Andhra style Mutton Fry made with lamb meat & fresh ground spice powders. It can be served with rice or as a side in a meal.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 180 minutes
  • Cook time: 50 minutes
  • Total time: 230 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Andhra

Ingredients

  • 300 grams mutton ((boneless tender meat or use 500 grams bone-in))
  • 1 teaspoon oil (or ghee (clarified butter))
  • ¼ cup onions ((very fine chopped or coarsely crushed))
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste ((refer notes))
  • ¼ teaspoon salt ((refer notes, adjust to taste))
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili powder ((optional, for extra heat))
  • 1 tablespoon meat masala (or garam masala as required (refer notes))
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons curd (/ yogurt (optional, to tenderize mutton) or any meat tenderizer)
  • 1 tablespoon oil (or ghee)
  • 2 sprigs curry leaves
  • 2 green chilies
  • 1 clove garlic minced ((optional))
  • 1 teaspoon meat masala (or garam masala as required (refer notes))
  • ¼ teaspoon salt ((or as required))
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper
  • 4 dried red chilies ((use as needed, less spicy variety))
  • 3 tablespoons grated dried coconut ((copra, substitute with 2 tbsps poppy seeds/khus khus or fresh coconut))
  • 2 tablespoons coriander seeds (/ dhaniya)
  • 2 inch cinnamon (/ dalchini, thin sticks)
  • 4 to 6 cloves
  • 6 green cardamoms (/ elaichi)
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (/ saunf seeds (optional, refer notes))
  • ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds (/ jeera)

Method

Make Meat Masala

  1. You may skip this section if you want to use garam masala. On a low heat, dry roast coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms and dried red chilies. When you begin to smell them aromatic, add fennel seeds and cumin seeds.
  2. Roast them for a minute or so. Then add coconut or poppy seeds and turn off the heat. Stir for a while and cool them completely.
  3. Add this to a grinder jar and make a fine powder.

Cook mutton

  1. Wash mutton well under running water and drain it completely.
  2. Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt, meat masala (or garam masala), onions and salt as needed. You can also add curd to tenderize the meat. Mix everything well and marinate for at least 3 to 4 hours in fridge.
  3. Pour ¼ cup water if pressure cooking. If cooking in a pot begin with half a cup water and then keep adding more hot water as and when required.
  4. Cook on a low heat for 10 mins. Then on a medium flame until the mutton turns tender and is cooked completely. If cooking in a pressure cooker, cook it for 5 to 6 whistles depending on your cooker.
  5. Make sure mutton is cooked completely before you fry it otherwise it turns rubbery. If you have used bone-in mutton, then the meat falls off easily from the bone.

Make mutton fry

  1. Heat a wide pan with ghee or oil. Add minced garlic if using, green chilies, and curry leaves.
  2. Saute until the garlic turns aromatic.
  3. Add black pepper powder and the remaining meat masala (or garam masala). Stir it well. I use up all the freshly ground spice powder, you can add half of it and check if it is too spicy for your taste buds and add the rest if desired.
  4. Immediately pour the mutton with the left over stock.
  5. Mix everything together and add salt if needed.
  6. Cook on a medium heat until all the stock evaporates and the masala clings on to the mutton. If you desire little gravy then turn off the stove a bit early.
  7. Serve mutton fry with rice or roti.

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.