KOCHI PATHAR DOM

"Aaj Dil Shayaranna, Shayaranna, Shayaranna, Shayaranna Lagta Hai,

Udta Firey Dil, Utarna Janey Na.....
Bigra Hua Dil, Samhalna Janey Na....."

This is exactly how I feel inside at the very sight of mutton and I have to buy a good amount, marinate overnight and tap my feet with the romantic Bollywood numbers in the entire period of cooking KOCHI PATHAR DOM.... that is Dum wale Mutton or an one pot spiced curry with mutton. My poet friends may get extremely angry with me being getting poetic over a plate of mutton but I cannot help it, such is my "Ishkiya" with mutton.... I was a six year old girl when my little brother's rice feeding ceremony was held... I was suffering from severe diarrhoea and ate up my mother's head until she secretly gave me two pieces asking me to seat at the corner of the kitchen. Thereafter, both the siblings got an addiction towards mutton and the love affair with it continues. None of such phrases like "motu mumma", "mumma is so fat"... could / can stop me from munching something or the other throughout the day. Yesterday, for the lunch... I had two "ghee te bhaja luchi" and two servings of shortbread raspberry ice-cream.... that too after a love-filled warning from Ipsita.... she called me for lunch on Friday over a wonderful bowl of Moroccan Chicken Soup with squash and potatoes... I loved that overpowering flavour of garlic in it... 

I was  engrossed in a chitchat and the soup and forgot to ask her for the recipe.... I am sure she will not tell half and hide half like 'our mother'.... To make her accept that there is always a better someone than "me"... I keep on saying,"Mani jano oor barir patishaptar gaye ektao daag nei, tar barir malpoa thik didur moto... perfect shape... majhkhaan fola.... charidik pora pora"... haha . Now, yesterday I went for a music programme on Bollywood's selective songs starting from Saigal era to that forbidden song for the 80's kids 'rooptera mastana'.... to the foot tapping ones of the present.... This 'Rooptera Mastana.... Pyar Mera Diwana' was as usual banned to be watched or sung by my mother's daughter.... but I know she watched it when the daughter was not around. Our father had no problem with it as long as he got regular supply of "naru... nimki.... moya"..... 

Till date the late father, a wonderful human being, totally unromantic husband may be wondering why all problems in Bollywood starts with few drops of rain.... neither will the daughter of the erstwhile hero spare me if I say I was bowled over after watching your father in "Anand".... Twinkle Khanna may tell her action hero husband ... "yeh aaurat kaisi hai yaar .... character bolke koi chiz hai hi nehi"..... if her husband does some "dhishum dhushum" ... my 22 inch framed man cannot save me. In such a scenario, I would say it is not my fault, my friend, Chandrayee.... the teacher at a school who she considers her family keeps on telling me S.... you remember the eyebrows and the smile of the "kuch to log kahenge.... logo ka kam hai yeh kehna" hero?.... So let me sing "Roop Tera Mastana".... as I did last evening...... because the  mother was not around, because it was not raining..... hence there was no possibility of getting into any trouble... haha..... though my teen was sitting beside who said "mumma behave!"..... The Mumma of this house will not behave and have her lunch today with a plateful of KOCHI PATHAR DOM with some hot chapati and rice. Tomorrow the fatso will go to the gym and tell the three happening trainers Kate, Liza, Linda..... I want a body as yours.... the inevitable answer is "you need to check your diet too... it's not magic".....

I must say cooking marinated mutton pieces in a dum method as this KOCHI PATHAR DOM is a pleasure in the kitchen.The finished product brings magical effect on your plate when served with rice, pulao, South Asian, Middle Eastern or Western Breads. I actually covered it with a heavy top, you can seal with a dough too. I did it to check the water content without stirring for once. If you marinate the mutton for at least five hours before cooking the way as stated below.... you need not stir either for once till the curry dries and the mutton is tender. This may take some 1hour - 11/2 hours.... does it really matter?... You can finish off all other works, sing, dance, do some push ups and planks too just to lessen the amount of guilt.... why?.... Simply because you cannot stop at having two or three pieces of that KOCHI PATHAR DOM. I keep on telling my senior, boss get me a license so that I can supply chicken / mutton curry rice to different homes in the island.... The answer that comes seems to be a recorded one.... S.... for your silly ventures, I cannot risk my work permit!You know the government here.... the way you are advancing towards baldness.... your customers are surely to get some hairs in the meat curry... then what? 

The husband google maps for the kitchen and shampoos his hair perhaps once a fortnight.... so does not know something like plastic gloves, hair caps exist in the world. Do you find shadow of "Mrs. Funny Bones" in what I write today?.... Hihi... actually I was thinking if I discover a lice on my man's head... I may fly to Mumbai, take shelter at our corporate couple friend's home.... supply food to Mrs. Funny Bones' and her friends' homes... earn as much required to buy a flat at Andheri West and order the husband "tolpi-tolpa gutiye chole aai boss.".... He will... with our savings we can hardly manage to buy a three roomed flat in the remote end of Borivali perhaps.

Yes, you are right.... I am that stupid, good-for-nothing dreamer. Yesterday evening, I felt good to meet a couple of my ex-colleagues and my favourite mentor Susan John ma'am at the event venue....such an excellent teacher she is... I have the feel... if I go back there... I may get a job. There is a but.... I have long forgotten appropriate use of English Grammar.... for that I have to do some homework instead of taking a dip into Maupassant's "Diamond Necklace" once again, again and again. So you see, I am that lazy brat till date who is only good at sharing recipes with you as this hassle free, spice laden, less oil dish of KOCHI PATHAR DOM.... Dum Wale Mutton cooked in a sealed or covered pot for quite sometime till tender and soft. Shall we sing, dance and do it?... We will....

INGREDIENTS :

Young Goat Meat / Lamb : 1kg [I used lamb]

Lemon Juice : 3-4 tbsp

Cumin Seed : 1tsp

Coriander Seed : 2tsp

Dry Red Chilli : 7-8 [adjust as per your taste]

Cinnamon Stick : 2-3 two inch sticks

Green Cardamom : 3-5Clove : 4-5

Onion Paste : 2-3tbsp

Garlic Paste : 2tbsp

Ginger Paste : 1tsp

Turmeric Powder : 1tsp

Salt : As Required

Oil : 3-4tbsp [I use mustard]

METHOD :

Wash the medium cut lamb pieces well. Add some salt and  marinate for an hour! Wash off well, again rub with salt & turmeric. 

Dry roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, dry red chillies, cinnamon sticks, cloves and green cardamoms for about 2 minutes. Let cool, dry grind together to a powder and add to the meat.

Add the lemon juice, oil, onion paste, garlic paste, ginger paste and the remaining salt and turmeric. 

Rub and mix all the ingredients together well.

Once done, we will keep marinated the meat for 2 hours at least.

Transfer the entire content to a heavy bottomed vessel.

Switch on the gas stove and place the vessel on it and cover with a heavy top.

Let the meat cook at a slow heat. After 45-50 minutes, the content looks as this. We need not uncover and see from time to time. Do not let air to go inside much.

The entire cooking time may range between 1:15 minutes to 1:30 minutes and will look as below. Lamb cooks faster than mutton with fat! The cooking must be done at the lowest heat. 

Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy hot with rice, pulao, paratha, poori, phulka or toasted breads.