Podi Mamsam
A bold, spicy, dry mutton dish from Telangana
Ingredients
- 500 g mutton, curry-cut, bone-in, from the shoulder
- 100 g natural, yoghurt
- 3 large onions, sliced
- 1 tsp ginger, paste
- 4 large cloves of garlic, pounded
- ½ tbsp white poppy seeds, coarsely pounded or dry ground
- 3 1-inch pieces of cinnamon, pounded to a coarse powder
- 4 green cardamoms, peeled and pounded to a coarse powder
- 3 cloves, pounded to a coarse powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp red chilli powder (cayenne) (or as per taste)
- 1 tbsp dhaniya or coriander powder
- 1 tsp black peppercorns, coarsely pounded
- 2 tbsp gingelly oil
- A handful of curry leaves
- Salt
Instructions
- Whisk together the yoghurt, ground turmeric, chilly powder, salt and ginger paste in a bowl and marinate the mutton in this mixture for 3-4 hours or overnight in the fridge.
- Heat a pan on low heat, add the coriander powder and dry roast for 20 - 30 seconds. Put it aside in a bowl.
- Pour oil into the same pan and toss in the sliced onions. Fry on a gentle heat till translucent with golden edges. Then add the garlic, pounded spices, poppy seeds and half the curry leaves and sauté for a minute.
- Tip in the marinated mutton and fry for a couple of minutes. Then put a lid on the pan, lower the flame to minimum and cook till the mutton is tender. While the mutton cooks, stir intermittently, scraping the browned masala sticking to the pan and adding a little water as needed. Do this till the meat is cooked.
- Once the meat is cooked, check and correct the salt, add the remaining curry leaves and ground pepper, increase the flame to medium and fry till the gravy thickens up and the meat is a rich, dark brown. Turn off the heat and serve.