This Mutton soup is a quintessential of a Hyderabadi Dawat (feast). Serve with any rustic /artisan bread. It is traditionally served with a square naan known as Hyderabadi naan.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 95 minutes
  • Total time: 105 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • ½ kg (1.1) lbs. Bone-in mutton ((goat))
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) ghee
  • 1 cup (1 medium) onions ((fine chopped, avoid red onion))
  • 2 to 4 green chilies ((chopped or slit, adjust to preference))
  • 1 cup mint leaves (/pudina (loosely measured, ¼ cup fine chopped))
  • 1 cup coriander leaves ((loosely measured, ¼ cup fine chopped))
  • ¾ tablespoon ginger (grated or crushed)
  • ¾ tablespoon garlic (pressed/crushed)
  • 1 teaspoon salt ((more to adjust later))
  • ½ cup (120 ml) yogurt ((thick curd, closer to room temperature))
  • 20 cashews
  • 20 blanched soaked almonds ((or ¼ cup blanched almond flour))
  • 3 to 3½ cups hot water ((to cook mutton or use as needed))
  • 4 cups hot water ((to make marag or use as needed, read pro-tips))
  • ½ to ¾ cup full fat milk ((/cream/ water, read pro-tips))
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala ((more if you want))
  • 2 (2" long) cinnamon pieces
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 8 green cardamoms
  • 6 cloves
  • ½ teaspoon all-spice ((kabab chini, may sub with star anise))
  • ½ teaspoon shahi jeera ((caraway seeds))
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper corn (or (½ teaspoon ground, more if you want))

Method

How to Make Marag

  1. Heat ghee on a medium flame and saute onions and green chilies, until light golden. (not brown, Takes about 6 to 7 mins)
  2. Lower the heat and stir in all the spices. Saute for a minute and add the mutton. Increase the heat to medium and saute for 5 to 6 mins.
  3. Add salt, ginger garlic, mint and coriander (reserving 1 tablespoon each for later). Saute for 2 mins. Pour half of the hot water and cook for 1 hour.
  4. Reduce the flame to low to bring down the temperature slightly. Whisk the yogurt well with a fork to a really smooth texture. Pour a few tablespoons of the stock, in batches. Mix well and pour back to the marag.
  5. Cover and cook until the meat is completely tender (takes me 30 mins). Meanwhile grind cashews and almonds in a grinder with ½ cup milk, to a smooth puree. Stir in the rest of the milk and mix.
  6. Stir in this nut puree and more hot water during the last 10 minutes along with the rest of the mint and coriander leaves.
  7. Taste test and add more salt as needed along with garam masala (optional) if you want.
  8. Garnish Marag with fried onions and serve hot. It is usually eaten with Hyderabadi Square naan but artisan bread, pav, brioche or naan also make great sides.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.