Mutton curry (also referred to as kosha mangsho, lamb curry, or goat curry) is a dish that is prepared from

goat meat Goat meat or goat's meat is the meat of the domestic goat ''(Capra aegagrus hircus)''. The common name for goat meat is simply "goat", while that from young goats can be called ''capretto'' (It.), ''cabrito'' (Sp. and Por.) or ''kid''. In South ...

(or sometimes

lamb meat Lamb, hogget, and mutton, generically sheep meat, are the meat of domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries''. A sheep in its first year is a lamb and its meat is also lamb. The meat from sheep in their second year is hogget. Older sheep meat is mutton. Gen ...

) and vegetables. The dish is found in different variations across all states, countries and regions of

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

and the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

. Mutton curry was originally prepared putting all the ingredients together in a

earthen pot Earthenware is glazed or unglazed nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids by coating it with a ce ...

and

slow cooking In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quanti ...

the whole curry by wood fire on a clay oven. Today it is cooked using pressure cookers and slow cookers after briefly sautéing all the ingredients and spices in a big

wok A wok (; Pinyin: ; Cantonese ) is a deep round-bottomed cooking pan from China. It is believed to be derived from the South Asian karahi. It is common in China and similar pans are found in parts of East, South and Southeast Asia, as well as ...

. The steadily cooked mutton becomes more tender than normally cooked mutton. Mutton curry is generally served with rice or with Indian breads, such as

naan Naan ( fa, نان, nān, ur, , ps, نان, ug, نان, hi, नान, bn, নান) is a leavened, oven-baked or tawa-fried flatbread which is found in the cuisines mainly of Western Asia, Central Asia, Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, Ma ...

parotta Parotta or Porotta is a layered Indian and Sri Lankan flatbread made from Maida or Atta, alternatively known as flaky ribbon pancake. It is very common in the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu and widely available in other states like K ...

. The dish can also be served with '' ragi'', a cereal.

Ingredients

Common ingredients used to prepare mutton curry include:

mutton Lamb, hogget, and mutton, generically sheep meat, are the meat of domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries''. A sheep in its first year is a lamb and its meat is also lamb. The meat from sheep in their second year is hogget. Older sheep meat is mutton. Gen ...

or goat meat,

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...

turmeric powder Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast A ...

mustard oil Mustard oil can mean either the pressed oil used for cooking, or a pungent essential oil also known as volatile oil of mustard. The essential oil results from grinding mustard seed, mixing the grounds with water, and extracting the resulting vol ...

, ginger garlic paste, dahi (yogurt), assortment of

spices A spice is a seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garni ...

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...

chilli Chili or chilli may refer to: Food * Chili pepper, the spicy fruit of plants in the genus ''Capsicum''; sometimes spelled "chilli" in the UK and "chile" in the southwestern US * Chili powder, the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties ...

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

, and coriander leaves.

Variations

Kashmir

Mutton is a central part of

Kashmiri cuisine Kashmiri cuisine is the cuisine of the Kashmir Valley in the Indian subcontinent. Kashmiris have developed the art of cooking to a very high degree of sophistication and evolved a cuisine quite distinct from that of any part of the world. Rice ...

. Both

Hindus Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

and

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...

prepare the same dishes but with different spices. While

Kashmiri Muslims Kashmiri Muslims are ethnic Kashmiris who practice Islam and are native to the Kashmir Valley in Indian-administered Kashmir. Quote: "Jammu and Kashmir: Territory in northwestern India, subject to a dispute between India and Pakistan. It has bo ...

use onion and garlic in their dishes, the Kashmiri Hindus use hing and

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices ...

powder instead of

and

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...

to increase the flavour of their dishes. Other ingredients, such as

asafoetida Asafoetida (; also spelled asafetida) is the dried latex ( gum oleoresin) exuded from the rhizome or tap root of several species of ''Ferula'', perennial herbs growing tall. They are part of the celery family, Umbelliferae. Asafoetida is thou ...

, onions,

saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent i ...

, red chili powder,

fennel Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...

, cloves, cinnamon,

, and

bay leaves The bay leaf is an aromatic leaf commonly used in cooking. It can be used whole, either dried or fresh, in which case it is removed from the dish before consumption, or less commonly used in ground form. It may come from several species of tr ...

may be used depending on the dish. Most of the mutton dishes are part of

Wazwan () is a multi-course meal in Kashmiri cuisine, originating from Kashmir. Almost all the dishes are meat-based using lamb or chicken with few vegetarian dishes. It is popular throughout the larger Kashmir region. Moreover, Wazwan is also served ...

, a meal of 36 courses which is served during weddings. Some of the important dishes include: :*Rista (meatballs in a fiery red gravy) :*Lahabi kabab or Moachi kabab (flattened mutton kababs cooked in yogurt) :*Daeni phoul (mutton dish) :*Doudha ras (mutton cooked in sweet milk gravy) :*Rogan josh (tender lamb cooked with Kashmiri spices) :*Tabak maaz (ribs of lamb simmered in yogurt till tender, then fried) :*Daniwal korma (a mutton curry with coriander) :*Waza palak (green spinach cooked with small mutton balls known as paliki riste) :*Aab gosh (lamb cooked in milk curry) :*Marchwangan korma (an extremely spicy lamb dish) :*Kabab (minced meat roasted on skewers over hot coals) :*Gushtaba (a velvety textured meatball in white yogurt gravy)

Odisha

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

mutton curry is always made of ''khasi'' goat meat (meat of young castrated male goat). There are many varieties of goat meat curries prepared in Odisha. Simple and flavorful ingredients are used to prepare the curry and usually served with

roti Roti (also known as chapati) is a round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent. It is popular in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, Trinid ...

or in Western Odisha,

puffed rice Puffed rice and popped rice (or pop rice) are types of puffed grain made from rice commonly eaten in the traditional cuisines of Southeast Asia, East Asia, and South Asia. It has also been produced commercially in the West since 1904 and is popu ...

