KOLHAPURI MUTTON (DRY)

Ingredients:

8 cloves

8 peppercorns

6 red chillies

4 large potatoes, peeled, halved

3 tomatoes

2 large onions, chopped

1/2 coconut, grated

1/2 kg mutton, cleaned, cubed

1 cup oil

1 cup coriander leaves

1 tbsp gingergarlic paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp poppy seeds (khas khas)

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp aniseeds (saunf)

Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

Wash and clean mutton. Cut it into 1.5 inch-sized pieces. Peel the onions and slice half of it, and finely chop the rest. Grate khopra (dry coconut) and dry roast on a hot tawa till it turns golden brown. Stir constantly and ensure it doesn't burn. Wash, clean and finely chop tomatoes. Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry sliced onions till it turns golden brown, too. Remove on a paper towel and cool. Grind fried onion and roasted khopra with a little warm water, till it becomes a paste. Rub salt and turmeric powder on the mutton pieces.

Method to Cook:

Pressure cook with two and half cups of water or boil with sufficient water till the mutton is almost cooked. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a thick-bottomed pan. Add chopped onions, cook till golden brown. Stir in the ginger and garlic pastes. Add chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.Add red chilli powder and khopra and the onion paste. Bhunno till the oil leaves the sides of the pan or starts appearing on the edges of the masala. Now add the boiled mutton and salt. Stir constantly and cook further for 10 minutes till the consistency of the gravy is thick and the mutton pieces are nicely coated with the masala. Flavour with green cardamom powder and garam masala powder.