Hyderabadi pasande

Pasande is a very traditional Hyderabadi dish, one that is being forgotten.

Mutton Pasanda dates back to the 16th century and became a staple at the courts of Mughal Emperors of Turco-Mongol origin who ruled India under a Muslim Persianate dynasty. In Urdu, the word pasanda means “favourite” and is prepared with the finest cuts of juiciness meat. In the old days, families would get a cut of meat from the butcher, also called "pasande ka gosht" which is cut as thin slices from the leg of the goat. This is supposed to be very thin, and the meat is slow-cooked in the recipe to enhance the tenderness of the meat but also have it completely permeated with the spices.

I had not had this dish for a long time and was excited when we decided to make this recipe. The dish's complexity is the perfect blend of spices, warming from the Persian influence but with a light zing from the chilli. The meat is slow-cooked and tender. Today, most families use regular cuts of meat rather than the traditional "pasanda" cut as it is becoming harder to find. My mother prefers bone-in meat as she believes the bones add flavour to the dish. This is definitely a rich dish, with lots of grease, but one that is relished whenever present on the table. Mom likes to serve this dish wth traditional sheermal, but you can also serve it with plain rice.

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For the spice paste:

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

12 cashew nuts

12 almonds

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1/2 cup yoghurt

1/4 cup cilantro, leaves and tender stems

3 onions, sliced

4 tablespoons oil

For the curry:

1/4 cup oil

4 cardamom pods

2 cloves

10 black peppercorns

1/2-inch cinnamon stick

1 lb mutton, thin slices of leg or bone-in cut

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons chilli powder, or to taste

4 cups water

Salt, to taste

Cilantro, minced, to garnish

Onions, to garnish

Green chillies to garnish

Roast the coconut, cashew nuts, almonds, coriander seeds, and poppy seeds individually until aromatic and lightly coloured. Cool completely.

Add the oil to a frying pan and sauté the onions until lightly golden. Drain and cool completely.

Grind the spices, fried onions, yoghurt and cilantro to a smooth paste in a blender. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a pot. Add the cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon stick and fry for 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the meat and sear on medium heat on all sides for about 5 minutes. The meat should be browned in spots.

Add the ground spice paste, turmeric, and chilli powder and mix them with the meat. Fry fo 5-6 minutes until the curry is thickened and the oils begin to float in pools on the surface.

Add the water and salt and bring to a boil. At this point, you can either cook the curry in an Instapot on the meat setting + 10 minutes, in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles or on the stove for 90 minutes. If cooking on the stove, make sure you stir the curry often so the spices do not stick to the bottom of the pot and burn. The final curry should be very thick, with the spices clinging onto the meat heavily. The meat should be fork tender and have absorbed the flavours well.

Serve hot garnished with onions, cilantro and green chillies and sheermal to sop up all the curry.