Gongura Mutton or Mutton curry w/ Sorrel Leaves

We in Greater Toronto Area(GTA) are experiencing a heat wave, with temperatures poised to hit record highs we are under an extreme heat alert as dangerous heat invades ON & QC...kind of living Andhra summer here... So here is another signature dish of Andhra Pradesh, that we Telugu people celebrate.

A week ago I had this chance to make a much longed and missed leafy item dish called Gongura in Telugu(Andhra) which refers to Sorrel leaves in English. Give me this dish all through the year and I wouldn't say no to it. Then you can imagine how much I missed it over these years in Canada. We in east coast are not so fortunate enough to find Sorrel leaves in any grocery store, except someone gets the imported seeds and grow the leaves in summer in their farm or back yard. I think in west coast these are readily available thru farmers market..

A few weeks back a dear friend of us gifted me with this gongura which she purchased whole sale from an import vendor. My joy knew no bounds.
Though I have eaten and cooked Gongura in many varieties like Gongura dhal, Gongura Pachadi, Gongura tadka, Gongura Prawns..etc..the most relished combo for me with Gongura is Gongura Mutton.

Both my grand mothers and mother use to frequent this dish especially for me so passionately. Its like they use to dedicate this dish on my name.
So with that profound history lets see the making of it.
Good that I typed out the recipe long ago when my SIL asked for it, not withstanding the pestering my Bro gave her to make Gongura Mutton like my granny. Little did I believe that I will cook this dish my own in this part of the world.

Ingredients :
To Cook Gongura leaves:
1 bunch Gongura (Sorrel leaves)
4-5 Green chillies slit
1/2 of Small onion sliced
2 Big Garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tsp home made Chilly made( andhra karam) - ( Use regular one if not available)
1 tsp oil
Rock salt to taste
Enough water to boil and cook the leaves thoroughly.

For the Mutton Curry:

1 to 1.5 lbs Goat or Lamb meat with bones cut into medium to small pieces
1 Tbsp Oil
2 Big or 4 Medium sized Onions chopped
4 Green chillies slit
6-8 Curry leaves if desired
2 Tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
1 Medium Tomato squeezed

1/2 Tsp Tumeric pwdr

1 Tsp Chilly power
1 Tsp Coriander pwdr
1 Tsp Home Made Garam Masala Pwdr
Salt to taste

Procedure:
Separate leaves from gongura stems ..do remember to add the small pods..which adds to the sourness.
Cook the sorrel leaves with all the rest of the ingredients in the "Cooking Gongura" list..till the leaves are fully cooked.

Remove from heat.

Mash the gongura thoroughly into a smooth paste and keep aside.

Now cook mutton the regular way...
Heat oil and saute' onions, green chillies, curry leaves.
Now add ginger garlic paste fry,
Add Squeezed Tomato and saute'
Add mutton, (usually 1/2 kg- for 1 bunch of sorrel leaves),
Add salt, karam, garam masala powder
Mix and fry for sometime..
Add a little water to cook mutton, or you can pressure cook it too.
Once the mutton is cooked almost, add the cooked mashed cooked gongura and mix well

Allow the gravy to cook for 7 - 10 so that the mutton absorbs the gongura .. and vice versa.

Once the gravy is thick remove from heat.
Serve with Hot rice.

Mutton Biryani - Spicy South Indian Style

This week being dedicated to husband appreciation...on the gastronomy part a little pampering him with a George Foreman Grill and also trying to make some of his favs..and the first thing he always want is Biryani..All the more when he was sick with flu and it was Thanksgiving week too.

Below is one easiest method to get this traditional dish on the dinner table for family and friends. Since the meat used is mutton, using a pressure cooker definitely speeds the cooking process. Again this is one of many ways that Biryani is made. The ingredients and the procedure differ to some extent in each type.


Ingredients:
2 lb Mutton (Leg with bones cut into medium size pieces)
3 cups Basmati Rice (Washed and soaked for 30 mins)
3 Tbsp oil/ghee
5 Bay leaves
5 medium or 3 big Onions cut length wise thinly
6-8 Green Chillies
4 Tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
3 Medium size Tomatoes quartered
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 Tsp Red Chilly powder
2 Tsp Coriander Powder
2 Tsp Garam Masala powder(home made)
1/2 cup Curd/Yogurt
Water 3-4 cups
A bunch of Mint and Coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Procedure :
Add a little red chilly powder, salt and turmeric to the mutton pieces with a few drops of oil, mix thoroughly and keep aside.
Wash and soak basmati rice.
In a pressure cooker heat some oil/ghee, add bay leaf, sliced onions and green chillies.
Fry until onions turn golden brown.
Add ginger garlic paste and fry till the rawness is gone.
Add half of the mint and coriander leaves and fry.
Now add meat and fry well.
Add Chilly powder, Coriander powder, salt and fry again.
Add garam masala and fry till the pieces absorb the flavour.
Add tomatoes and cook till soft.
Add yogurt and cook till oil separates.
Add 1/4 cup of water mix and pressure cook for 20-25 mins
After that time, release pressure, remove lid and check to see if the meat is cooked.

Now add rice and fry again.

Now add enough water depending on the amount of gravy present, approximately 3-4 cups.
Add more salt and mix.

Pressure cook again for 7-10 minutes.
By then all the water is evaporated and the rice is cooked.
Release pressure, uncover, and then add the remaining herbs.

Transfer the biryani to a serving dish.


Serve hot with raita or egg plant masala.

Pepper kheema Curry

AKA Miriyalapodi/Milagu Khiama

Yet another dish from Granny's creation. Kheema(mince)can be made with any meat you prefer. It is so versatile that just changing the spices and combinations can result in a great new taste each time. Kheema can be cooked with a combination of different vegetables. Mom sometimes use to add potatoes to it..Mutton Kheema with potatoes used to be an amazing dish. One famous dish in North India is Matar kheema where minced meat is cooked it with green peas. Another interesting recipe is when Ridge Gourd(Birakaya) is added to kheema curry. Hope to blog all these kheema dishes soon. For now sharing Pepper Kheema which I frequent in my kitchen. A must dish back home for new moms who are nursing their babies. Usually kheema was cooked at home with red chilly powder to spice it up. I learnt from granny to replace chilly powder with black pepper powder to cut the heat and to give a totally different flavour to kheema curry. Miss granny whenever I cook this Pepper kheema.

Ingredients :
1 lb - Minced or Ground Meat/Kheema of either Beef or Mutton
1 Tbsp - Oil
2 Big Size Onions, sliced
2 Green chillies
6-8 Curry leaves
1/4 tsp tumeric powder
1Tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
1/2 tsp of Garam Masala powder(Home made)
1Tbsp Black Pepper powder
Salt to taste
Finely chopped Coriander

Method :
Wash Kheema several times to remove any excess fat and blood. Keep aside
Heat oil in a kadai/wide pan.
Add onion, green chillies, curry leaves one by one and cook till onions are translucent.
Add tumeric powder and fry 2 seconds.
Add ginger garlic paste and keep mixing so that it doesn't stick to edges.
Now add the washed, cleaned kheema and salt.
Add garam masala powder
Mix well.
Cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or till the kheema changes color, stirring occasionally.
Now add the crushed pepper powder to the kheema curry and cook till the kheema is fully done.
Sprinkle some water if it is too dry while the kheema is cooking.
Once the kheema is cooked and leaves oils add coriander and remove from heat.

Serve with plain rice, rasam Parupu Rasam,or sambar.

Mutton Curry with Coconut Gravy

Christmas is here and it brings all the memories of childhood, where we enjoyed carols, home decorations, Christmas tree, greeting cards, new clothes, Church worship, family reunions, friends visiting, baking cakes, or making pastries, sweets and savories, purchasing cartons of fruits, distributing goodies to neighbours, friend, relations, etc.. and not to mention the scrumptious feast on the big day..The usual menu in our joint family was Pilaf or biriyani, variety of chicken curries and variety of veggie curries. In my Aunt's place it was always Pilaf/Biriyani with Spicy Mutton gravy and brinjal chutney. No doubt Mutton is the most favourite meat for most Non-Vegetarians back home.

Here is one version of the most loved mutton curry.

