 minutes
Time to cook: 40 minutes
Tamilnadu cuisine
Medium spiciness
3–4 servings
Ingredients
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- 500 gms mutton/lamb (with bones)
- 1/3 cup of oil
- 2 or 200 gms onion
- 1 tomato (large)
- 4 green chillies
- 1/2 cup (10 gms) mint
- 1/2 cup (15 gms) coriander leaves with stems
- 1 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
spices in their natural state
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- 2 bay leaves
- Cloves (about 5 cloves)
- 4 green cardamoms
- 3 cinnamon sticks (2 inch each)
- 2 marathi moggu (little java peppercorn)
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
paste made from coconut
- 1/2 cup coconut (freshly grated)
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 green chilli
- 6 cashew nuts
- 1 teaspoon khus khus (poppy seeds)
Method
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- Chop the onion, tomato, mint, and coriander leaves into small pieces. Make sure they’re prepared.
- Soak cashewnuts and khus khus for 30 minutes or longer in 1/4 cup boiling water.
- Prepare the green chilies by slicing them and keeping them ready.
To make the coconut paste
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- To make a smooth paste, combine all of the ingredients in a blender with 1/4 cup water (I used soaked cashew water). In the mixer, add a little water to clear any leftover coconut paste that may be used in the curry. Separate the water and the coconut paste.
Mutton kurma in the oven
- Oil is used to heat the vessel. When the pan is heated, add the entire spices and cook for 15 seconds.
- Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender and translucent.
- Add the ginger and garlic paste, as well as the green chilies, and cook for approximately 2 minutes.
- Sauté for 3 minutes with all of the mint leaves and half of the coriander leaves. Continue to stir. If the flame is already blazing, it may be extinguished.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes after adding the meat. After that, add the tomatoes and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Combine the coriander and turmeric powders in a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Cook until oil begins to separate towards the edges.
- Cook the beef with 2 cups of water. I used a pressure cooker and cooked the meat for 3 to 4 whistles, depending on the kind of meat. Turn off the light.
- When the meat is done, remove the cover. The color is dark and faint, as you can see.
- Add 1/2 cup (150 mL) water and coconut paste (include the water needed to clean the coconut paste from the mixer).
- Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat with the top slightly ajar.
- Mix in the coriander leaves well. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes on a low heat with the lid closed (simmer). Turn off the light.
- Serve with plain rice, pulav, chapathi, or parotta as a side dish.
Notes
- Mint and coriander leaves must be sautéed thoroughly to get the kurma’s delicate light green or yellow color and flavor.
- When adding the mint leaves, a sprinkle of turmeric powder may be added.
- The heat level of the chilies will determine the level of spiciness. The chilies I used were of a medium heat level.
Mutton Kurma or Mutton Curry, is a dish made from mutton and lentils. It is well-known in India for its delicious taste. My mother used to make this curry when I was little. It tastes great if it is made with good quality mutton. She used to make this dish often when we were alone. I would play around with my food while looking at my mom cooking. I thought this dish is too delicious to eat. I could not stop myself from biting her food.. Read more about chettinad mutton kurma and let us know what you think.
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