How to cook authentic Maharashtrian Mutton Curry

Today’s ride was quite short. It was planned on very short notice, just the night before, while we bikers were enjoying a hearty meal at our friend Amabadas Sonawane’s housewarming ceremony. We set off later than usual, around 7:30 AM, which is late by our standards, but it didn’t matter since our destination was Ulwe.

We rode all the way to the JNPT end, passing through Ulwe and engaging in a bit of off-roading where I had the chance to test my KTM Adventure 390, which lived up to its reputation. The sight was amazing—huge cargo ships lined up, ready to be loaded with tons of cargo, set against a backdrop of blue water.

The weather was pleasant, with spots of bright sunshine, and we had a fantastic time strolling along the promenade. After enjoying a hearty breakfast of spicy Misal, we returned home within a couple of hours. This left me with plenty of time to cook something special, and I decided to prepare a Maharashtrian Mutton Curry.

This dish is fragrant and filled with bold flavors, thanks to the infusion of coconut, plenty of green chilies, and coriander, which make it highly aromatic. I made a classic “Watan,” as we call it in Marathi—a gravy base used for both non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes. I encourage you to try my recipe next weekend for a delicious lunch!

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Mutton – 800 gms
Meat Lard – 30 gms
Onions – 200 gms
Coriander – a bunch
Green Chillies – 20 gms
Dry Coconut – 50 gm
Garlic – 1 full pod
Black Cardamom – 2 pcs
Melon Seeds ( Magaj beej ) – 1 tbsp
Red Chilli powder – 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Whole peppercorns – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Mustard Oil – 50 ml
Salt – to taste
Clove powder – a pinch

Instructions:

1 ) Add 1 tbsp of salt to the mutton and mix well. Wash the mutton thoroughly and set aside.
2 ) Add a teaspoon of Turmeric powder to the meat lard and wash it thoroughly. Set aside.
3 ) For the Watan – roast the peppercorns, melon seeds and cardamom lightly and let it cool for five minutes. Add them to onion, green chillies, coriander, cumin, coconut and garlic and grind all together to a coarse paste.
4 ) Heat the mustard oil in a kadhai or thick-bottomed pan. Add the paste and Mutton lard and fry till dark brown and oil oozes out.
5 ) Add red chilli powder and Mutton. Mix well. Add salt and 300 ml water. Cover with lid and cook on slow fire for a 45 to 60 minutes. Once done. Add clove powder and garnish with chopped coriander. Serve hot.