Rogan Josh And Keema Pau: Aktar Islam’s Recipes For Cooking With Mutton

Mutton seldom gets nan attraction it deserves. It’s a mature meat, truthful is people sustainable, and it has a extent and richness that younger cuts simply cannot offer. That robustness is precisely what makes it truthful rewarding to navigator with. Mutton’s bold characteristic stands up beautifully to spices, aromatics and slow cooking, truthful it’s perfect for curries, stews and braises; connected nan grill, meanwhile, it takes connected fume successful a measurement that enhances its complexity, alternatively than overwhelming it. You’re improbable to find mutton successful nan supermarket, truthful you’ll request to make a travel to nan butcher’s (many legal ones waste it) aliases order online.

Rogan josh (pictured top)

This Kashmiri curry is traditionally made pinch lamb, but I for illustration utilizing mutton neck, because it has truthful overmuch much flavour.

Prep 20 min
Cook 3 hr+
Serves 4

For nan spiced yoghurt
250ml full-fat yoghurt
1½ tsp crushed fennel seeds (toast astir 1¼ tsp fennel seeds, past grind)
1 tsp ground ginger
6 saffron strands
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp mild reddish chilli powder – deggi mirch for preference
¼ tsp crushed turmeric

For nan rogan josh
6 tbsp ghee
4 full achromatic cardamom pods
1 tsp achromatic peppercorns
5 cloves
1½kg bone-in mutton neck, aliases lamb neck, trim into 5cm chunks
Salt and achromatic pepper
1 tbsp ail paste (optional)
1 tbsp ginger paste (optional)
1 tbsp caramelised bulb puree (this is simply a champion of my kitchen: saute sliced bulb successful a small ghee until caramelised, past blend to a puree pinch a small water)
1 tbsp kashmiri chilli paste (another room mainstay: soak kashmiri chillies successful a small h2o to rehydrate them, past blitz smooth)
1 litre basking lamb stock, aliases boiling water
Chopped caller coriander, to finish

Mix each nan ingredients for nan spiced yoghurt successful a bowl, and group aside.

Next, make nan rogan base. Melt nan ghee successful a casserole complete a mean heat, adhd nan achromatic cardamom, peppercorns and cloves, and cook, stirring, until they smell fragrant and infuse nan ghee. Add nan mutton and a spoon of salt, and saute, stirring, for 10-15 minutes, until nicely coloured each over. Add nan ail and ginger pastes, if using, and navigator for a mates of minutes, until they nary longer smell raw. Add nan pureed bulb and chilli paste, and cook, still stirring, for different 5 minutes.

Stir nan yoghurt operation into nan pot, move down nan power to a simmer and cook, stirring, for astir 5 minutes, until nan fat separates. Add nan stock, screen pinch a tight-fitting lid and time off to navigator connected a debased power for 2 to 2 and a half hours, until nan mutton is very tender. Take disconnected nan lid, move up nan power and trim nan condiment until it thickens to your liking.

Season to sensation and service topped pinch caller coriander and pinch atom and/or naan aliases rotis connected nan side, and possibly a kachumber to trim nan richness of nan meat.

Keema pau

Aktar Islam’s mutton keema pau.

A celebrated Indian thoroughfare nutrient featuring a spicy, flavourful mince curry served successful soft, buttered pan-fried pau, aliases breadstuff rolls.

Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 4

For nan greenish paste
2-3 crystal cubes
1 generous fistful caller coriander
20 mint leaves
3 greenish chillies, stalks discarded (remove nan pith and seeds if you for illustration little heat)
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 greenish cardamom pods
1 achromatic cardamom pod
10 achromatic peppercorns

For nan keema
100ml neutral rootlike oil
2 onions, peeled and diced
Salt
5 tbsp ginger and ail paste
½ turmeric powder
2 tsp mild chilli powder – deggi mirch for preference
3 tbsp crushed coriander
1 tbsp crushed cumin
1kg mutton mince, aliases lamb mince
150ml yoghurt, whisked
300g stiff petit pois
3-4 greenish chillies, slit unfastened lengthways

To finish
1-2 tbsp butter, aliases ghee
1 tbsp kasuri methi (ground dried fenugreek leaves)
1 tsp garam masala
1 large fistful astir chopped caller coriander
4 pau, aliases brioche buns, halved, buttered and lightly toasted successful a basking pan

Put each nan ingredients for nan greenish paste successful a blender and blitz to a soft puree; if request be, adhd a scatter of h2o to thief things along.

Heat nan lipid successful a wide, heavy-based saute pan, past adhd nan onions and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring, connected a debased to mean power for 15 minutes, until soft and aureate brown. Add nan ginger and ail paste, cook, stirring, for 3 aliases 4 minutes, until it nary longer smells raw, past operation successful nan turmeric, chilli powder, crushed coriander and cumin.

Tip successful nan mutton mince and, stirring often, saute successful nan spiced bulb operation for astir 10 minutes, until it’s starting to colour and each signs of rawness person gone. Stir successful nan beaten yoghurt and cook, stirring, for astir 5 minutes more, until nan lipid separates.

Stir successful nan greenish paste, past move down nan power to a bare simmer and time off to navigator for 15-20 minutes, stirring astatine regular intervals. Add nan greenish peas and greenish chillies, operation and time off to navigator connected a debased power for a last 20 minutes; if nan keema looks for illustration it mightiness commencement to catch, adhd a scatter of water.

To finish, operation successful nan butter, kasuri methi and garam masala, play to taste, garnish pinch caller coriander and service successful toasted soft buttered rolls aliases pinch atom aliases flatbreads.