Ingredients :
2 lb Mutton cut into bite size
2 Tbsp Oil
3 - 4 Onions over medium size)
4 -5 Green chillies slit
2 Tbsp - Ginger garlic paste
2 Tomatoes (large) or 1 cup Tomato puree
2 tsp Red chilly powder - 2 ½ tsp.
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1 Tbsp five spice garam masala power
2 Tbsp poppy seeds (soaked in enough water and ground into a smooth paste)
1/2 cup Coconut paste/puree (add little water to the grated coconut and make a puree)
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves (finely chopped)

For the Five Spice powder :
Put together a handful (around 50 gms)of the following spices and grind into a coarse powder and store in a air tight container.
Fennel seeds
Cardamon
Cinnamon
Cloves
Star Anise
Method:
In a pressure cooker, allow oil to become hot and add onions, green chillies and saute' till onions are fully cooked and mushy.
Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell is gone.
Add the mutton pieces along with turmeric, chilly powder, and salt and mix thoroughly till all the mutton pieces are well coated.
Add half of the garam masala powder and mix again.
Add cut tomatoes or puree and close the cooker lid for 2 mints without the whistle inserted.
This will create pressure inside to inject the mutton pieces with masala and also in the process the water from the mutton gets released.
Remove lid and add cup of water or a little more, mix and again close the lid, this time with the whistle and cook for 25 -30 minutes on a medium low heat.
After the time is done, release pressure, remove lid and check to see if mutton is almost done.
Now add the poppy seed paste, coconut paste and remaining garam masala and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until the mutton is soft.
Add coriander leaves and remove form heat.
Serve hot with any seasoned rice, or roti.

Sending this Mutton curry dish to EFM-Mutton Seriesevent hosted by Srilekha of Srishkitchen.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my viewers, readers, friends and family!!!!!

Dry Pepper Lamb with Whole Spices

My favourite of all meats is Lamb or mutton. The chef behind this dish is my husband. There are sometimes when we are bored of that routine gravy and want something spicy and dry. There is a small restaurant in Shivaji nagar, Bangalore, which use to serve this preparation of Lamb, which me and hubby absolutely adored. We always used to make it a point to stop by for lunch in this restaurant whenever we visited Bangalore.

This dish is flavoured by all those authentic spices "Cloves, Cardamom, Cinnamon, and cooked with no added water, in the steam of the ginger garlic paste and spice of coarsely ground black pepper balls, then garnish with sauteed onions and coriander.


Whole Spices:
6 - 8 Cloves
1 tsp Fennel seeds
2 - 3 Cinnamon Sticks
4-5 green Cardamon pods

For Curry:
2 Tbsp Oil
2-3 Green Chillies
1 reem of Curry Leaves
2 Tbsp Ginger & Garlic

Masala Powders: Optional
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder.

To Garnish:
1 big size Onion sauteed w/ a few Curry leaves and thinly slit green chilly
1/2 cup coriander leaves.
1 tsp Lime juice

Steps:
1. In a wok or shallow pan, add oil after the pan is heated and then add all the whole spices after the oil is heats up. Fry till color of the spices changes.
2. Add green chillies curry leaves fry for a few seconds.
3. Add garlic and ginger paste fry a little.
4. Now add the lamb or mutton pieces and salt , mix well.
6. Add salt and if desired all the masala powders except the garam masala powder.
7. Mix well to coat all the lamb pieces with the seasoning and salt
8. Keep roasting the meat till it is half way cooked and then add the pepper and mix well and cook the meat stirring regularly, till any water that came from the meat is evaporated.
9. Check to see if the meat is tender. At this stage add the sauteed onions, green chilly & curry leaves
10. Remove from heat and add the juice
11. Garnish with coriander leaves

This can be served hot with any seasoned rice, or just with hot rice and rasam or sambar or as a side dish for parathas, with any vegetable gravy.

This is my entry to Thick Spice - Clove and hosted canelaycomino and
created by Sunitha's World

Mutton Varuval (Lamb Curry Dry)

This preparation reqiures any type of pre cooked mutton gravy.(I shall post the mutton gravy recipe the next time I cook it.) Say you can make this dish with the saved curry gravy from the the prevoius meal.

Ingredients:
1. Mutton gravy - 1 cup
2. Onions - 1 Medium size
3. Green Chillies - 2
4. Curry Leaves - 8-10
5. Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Coriander leaves - to garnish
7. Oil - 1 tsp

Procedure:1. In an non-stick tawa/pan pour oil after heating and add green chilies(Slit into half and cut into two thin peices) , onoins, 3/4 of curry leaves, and saute till onoins are almost cooked.

2. Add the Mutton/Lamb gravy into this seasoning, mix well and keep sauting till all the gravy is vanished and sticks thick to the lamb peices.

3. Add the Black Pepper powder, left over curry leaves and coriander leaves.

4. Saute a minute and remove from heat.

Serve with Hot Flavoired rice( my next post) or Plain rice with sambar.