DOI MUTTON

I was wishing to blog about something that is a family love for quite sometime. It was not happening for this or that.... Finally, I decided today that I am not going to look "hither and thither" and share the recipe for this DOI MUTTON with my loving readers. Mutton is a bimonthly or even trimonthly matter at this home. Whoever says what, I cannot stop having this one red meat in this lifetime. I have almost stopped having pork.... only two variety of preparation do I like .... sweet & sour pork and 'bak kut teh'.... The son loves sausages & bacon way too much.... I discourage cooking or having them at home. However, when I look at their breakfast plates while on any tour, I wonder were they at all born in Kolkata to an average Bengali family? So, the lady makes it a point to pack their lunch boxes with "desi food".... The father will stay with me, he is bound to have Bengali food until I die. The son once leaves home will eat whatever he wishes to or will he be like his mother who after leaving her mother started loving all the heirloom, vegetarian family recipes? I do not know.... just trying to cherish the moments together.... I enjoy this after school scenario at home. Someone thinks mumma stares at him way too much, hence, such barriers are created. You cannot talk but you have to sit and watch what he watches.

Do not blame me, even our P used to tell me mani is always chanting son...son.... son.... not letting him to be independent. I was really worried for a long time thinking if any girl would agree to marry my brother or not! Coming to me, you see a total of nine years was spent alone with the offspring, I got help from both set of the parents but I never took advantage of them.... if I have given birth, it is my responsibility.... My own parents had to wait long for getting my attention.... I was so much of a pet of the maternal grandparents. They had to wait till I got admitted to that 'Benglish' School and made some good friends and beyond... haha! I know I have a weird kind of attachment with the son, I enjoy it and I do not care who thinks what about it. What I do at times to the husband is not fair to him though.... I keep muttering "I will elope with the son.... flee with him to an undisclosed location"..... this is done when he instigates the son to choose an university at that 'bahargaon'. Then I get kind and cook a favourite of this nuclear family.... DOI MUTTON .... send virtually to the rest of the family in India!

The question is this  DOI MUTTON authentic Bengali at all? I mean we are having yogurt marinated mutton / chicken / fish since childhood but at our home, however not at the grandparent's home. Leave it.... even tomato was "biliti begun" some hundred years back. Talking beyond this needs research which I hardly do. Our mothers learnt new recipes from different families who need not be Bengali alone just like my maternal grandmother learnt different kinds of steamed 'pithe'... desi cakes from the Assamese.... I am eager to try the jaggery, coconut and rice flour cake of Bangladesh origin? I can identify with a number of Southern Indian recipes. I could eat that smelly sea fish Batang only because I used tamarind juice and a couple of spices and simmered it for long. Saying "I love North Indian Food" and "I can identify with South Indian Food" has a different meaning .... we have some common interest with the later or even with Maharashtra... "chal, narkol, gur, til, maach".... I did not go for my kind of fish this week.... for whom I will cook them? People are not interested in smaller sized 'rui-katla'... deboning them is a hard task for them! I felt let Cristine come back. I got a sea bass to cook with 'aloo-kanchakola'.... lets see if it suits my taste bud! In Kolkata, bhetki was never our priority except for it's fillet! Hello Bongs there... have you ever tried "bele maacher gurguri?"... The mother's youngest sister does it awesome... bele maach cooked with ridge gourd strips in minimal spices.... what is the English name of Bele? Whats the point knowing? Had I have lived in Bengal after this blog was created.... I definitely would have shared the numerous, family fish recipes from my side..... the husband's side does not even know the names of those fishes.... limited to 'rui-katla-aar-dhai-boyal-pabda-tyangra-chitol'.... Taken together one of the best choices of both the families, let us have some DOI MUTTON .... the non-vegetarian meat dish gets its thickness from the use of yogurt... not really much spices are used. 

INGREDIENTS :

MUTTON / LAMB : 1KG
PLAIN YOGURT : 250GM
BLACK PEPPER POWDER : 1TSP [FRESHLY GROUND, COARSE]
ONION PASTE : 1/2MEDIUM CUP
GARLIC PASTE : 2-3TBSP
GINGER PASTE : 2TSP

GREEN CHILLI PASTE : 2 TBSP
GARAM MASALA POWDER : 1TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1TSP 
CINNAMON STICK : 2-3 TWO INCH SIZE
GREEN CARDAMOM : 3-4
CLOVES : 3-4
BAYLEAF : 1
3-4 SLITTED GREEN CHILLIES TO BE ADDED TOWARDS THE END IF YOU WISH
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 4-5TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Wash the mutton or lamb thoroughly under running water. Drain all the water. 

Beat the yogurt well and add to the mutton. Add the black pepper, salt as required, half of the ginger & garlic paste, 1tsp turmeric to it. Mix very well so that the mixture is spread evenly and each piece of the mutton or lamb is coated well.

Transfer the entire content along with the marinade into an airtight container. Refrigerate at least for 5-6 hours. 

Take out 1hr before we start to cook.

Heat the oil in a wok and temper with the bay leaf, cinnamon sticks, green cardamoms and cloves.

Add the remaining ginger and garlic paste, the green chilli paste  and stir for 2 minutes. Add the onion paste and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add little salt & fold in well.

Add the mutton or lamb pieces without the marinade. Stir at high heat for about 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to minimum and add the marinade. Fold in well and cover cook for 1/2 an hour. We need to uncover every 5-7 minutes and give a stir. We are to check the water content.

Once the water dries up.... add 2 coffee mugs of water. The mother always asks to add warm water... I am not that particular.

Cover cook at minimal heat for another 15-20 minutes. 

Uncover, add the garam masala and slitted green chillies [if using], adjust the salt. Cook for another 7-8 minutes at minimal heat, covered.

Transfer to a serving bowl, enjoy with bread & rice varieties!