Topic: Mutton Bhuna

[976bar]

I went to my local Makro store last Friday, and got a fresh leg of Halal Mutton for just under ?15.00, which I thought was a bargain!!

I slow cooked it on Saturday having de-boned it and cutting out all the sinew and taking the majority of the fat off, in 1 tbsp spice mix, 1 tbsp ginger puree, 1 tbsp garlic puree and 1 teaspoon of Chilli powder, for a little over 4 hours.

The mutton came out so tender and soft and literally just fell apart in my mouth. I'm happy to say that it divided nicely into 7 good portions which I have frozen seperately ready for future curries. This has worked out at around ?2.14 for mutton for each curry, which in my mind is absolutely superb I also used the stock from the cook in with the Mutton to keep it moist and to use that stock in the final curry dishes themselves too.

So, today, having had much success with the Chicken Bhuna, I decided to make a Mutton Bhuna. Pretty much the same ingredients as the Chicken Bhuna, but with a few small additions which has made a wonderful rich, dryish consistency curry, which looks to me more like a Bhuna than the Red Tomatoey thin Bhuna type curries you find in a lot of restaurants these days.

Serves 1-2
Ingredients:
300g pre cooked mutton
15 ml rapeseed oil (1 tbsp)
15 ml Hot Curry Oil (1 tbsp) Optional. If not then use 15 ml rapeseed oil
2 star anise
5 green cardamom pods, cracked
5 cloves
5 garlic cloves crushed
1tsp fresh garlic pureed
1 tsp fresh ginger puree
1 medium onion, finely chopped
 1 or 2 green finger chilies (adjust to your own heat liking, but remember this is supposed to be a medium hot dish)
1 tsp spice mix
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp methi leaves
1 tsp tomato puree
? tsp salt
? green pepper chopped into 1? squares
1 tomato, chopped
300ml base sauce
A good handful fresh chopped coriander

Method:
Add the oil to the pan on a low heat and add the onion, star anise, cloves and cardamom pods and soften the onions until they are translucent and golden, add the green pepper, chili(s) and garlic. (Remove the star anise, cloves and cardamom pods at this stage. You can leave them in if you want, but I personally hate crunching on cardamom pods whilst eating a curry). Cook for about 2-3 minutes but do not let the garlic burn or it will give a bitter taste to the dish.
Add the spice mix, curry powder, methi leaves and salt and cook gently for about 20-30 seconds. Add the tomato puree and stir in to form a masala.
Add a ladle of the base sauce and mix everything together. (At this stage turn the heat up to medium), let the oil separate from the base then add another ladle and do the same.
Add the Mutton and stock and the chopped tomatoes and mix in.
Add another ladle of base sauce if required, remember Bhuna should be quite a dry dish but if you want more sauce then add another ladle of base.
Continue cooking until the meat is warmed through and the tomatoes are cooked. Sprinkle on the freshly chopped coriander and serve.

[loveitspicy]

Great looking mouth watering curry
Cor wish we could get hold of some mutton/lamb cheaper here

best, Rich

[976bar]

Hi Rich,

Thanks for that. Where are you based? Do you not have a Makro store or a Cash & Carry near you?

[PaulP]

A daft question maybe but I've never knowingly eaten mutton. Does it taste pretty much the same as lamb?

Cheers,

Paul

[Stephen Lindsay]

Looks good 976!

[Salvador Dhali]

A daft question maybe but I've never knowingly eaten mutton. Does it taste pretty much the same as lamb?

Cheers,

Paul

The taste is stronger than lamb, Paul (some liken it to goat, but it's more subtle than that IMHO). For me I'd have mutton over lamb every day of the week.

As it's from an older animal, mutton also needs to be cooked longer to get it meltingly tender....

[976bar]

Hi PaulP,

Salvador has hit it right on the button

It has a more mature taste than lamb and certainly lends itself well to Curries. It's not overpowering unlike hung game for instance, but just a slightly more tastier meat.

And, as it does come from an older animal it is a little more tough and needs longer cooking, hence I cooked this little lot in just over 4 hours, but it just melts in your mouth now

I am sure if you have a good butchers near you, he would be able to supply Mutton if you ask, and yes it should be cheaper than lamb

Hope this helps.

[Edwin Catflap]

Hi 976

Lokks scrummy and since I have been given some mutton fillet so am gonna try this, 2 things:

Presumablly you covered the meat with water in the slow cooker?
When do you put the pureed g/g in and when do you put the crushed garlic in. Also is it simply crushed and not cut at all?

Much appreciated Ed

 

[Unclefrank]

Hi 976bar what base and spice mix did you use?
Looks absolutely delicious this is a must try, will do this tomorrow.
Also how much salt and green pepper, the dreaded question mark again, i suspect half a teaspoon salt and half a pepper.
Thanks.

[976bar]

Hi 976

Lokks scrummy and since I have been given some mutton fillet so am gonna try this, 2 things:

Presumablly you covered the meat with water in the slow cooker?
When do you put the pureed g/g in and when do you put the crushed garlic in. Also is it simply crushed and not cut at all?

Much appreciated Ed

 

Hi Ed,

Yes I just cover the meat with water and if you are referring to the base meat cooking then I add it all at once. If you are referring to the final dish, then I cook the garlic at an early stage, but I NEVER cook it until it is brown as I find this gives the whole dish a bitter taste. Some people prefer to cook their garlic until it is brown, this is where regions/variety comes down to personal taste...

Hope this helps