Monday, November 23, 2015

Special Sunday Lunch - Simple Mutton Curry and Zaafraani Pulao

What’s your Sunday Lunch?

When we were kids, Sunday would be an important day. Going to church first with our parents and siblings with our best clothes and then our folks would go to the market to get the best meat or fish to cook for our Sunday Lunch. Pork was always the main item on the menu and we would have either a sorpotel or vindaloo or pork or beef roast.
Mutton being the most expensive meat was purchased on few occasions. I was not very fond of mutton as pork was always my favourite meat. However, it was very delectable as it had its own distinct taste and flavour. Biryani was and still is my favourite (mutton) but one of my favourite curries was one without any garam masalas and dry ground spices. I would always like the curry prepared by my mom which was with nicely browned onions, ginger garlic chilles and other wonderful herbs. This would bring out the flavours of the mutton rather than what the dry ground spices do, i.e. suppress the flavours and make it spicy masaledar and which I rarely indulge.

Sari has mastered the preparation of this dish and this preparation was again lip smacking and delicious. The last time I got some wonderful cuts of mutton with nalli (leg bone marrow) that had the creamy buttery marrow oozing out and the dish turned out fantastic. She also made a Saffron infused Pulao which was superb and went so well with the mutton gravy. Another yummilicious preparation.


Simple Mutton Curry



 Ingredients

1 kg mutton  medium size pcs (washed)
3 med tomatoes finely chopped
3 big onions finely chopped
2 inch pc of ginger finely chopped
7 to 8 big flakes of garlic  finely chopped
3 green chillies  slit in the center
1 tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ bunch of  coriander leaves washed & finely chopped
¼ bunch of  mint leaves washed and finely chopped
¼ cup of oil
Salt to taste

Method

In a pressure pan add the washed meat with salt, 2 cups of water and cook till tender.

In a pan take oil and heat it on high flame, add chopped onions and fry  till it turns light golden brown.

Add the chopped tomatoes and fry till the oil comes to the surface.. add the chopped ginger and garlic fry well. 

Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, Stir well.

Add the boiled meat with water stir and let it cook on high flame till it boils vigorously.

Add green chillies, chopped coriander and  mint leaves, reduce the flame.

Cook on slow flame with closed lid for 20 minutes.

Adjust salt if required, Enjoy with Zaafrani Pulao…



Zaafrani  Pulao ( Saffron Rice)


Ingredients

4 cups of India Gate Basmati rice (wash it 3 to 4 times and soak it in water for 1 hour)
4 maggi cubes  (chicken or  vegetable) (there are 2 cubes in a box)
6 tbsp pure amul ghee
½ tsp saffron (zaafraan)
6 cups of boiled water
2 medium onions thinly sliced

Method

In a big handi take ghee, once the ghee is hot add the onion and fry till it’s lightly browned,

Add 6 cups of boiled water, add the cubes,rice and saffron. Let it boil for 5 minutes.

Mix it well, close the handi with foil.. close the lid tightly over the foil.

Let the rice cook on very very slow flame for 15 minutes. Put off the flame.

Open the lid, fluff the rice with a fork and close the lid and let it cook for  another 5 minutes in its own steam.

Voila zaafraani pulao is ready to be served with lip smacking mutton curry.

Enjoy…..Leave  in your comments if your family really enjoyed this yummy mutton curry and zaafrani  pulao

Saturday, November 07, 2015

Shrimps Chilly Fry (Maharashtrian Style)


Ingredients

500 gms Small shrimps  (clean devein & wash)
3 big onions  (chopped  big cubes)
1 big tomato (chopped)
1 big capsicum (chopped big cubes)
 2 inch ginger chopped finely
6 big garlic flakes chopped roughly
1 ½ tsp east Indian bottle masala 
1 ½ tsp Maharastrian Goda masala
½ tsp turmeric powder
¾ tsp salt
2 tsp white vinegar
4 tbsp Oil
1/4 cup water

In a big frying pan on medium flame add oil…once the oil is hot add chopped onions….fry till translucent.

Add chopped ginger and garlic fry for another minute.

Add chopped tomatoes fry till the tomatoes are well incorporated with the onion mixture on high flame.

Add the dry  masala, fry till you get nice aroma for a minute.

Add ¼ cup water and fry till the water evaporates. (water is added so the dry masala dosen't burn)

Add vinegar, salt to taste, shrimps and capsicum. Mix, close the lid and cook for 2 minutes on slow flame. Do not overcook the shrimps as you want them to be sweet and juicy.



Voila shrimps chilly fry is ready to be served with chapatti or rice bhaakri (rice hand bread)………..YUMMILICIOUS… J J