Laal Maas

Ingredients

• 1 kg bone-in mutton or goat, cut into medium pieces
• 12 dried Kashmiri red chillies, stems removed and soaked in hot water
• 200 g plain yogurt, whisked until smooth
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 10 garlic cloves, for the chilli paste
• 6 garlic cloves, lightly crushed, for frying
• 80 g ghee
• 3 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 4 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick, about 5 cm
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp hot red chilli powder, optional for extra heat
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 450 ml hot water
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped, to finish

Instructions

1. Cover the dried chillies with hot water in a small bowl and leave them to soften. Meanwhile, mix the mutton with the yogurt, ginger paste, turmeric and salt in a large bowl, then leave it to marinate.
2. Drain the softened chillies, keeping 3 tablespoons of the soaking water. Blend them with the 10 garlic cloves and that water into a smooth, deep red paste.
3. Melt the ghee in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the cumin, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon, and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add the sliced onions and fry, stirring often, until deep golden brown, about 12 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the marinated mutton with all its yogurt. Turn the heat up to medium-high and fry, stirring, until the meat is sealed and the liquid has mostly dried up, about 12 minutes.
6. Stir in the chilli paste, coriander powder and chilli powder if using. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring so the paste does not catch, until the ghee begins to separate at the edges.
7. Pour in the hot water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly and simmer until the mutton is tender and pulls easily from the bone, about 60 minutes. Stir every 15 minutes and add a splash of hot water if the pot looks dry.
8. Remove the lid and cook on medium for 5 to 8 minutes if the gravy is thin. It is ready when the sauce clings to the meat and a layer of red ghee floats on top.
9. Turn off the heat and rest for 5 minutes, covered. Scatter over the coriander and serve hot.

Tips

• Kashmiri chillies give a rich red colour with moderate heat. For a truly fiery pot, replace half of them with hotter dried red chillies.
• Keep the yogurt whisked and the heat steady while frying the marinated meat so it does not curdle into lumps.
• A generous amount of ghee is part of the dish. Skim some off at the end if you prefer a lighter gravy, but leave enough to carry the colour.
• To save time, cook the sealed mutton and water in a pressure cooker for 25 to 30 minutes after step 6, then reduce the gravy uncovered.