Sarika shares the recipe of healthy and wholesome Mutton Dopyaja, in the weekly column, exclusively in Different Truths.
Mutton is a most beloved dish in almost every Bengali household. Though many different types of recipes are there for mutton curry, manghso er jhol with bhat (rice) is a never failing dish in any Bengali family. I used to wonder seeing my Maa (mother) doesn’t eat chicken but she relishes mutton. Later on, I saw most of the Bengalis keep away from chicken but were fond of mutton and fish. I don’t want to discuss history over it, however, I know mutton curry always scores ten out of ten from Baba (father). Following the trend perhaps, both husband and son also smile mysteriously when they see mutton on the table. It is a mandatory dish when you invite Bengali friends over dining.
A life without challenges is boring, so I keep trying different dishes. Sometimes I get very good feedback or sometimes the worse, but I will not stop my experiment with food. So far I am enjoying it. The other day, my son came home with a grumpy face as it was a bad day for him, so to cheer his mood I prepared Mutton Dopyaja, to make him happy. A mood changer for sure!
Here is the recipe:
Mutton Dopyaja
Ingredients
- Mutton 1 kg
- Sliced onions 4
- Yogurt 1 cup
- Bay leaves 2
- Whole red chilies 10
- Chopped green chilies 8-10 which gives tasty flavour.
- Ginger chopped 2 tbsp
- Garlic chopped 2 tbsp
- Garam masala powder 1 tbsp
- Black cardamoms 3 – 4
- Cinnamon 2 sticks
- Black pepper corns 1 tsp
- Ghee half cup
- Salt according to taste
Cooking Method
Heat ghee (clarified butter) in a deep pan.
Now, add cardamoms, whole red chilies, bay leaves, red chili powder, black pepper corns and cinnamon. Fry for 2 minutes.
Add the chopped ginger and garlic.
At this point, we need to add the beaten yogurt and cook for another 3 minutes on high flame.
Now, add mutton and a sufficient amount of water and cook until almost tender.
Mix in the sliced onions, garam masala powder, chopped green chilies, and salt.
Cover and cook until all the water dries or desired consistency.
And serve with rice, naan or roti.
©Sarika Sarkar Das
Photos by the author.
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