Bombay mutton curry

I spent 10 years in Mumbai finishing school and in college and during this time, Bombay curry was a staple at my Aunt's house, feasted on every Sunday. By 4 PM the cook would start to stew the curry and the house would fill with the aroma, I knew dinner was going to be a treat.

This is a classic curry, one that is specific to the melting pot in Mumbai. it is influenced by the curries of the Muslim Bohri community and the Parsi community and the use of local Maharashtrian ingredients like coconut milk and dried kokum fruit for tartness. This version also has us roasting the spices for the curry, this step brings out the deep flavors by releasing the essential oils from the spices, and gives us a darker but much superior curry. It is a lovely decadent curry with loads of flavours that meld together, and spicy, tart and deep spices cling to tender meat and soft potatoes. Served with rice, you do not need anything else.

Finally, I cook this curry in the traditional style, slowly braising it on the stove. Today, many chefs and home cooks fast-cook in pressure cookers, but this curry specifically needs time for the flavours to be extracted, concentrated, and come together.

This is a wonderful cookbook that highlights Parsi cuisine and recipes from Mumbai. It is packed with traditional recipes from the community, with short narratives about the history, dish, or culture. It tends to favour the famous Bombay (Mumbai) style dishes and some home recipes from the author's family kitchen. It is a wonderful specialized cookbook.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 bone-in mutton, can also substitute lamb, or chicken

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon garlic paste

For the masala paste:

8-10 dried red chilies

1 tablespoon roasted peanuts

1 tablespoon split chana dal

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

1 1-inch piece cinnamon stick, broken up

6 cloves

10 peppercorns

1/2 cup fresh grated coconut, frozen ok

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

6 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon ginger paste

2 large onions, finely sliced

15-20 curry leaves

1 can of coconut milk

Salt, to taste

8-10 pieces of dried kokum fruit

Water, as needed

3-4 potatoes, peeled and diced into large chunks

Cilantro, minced, for garnish

Marinate the meat in the ginger and garlic paste for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature.

Meanwhile, make the spice paste. Individually roast the spices, dried red chilies, peanuts, chana dal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, poppy seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, and grated coconut until each smells aromatic and has turned a shade darker. Roast the coconut until deeply coloured, but do not burn.

Grind the dried red chillies, peanuts, chana dal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, poppy seeds, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and peppercorns in a coffee grinder until very fine. Mix the fine powder with the roasted coconut, turmeric, garlic, and ginger and purée in a small blender to a fine paste with minimal water to form a thick paste. You will need to purée for some time to get the coconut very smooth. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pot and sauté the onion and curry leaves until the onions are deep brown. Add the marinated meat and cook on high heat to sear the meat. If you do not use high heat, the meat will give out water and begin to stew before it sears. When the meat looks like it has cooked on the outside, add the spice paste and cook on medium heat until all the water evaporates and the paste begins to take on a deep colour. Be careful as the paste tends to stick to the bottom of the pan, work it off with a wooden spatula to stop the spices from burning.

When the colour looks deep brown, the oils are beginning to be released, and the spices are aromatic, add the coconut milk, salt, kokum fruit, and as much water as you need to submerge the meat. You want a thick curry, so do not dilute too much. Simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring the pot every 15 minutes and checking that the spices are not sticking to the bottom. If they tend to stick, add 1/4 cup water as needed to dilute.

After 1 hour, the oils should have risen to the top, and the meat should be fairly tender. Taste and adjust spices, chilli, sourness (kokum fruit) and salt. Add the potatoes, adjust the liquids so the potatoes are submerged and simmer for an additional 30 minutes till the potatoes are cooked through and soft. Taste and adjust flavours again. The curry should be spicy and tangy and have deep flavours you want to keep returning for. The meat should be fork-tender. The consistency should be very thick, and the curry should cling to the meat heavily.

To serve, heat the curry, adjust the consistency with water, and serve topped with cilantro and a side of rice.