Indian · serves 2

Mutton Curry

A Sunday dish. Put it on, do something else, come back to something great.

75 min A proper cook Non-vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 800g mutton on the bone
  • 4 onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup curd
  • 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 3 tomatoes
  • 2 tsp red chilli powder
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • Whole spices
  • 5 tbsp oil

Method

  1. Marinate the mutton in curd, ginger-garlic and salt for at least an hour.
  2. Whole spices in oil, then the onions — fry until genuinely brown, 15 minutes. This decides the colour of the curry.
  3. Add the mutton with its marinade, fry on high 10 minutes until it seizes and browns.
  4. Tomatoes and powders, cook till the oil separates.
  5. Pressure cook with 2 cups water — 6-7 whistles, then 15 minutes on low.
  6. Open, dry it down to the thickness you want. Garam masala, coriander.

Questions people ask about Mutton Curry

How long does Mutton Curry 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 Mutton Curry?

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

Can I make Mutton Curry ahead of time?

Yes, and it is better for it. Cool it fully, refrigerate for up to three days, and reheat gently with a splash of water. The flavours settle overnight.

Can I make Mutton Curry 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 Mutton Curry?

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 Mutton Curry?

Roti or plain rice, with something sharp on the side: curd, pickle or sliced onion. It serves two as written. Double everything to feed four, but use a wider pan so the food still browns rather than steams.

Don't know what to cook? Let it decide →

Read more on the technique

More ideas by ingredient

If you liked this

Shami Kebab
70 min · A proper cook
Yakhni Pulao
70 min · A proper cook
Mutton Rara
80 min · A proper cook
Tawa Fish Fry
25 min · Easy
Prawn Masala
25 min · Some work
Amritsari Fish
25 min · Some work