How to Cook Mutton Curry with Sorrel Leaves

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 mins + 30 mins (inactive)

Cooking time: 1 hour 30 mins

Ingredients needed to make Mutton Curry with Sorrel Leaves:

• 1 kg mutton
• ½ cup plain yogurt
• One bunch sorrel leaves, leaves picked and rinsed thoroughly
• 5-6 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• Salt to taste

For the paste:

• 2’’ fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 7-8 garlic cloves, peeled

For the ground spice mix:

• 10-15 red chilies
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 4-5 cloves
• 2-3 green cardamom seeds
• 1’’ cinnamon stick

Cooking instructions for Mutton Curry with Sorrel Leaves:

• Dump all the ingredients of the paste into a blender and pulse them into a smooth paste.
• Place the yogurt in a large bowl and scrape out the above paste into it.
• Sprinkle a dash each of ground turmeric as well as salt into it and stir them until well combined.
• Place the mutton into it and rub the marinade all over them until well coated.
• Cover and keep it in the fridge for at least half an hour to marinate.
• Toss the spices for the ground mix into a hot skillet and toast them for several minutes, stirring often, until they begin to splutter.
• Tip them into a spice grinder and pulse them into a fine powder.
• Drizzle oil in a heavy-based saucepan and heat it over moderate heat until it shimmers.
• Stir in a pinch of ground turmeric as well as a tsp of salt and throw in the potato chunks.
• Sauté them over high heat, stirring often, for a couple of minutes and lower the heat before cooking it further until they turn golden brown.
• Drain them out into a bowl, using a slotted spoon, and set aside.
• Heat oil in another clean saucepan and add the marinated meat into it, along with the marinade.
• Toss the chopped tomatoes into it and cook the mixture over slow heat, while stirring from time to time, until the meat release its juices.
• Continue to cook for another hour or until most of the cooking liquid ebbs away and the oil separates from the curry.
• Dump the cooked mutton mixture into a pressure cooker, along with the fried tomatoes and sorrel leaves.
• Sprinkle the prepared ground spice mix into it and pour in enough water to cover the meat.
• Adjust the seasonings if necessary and secure the lid.
• Bring it to a high pressure and maintain this pressure while cooking until the pressure cooker gives off a couple of whistles.
• Tip it into a large bowl and serve hot alongside steamed rice or parathas

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons