Zeera mutton/cumin Mutton is an old classic, a traditional dish using simply cumin powder as the main spice.
In Assam coriander powder was rarely used in curries. It’s found its way into the mainstream now but many of our traditional heritage dishes uses simply cumin, and that made into paste with Shil bata.
So here is the good old zeera mangsho, cumin mutton.
I’ve added green bell peppers here, moolli and some potent homegrown scorpion peppers.
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 and mooli al dente as they will continue to cook in the residual heat after.
INGREDIENTS:
2 kg mutton leg, ribs and shoulder mix
4 tbsp oil
3 cardamom pods slit
1 large cinnamon bark
1 mace blade
4 cloves
5 peppercorns
2 bayleaves torn
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
3 fresh tomatoes chopped
1 green bell pepper cut into inch chunks
2 tbsp salt
Mooli (optional)
1 tbsp turmeric
3 tbsp dried Kasuri Methi
3 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tbsp chilli powder
3 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tbsp Tandoori masala
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp cumin powder (ideally roasted)
METHOD:
Wash meat…place in a deep pan.
Add the listed ingredients below for 1st stage, into the pan.
Add water to just cover the meat.
1st Stage:
3 kg mutton leg, ribs and shoulder mix
4 tbsp oil
1 large cinnamon bark
3 cardamom pods slit
1 mace blade
4 cloves
5 peppercorns
2 bayleaves torn
1 large bulb garlic cloves minced
2 inch piece ginger minced
3 onions chopped
3 fresh tomatoes chopped
2 tbsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder
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 for the zeera mangsho.
2nd stage:
Now at this stage lower heat and add the following spices:
3 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tbsp chilli powder
3 tbsp cumin 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 each time 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:
This stage you will need the
Bell pepper cut into chunks or wedges.
Mooli
Hot peppers punctured or 3 chillies slit
Dried methi leaves
Tandoori masala
Here you want to add water…enough to loosen it to your finished preference. I like my sauce creamy and thick.
Add the green peppers to the zeera mangsho, stir in dried methi leaves, mooli, hot peppers if using, 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
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp cumin powder (ideally roasted)
fresh chopped coriander leaves and stir well to mix.
Serve.
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 in the zeera mangsho!
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