(mudhi). Some of the popular curries are: :* Mutton Kashā () :* Mutton

Curry A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included. There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in tradit ...

() :* Mutton

Roasted Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelizatio ...

Bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...

or Bamboo Mutton () :* Mutton Roasted in Leaf () :* Mutton in Clay Pot () :* Mutton Besar () While mutton curry is usually eaten with

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...

, in

Western Odisha Western Odisha or the western part of Odisha, India, extending from the Kalahandi district in the south to the Sundargarh district in the north. History Historically It's a region of 'Greater Kalinga' & ruled by various dynastys. * Mahamegha ...

''Mangsa Kashā'' is particularly relished with mudhi (puffed rice). ''Mangsa Kashā'' is said to be the predecessor of the popular

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

goat curry dish known as ''Kosha Mangsho'' most probably introduced by the Odia cooks who moved to

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

during the

British rule The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was hims ...

to work in the kitchens of Bengali families.

West Bengal

Kosha mangsho is the

version of mutton curry. It traditionally has less juice and more gravy than mutton curries eaten in other parts of India. This dish is prepared in a ''kosha'' style, which involves retaining the mutton's flavor and moisture using slow cooking and sautéeing methods. Kosha mangsho is traditionally prepared as part of the celebration of

Kali Puja Kali Puja, also known as Shyama Puja or Mahanisha Puja, is a festival originating from the Indian subcontinent, dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali. It is celebrated on the new moon day (Dipannita Amavasya) of the Hindu calendar month of Ashway ...

, a festival dedicated to the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

goddess

Kali Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...

, celebrated on the

New Moon In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclipse. ...

day of the Hindu month Kartik. Railway mutton curry is a

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

colonial-era dish that was served on long-distance trains. The dish was served with dinner rolls.

Tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs ...

was originally used to extend its

shelf life Shelf life is the length of time that a commodity may be stored without becoming unfit for use, consumption, or sale. In other words, it might refer to whether a commodity should no longer be on a pantry shelf (unfit for use), or no longer on a ...

. Some restaurants serve the dish in present-day times, such as Oh! Calcutta! restaurant in

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

, India. Railway mutton curry is prepared using a

coconut milk Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food i ...

base. File:Lamb Curry Pot.JPG, A pot of lamb curry File:Roti Cane Kari Kambing.jpg,

Roti cane Roti canai (pronunciation: /tʃanaɪ/) or roti prata, also known as roti chenai and roti cane (/tʃane/), is an Indian flatbread dish found in several countries in Southeast Asia, especially in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thaila ...

with mutton curry (top) File:Bansa Pora Mutton.jpg, Bamboo Mutton File:Bengali mutton curry - Kolkata - West Bengal.jpg, Bengali mutton curry File:BENGALI MUTTON KOSHA.jpg, Mutton Kosha File:Luchi Maangsho.jpg, Luchi Maangsho File:Mutton Chanp - Five Rivers - Kolkata - FILE 0012.jpg, Mutton Chaap File:Mutton Keema Kabab - Chhote Nawab - Kolkata - FILE 0018.jpg, Mutton Keema Kabab File:Mutton rogan josh.jpg,

Rogan josh Rogan josh (;Rogan Josh
Oxford Learners' Dictionary ) also spelled roghan jos ...

File:Mutton Pulao (22863060315).jpg, Mutton Pulao

Maharashtra

Black Mutton curry (also referred to as konkani black mutton) is a dish that is prepared from goat or lamb meat, charred coconuts, and a signature spice blend. The regional dish originated in the

Konkan The Konkan ( kok, कोंकण) or Kokan () is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, running from Damaon in the north to Karwar in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau in the east. The hinterland ...

i district of

Maharashtra Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...

, India. Black Mutton curry was originally made by preparing a black spice paste consisting of charred

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

s, onions and peppers with spices which was then cooked low and slow in a

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...

. The cooked paste was added with the mutton along with fresh herbs and spices in an

and cooked low and slow till tender. The curry is typically served with breads such as

paratha Paratha () is a flatbread native to South Asia, prevalent throughout the modern-day nations of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad a ...

. The dish utilizes a unique blend of spices called the Maharashtrian

garam masala Garam masala Hindustani_language.html"_;"title="rom_Hindustani_language">Hindustani_/_(''garm_masala'',_"hot_spices")is_a_Spice_mix.html" ;"title="Hindustani language">Hindustani / (''garm masala'', "hot spices")">Hindustani_language.html" ;"tit ...

, which consists of cardamom, nutmeg, khus khus (poppy seeds), saunth (dried ginger), and many other

Mughlai The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

spices which lend the black mouton an intoxicating flavor and a robust color.

Counterfeit variations

In 2012, in The

Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...

, England, trading standards officers working undercover went to twenty restaurants that were randomly chosen and bought 39 lamb curry and kebab dishes. Four of the dishes contained no lamb, instead using a mixture that contained beef, pork or chicken. In the investigation, it was found that only three lamb curries out of the nineteen tested contained only lamb. Most were found to consist of a mixture of lamb with beef or chicken. Additionally, all of the twenty lamb kebabs that were sampled contained meats in addition to lamb that was mixed with it, such as beef, pork or chicken.

References

External links

* {{Indian Dishes Indian cuisine Bengali cuisine Pakistani cuisine Nepalese cuisine Jamaican cuisine Trinidad and Tobago cuisine Guyanese cuisine Surinamese cuisine Indo-Caribbean curries Curry Lamb dishes Odia cuisine Bangladeshi meat dishes