Rajasthani · serves 2

Laal Maas

Rajasthani, fiercely red, built on chillies and ghee rather than tomatoes.

75 min A proper cook Non-vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 800g mutton on the bone
  • 20 dried mathania or kashmiri chillies
  • 1 cup curd
  • 15 garlic cloves
  • 3 onions, sliced
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • Whole spices: cloves, cardamom, bay
  • 1/2 cup ghee
  • 1 piece charcoal (optional)

Method

  1. Soak the chillies in hot water 30 minutes, then blend with the garlic into a smooth red paste. Kashmiri chillies give the colour without unbearable heat.
  2. Ghee — a lot of it — with whole spices, then onions till golden.
  3. Mutton seared hard, 10 minutes.
  4. Take the pot off the heat, stir in the whisked curd, return to low and cook till absorbed.
  5. Chilli-garlic paste and salt, fried 5 minutes, then 2 cups water. Pressure cook 6 whistles.
  6. For the smoke: sit a bowl in the pot, put a red-hot coal in it, add a spoon of ghee, cover for 3 minutes. Bati or roti.

Questions people ask about Laal Maas

How long does Laal Maas take?

About 75 minutes from starting to sitting down, and it is a proper cook. A good part of that is unattended, so you can get on with something else once it is going.

What can I use instead of mutton in Laal Maas?

Use chicken thighs, but halve the cooking time. Jackfruit works for a vegetarian version and holds up to long cooking.

Can I make Laal Maas ahead of time?

You can prepare it a few hours ahead and reheat gently. It keeps two days in the fridge, though it is best on the day.

Can I make Laal Maas vegetarian?

Yes. Replace the mutton with paneer, firm tofu, mushrooms or soya chunks. All of them cook far faster than meat, so add them in the last five minutes rather than at the start, and keep the masala exactly as written.

Do I need a pressure cooker for Laal Maas?

A cooker is faster but not essential. In an open pot, expect roughly three times the cooking time and keep an eye on the water level, topping up with hot water rather than cold.

What do you serve with Laal Maas?

Bati or roti. It serves two as written. Double everything to feed four, but use a wider pan so the food still browns rather than steams.

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