Mughalai Mutton Korma

Ingredients:

Mutton (on the bone) - 1 kg

Onion - 750-800 gms (finely chopped)

Desi ghee - 4 (table spoons)

Spices

Black peper - 10-15 nos

Cloves - 3-4 nos

Green cardamom - 6-8 nos

Black cardamom - 2 nos

Mace (Javitri) - 1 flower

Nutmeg (Jaayphal) - 1 pinch (finely grated)

Bay leaves - 2 nos

Concentrated kewra essence - 2-3 drops

Curd - 400 gms

Red chilli powder - 1-2 teaspoons

Salt to - taste

Directions:

In a thick bottomed pan, put all the ghee and fry half of the onions till golden brown. Take them out and drain all the ghee. Put them in the curd and beat the mixture. The onions will crumble and the curd will become light brown in colour. Keep it aside.

Grind the rest of the onions along with the chilli powder and salt to a fine paste. You can add little water to this if needed. - In the same ghee, put all the spices and stir fry them for 2-3 minutes. Put all the mutton into this and roast it for 3-5 minutes. Pour the onion paste which has red chilli powder and salt, into the pan and then roast the mutton again with this on medium flame.

Keep adding little amount of water if you feel that the food is sticking to the bottom. When the gravy separates from the oil, add the curd & fried onions mixture into this. As soon as you do that you'll see that the gravy acquires the colour of typical Mughlai korma.

Now we have to cook this gravy on low flame for 15 minutes so that the flavours of the spices absorb deep inside the mutton and the mutton is cooked thoroughly. You can keep adding little amount of water as and when needed, just making sure that at no point of time, the water is in excess. It is only to prevent gravy from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Again, when you see oil separating from the gravy it is time to add 2-3 cups of water, put 2-3 drops of concentrated kewra essence and close the lid. (For faster cooking of mutton, do this in a pressure cooker). Switch to high flame and wait for the first whistle. Immediately put the flame on simmer and cook for another 10-12 minutes, or until the mutton is soft enough to your liking. Switch off the flame and wait for the whole pressure to release. There you have your mughlai mutton korma.

- Raja Kumari Akunuru