Rajasthani Laal Maas

Rajasthani Laal Maas

A dish that is fiery hot and which can set the taste buds on fire.Rajasthani Laal Maas is surely one fantastic dish to boot. The dark red colour of the gravy with oodles of ghee and oil and red chilli paste and whole red chillies makes it a very powerful dish.I cooked this recipe,inspired by the authentic Rajasthani Laal Maas just before the Pujas and we enjoyed it with Paranthas. The ingredients are the simplest of ones but is really tasty.

Serves: 3

Preparation Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 1.5 hours(for soft and tender mutton).

Ingredients:

• Mutton: 750 gms
• Onion: 400 gms.Sliced longitudinally
• Garlic: 12-14 cloves.Crushed
• Ginger: One 2 inch piece.
• Salt: To taste
• Melted Ghee: 10 tbsp

Powdered/Pasted Spices:

• Turmeric Powder: 2 tsp
• Coriander Powder: 3 tsp
• Red Chilli Paste: 5 tbsp

Whole Spices:

• Green Cardamon: 4-5
• Black Cardamon: 3-4
• Cinnamon Stick: One 2 inch stick
• Cloves: 5-6
• Black Pepper(Crushed): 8-10.
• Bay leaf: 2
• Whole Dry Red Chillies: 12-14

Procedure:

• Under high heat - Pour the melted ghee in a handi/pot and wait for it to become hot.
• One the ghee gets hot, turn the oven to low. In it add all of the whole spices. Wait until the smell of the whole spices evolve. 
• Add the crushed ginger and garlic to the ghee at this point. 
• When the aroma of the ginger-garlic evolves, add the onion slices.
• Increase the heat to medium.Continue to stir the onion slices until the onion turns brownish in colour. This should require around 15 mins.
• Then add the mutton pieces.
• Stir the mutton pieces for 5-6 mins under medium heat and then add all of the powdered and pasted spices.
• Stir for around 25 mins to ensure that the spices mix with the mutton pieces homogenously and the ghee starts separating from the mixture.
• Add some amount of warm water and salt according to taste.
• Stir for another 5 mins.
• From here on continue to slow cook the mutton by putting a lid on the handi for a minimum one hour. Cook by adding some warm water to ensure that the mutton pieces does not stick to the bottom of the pan until the mutton pieces become soft and buttery.In case the mutton pieces still remain hard, slow cook for some more time to ensure that the mutton gets well cooked.

Alternative: The slow cooking part can be alternatively achieved in a pressure cooker.Transfer all the contents from the handi to a pressure cooker and cook for 45 -50 mins to achieve the "melt in the mouth" mutton.

Serve with paranthas.