Ride to Khandala Ghat and a recipe for Desi Mutton Curry

Today’s Sunday ride to Khandala Ghat was a delightful experience, especially with the lovely weather in the early morning around six o’clock—our usual departure time. Our mantra is to go early and return early. We took the scenic route through Khandala Ghat along the old Mumbai-Pune highway and had a smooth ride all the way to Khopoli, where we made our first pit stop at Amrutulya Tea Stall. There, we enjoyed some refreshing lemon tea infused with mint leaves and honey, which is our go-to drink. After a brief fifteen-minute break, we got back on the road toward our destination—Khandala.

We stopped for a few photo opportunities along the way and watched many riders zoom past on their impressive machines, some of which were quite noisy and disrupted the peaceful beauty of the ghat. Once we were done, we headed back for our return journey. Our breakfast destination was supposed to be Shree Smarth Misal in Khopoli, and we were all excited to savour their Thecha and onion bhajiyas, along with our favourite misal pao. However, to our surprise, Shree Smarth Misal was closed, so we turned back on the old highway and stopped at Shivay Hotel at Karjat Chowk instead.

Twenty minutes later, we arrived at Shivay Hotel, where we ordered a mix of misal pao and masala uttapam, which was delicious! After a hearty breakfast, we began our return journey via the same route, but I had other plans in mind. Being a Sunday, it was my customary mutton cooking day, and since I was passing Panvel, I planned to take a slight detour to Nere Village in Panvel to buy some high-quality mutton. I religiously purchase mutton once every quarter from Panvel because the quality is exceptional, which significantly elevates my dining experience. Good meat makes for great curries, and I decided to go with my old favourite—desi mutton curry. I prefer the meat from the leg rather than the shoulder and also buy some chops to cook later in the week.

Masala Uttapam at Shivay Hotel, Karjat Chowk

This classic and rustic old-school recipe is one that I have been cooking for decades and is my personal favourite when I want to enjoy a mutton curry with some bhakri. I use a generous amount of spices and, as a bonus, add some fresh meat lard, roasting it nicely before incorporating the meat. So next weekend, give this recipe a try and enjoy it with a lager for the perfect Sunday lunch!

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Mutton ( Goat ) – 800 gms
Onions – 120 gms
Tomatoes – 60 gms
Green Chillies – 10 gms
Dry Coconut – 20 gm
Poppy seeds – 5 gms
Cloves – a few
Peppercorns – 1 tsp
Garlic – 1 full pod
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Bay leaf – 1 or 2 max
Coriander – 2 sprigs
Meat Masala – 2 tbsp
Chilli Powder – 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tbsp
Sesame oil – 40 ml
Salt – to taste

Instructions:

1 ) Wash and clean Mutton. Rub turmeric and set aside.
2 ) Roast the poppy seeds and coconut lightly and let it cool.
3 ) Grind the onions, tomatoes, green chillies, cumin, clove, peppercorns, garlic poppy seeds and coconut to a coarse paste.
4 ) Heat oil in a kadhai. Roast the paste adding Bay leaf and chopped coriander and meat lard. Roast nicely on a medium flame till brown.
5 ) Add the meat masala and chilli powder and roast lightly.
6 ) Add the mutton and mix well. Add a little water. Cover and cook on slow flame for approximately 45 minutes. Once done, serve hot with Roti or Bhakri.