Bhut Mangsho or Ghost Mutton is as it says…ghostly hot!

So where does the Ghost come in?

That comes from the addition of hot peppers called Ghost peppers.  but the amount is a personal preference. In the early years I mainly used Ghost peppers, Bhut Jolokia the previous title holder for hottest pepper!
Bhut in Bengali is also the word for Ghost…
Hence Ghost mutton.

I just tend to puncture the peppers and that way it’s hot and I can take the whole cooked pepper onto my plate to bruise into my food.
I also add 1 in the 1st stage but again it’s all up to your endurance level!

Mutton is my weakness, I like it too much.
That being said, we don’t have it very often.
I cooked a large amount for entertaining and added my favourite mix of ribs which impart alot of flavour and fat.
Always on the bone for me…you can’t beat the flavour and taste. A mix works well in my home…caters for everybody. I love my gelatinous melt in the mouth tender meat when all the scrumptious fat renders down in cooking process.

I’ve added green bell peppers here and some potent homegrown yellow reapers!
There is nothing like the fragrant hot peppers that impart aromatic flavour and heat! You can use scotch bonnets as they are readily available or just simply green chillies.

Keep your green pepper al dente as they will continue to cook in the residual heat after.

A good quality Kashmiri chilli powder is a must. Not only does it add a vibrant colour but it adds to the visual allure. If you’re wary of heat level substitute the chilli powder with Paprika and just use 1 scotch bonnet/ Maga Morich or Ghost pepper punctured for that flavour!

INGREDIENTS:

3 kg mutton leg, ribs and shoulder mix
4 tbsp oil
1 mace blade
3 cardamom pods slit
1 large cinnamon bark
6 cloves
10 peppercorns
2 bayleaves torn
3 tbsp oil

3 hot peppers (optional) or 3 to 4 green chilles…sliced

1 large bulb garlic cloves minced
2 inch piece ginger minced
3 large onions chopped
1 green bell pepper cut into inch chunks
3 fresh tomatoes chopped
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp turmeric
3 tbsp dried Kasuri Methi

3 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
2 tbsp kashmiri Basar powder (East End)

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tbsp cumin powder (ideally roasted)
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Method:

1st Stage:

Wash meat…place in a deep pan.
Add the listed ingredients below for 1st stage, into the pan. (I add 1 hot pepper here as I like hot).
Add enough water to just cover the meat.

3 kg mutton leg, ribs and shoulder mix
1 mace blade
3 tbsp oil
6 cloves
3 cardamom pods slit
1 large cinnamon bark
10 peppercorns
2 bayleaves torn
1 large bulb garlic cloves minced
2 inch piece ginger minced
3 onions chopped
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp turmeric           
stir in dried methi leaves,

Bring to boil and cover…and cook this on medium flame till the water evaporates and you have about cupful of water left. Stir every now and then…careful not to break up meat. This is the stage you have softened the meat.

Now at this stage lower heat and add the following spices:

2nd Stage:

3 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tbsp chilli powder
2 tbsp Kashmiri powder (East End)
1 tbsp cumin powder
Add the 3 fresh tomatoes.
1 tbsp coriander powder

Now you cook off the spices stirring gently to not break the meat but till the oil splits.
Cook till you have no water left. Add splashes of water…cook it off till oil splits out separating the spices.

Keep doing this and continue cooking, add splashes of water and repeat this a number of times so the spices meld with meat and you have a thick sauce…almost drying and keep adding splashes of water but do this for as long as needed until your meat is tender as to your preference.

3rd Stage:

Here you want to add water…enough to loosen it to your finished preference. I like my sauce creamy and thick.

This stage you will need the
1 bell pepper cut into chunks or wedges.
hot peppers punctured or 3 chillies slit
Dried methi leaves

Add the green peppers, hot peppers if using, and fresh coriander then cook on med/low till sauce reduces and you have oil raising to top, your green pepper is just cooked, becoming aromatic and your meat is luciously tender and cooked.

Last stage:

Take off the heat, sprinkle with
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp roasted cumin powder and serve.
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Tips:

I tend to use my stove top pressure cooker for the  first part and cook for about 20 mins in 1 cup of water.

That way I slow cook with the spices at the second stage to ‘Bhuna’ which means slow cooking off the spices over some time till all water is evaporated splitting the oil and cooking it in the oil but not frying it.

It works just fine on stove top too but just takes longer, but the slow cooking second stage is what really develops flavour!

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