METHI BATA MUTTON

Of the three meat varieties I eat, Mutton rules over my mind and taste bud.... because Kolkata and Rajasthan sell the best quality of mutton in India, here the mutton quality do not satisfy me. Mine is a complicated stomach functioning, so our Pa was told to stop giving me any meat back in the 90's... I told you all in an earlier meat post so far I can remember. The other states in India may sell good quality of mutton but I did not have it! I could not listen to the doctor and my parents always had given indulgence to my food-o-phobic nature.... They forced cycling to yoga on me with no result... the father fell sick trying to teach me cycling, while my little brother learnt riding a bicycle and scooter at age 13.... this too I like telling you repeatedly. However, I was the happiest person on earth when his 65,000 rupees of worth Bajaj Pulsar got stolen a day after he bought it... Barrackpore is a very peaceful township otherwise, it perhaps was the handiwork of the rowdies he sold his old scooter to. One should not call such kinds at home and let them know your location, be careful about who you are calling home! It happened for his good, else his dream was to own John Abraham's kind of a bike... now he loves his tiny four wheeler.... The thing of concern  is that if the cleaner does not turn up over the weekends, it is his mother and wife who cleans it. 

Situation could have been such when my brother's large portico could have housed 4-5 cars and the cleaners would have lined up to wash them.... but Bengali households in those days were a "kerani tairir karkhana".... I really wish to meet one Anindya or Anupam's parents. Yes, my brother had the potential to be a cricketer or a dancing actor but my parents were like any other middle-class Bengali.... "arey oor to lekhapora kortey bhalolageyna, oto oor didir bhai.... kono dadar bhai to noi je dhomkey dilam aar jhuley jhuley poreyi gelo.... jak baba amar bhaier mathai onek chul... angul dhokena".... On a serious note, within a Bengali setup, a T could say he does not have the tenacity to work hard to secure a first class in physics, that his father does not have the ability to finance his pursuit for a higher professional degree, that he completely wishes to do away with the word "masher sesh".... aka "end of the month" from his life.... and traversed the tough, unknown path. I am not that silly not to grab tight this guy's waist. Okay, we are not an affluent, propertied class per say but I can cook a yum non vegetarian meat curry METHI BATA MUTTON towards the end of a month. It is an eternal human nature to ask for more, we should not.

Besides a mutton or a hilsa, you know na how much I love to be in touch with the greens... most of the flowering plants we see here used to be grown by the maternal grandfather and his eldest daughter & middle son, youngest daughter-in-law still grows them. I may love walking outdoor because I get to be in touch with them. I wonder if I had ever seen this tall a "jabar jhar" back in Bengal.... the white ones are kamini... I do not get them at home... they call home snakes .... I still remember big sized embracing those plants at the grandparent's home. I grew up in an environment that was "matir kacha-kachi"....... the husband however is a concrete jungle kind of.... did his crowd puller, party loving mother had time for doing all these?

Aren't the above too beautiful? Although they release carbon dioxide, they provide oxygen to my soul. Come on, this much of science I know... I also know that mutton slow cooked in a wok gives you the best taste. However, given the dry, hard quality of it here, I may need to rethink and give the marinated pieces one whistle and then slow cook it further in onion, garlic and spices. This particular recipe with a fenugreek seed and plain yogurt METHI BATA MUTTON did our mother learn from a mention by the host, Paroma Banerjee of "Rojgere Ginni"... a popular Bengali television show. I met this vibrant girl with an excellent oratory skill at my neighbourhood friend Kana's place some 10-12 years back... she asked me why I do not participate once. Actually, as per the TV host, it was her mother who cooked methi chicken this way.... Our mother may not have adapted a copy pasted one, neither did I remember to ask mani about it.... let all of us have some liberty in the kitchen.... I wish to finish off quickly, our boy is at home today and mumma wishes to prepare some "bonde" for him.... he loves... specially the wet, Bengali kind he eats everyday while at "dimma bari".... This non-vegetarian  meat curry is done with very few spices, the marination is what is important.... measuring the right amount of fenugreek seed used is necessary... else it may turn onto a "pathar shukto"...

INGREDIENTS :

MUTTON : 1KG [MEDIUM CUT]
PLAIN YOGURT : 200-250GM [BEATEN]
FENUGREEK SEED PASTE : 11/3 TBSP
GINGER EXTRACT : 2TBSP
GARLIC EXTRACT : 2TBSP
GINGER PASTE : 2TSP
GARLIC PASTE : 2TBSP
ONION : 2 BIG [PEELED, WASHED, SLICED]
RED CHILLI POWDER : 3-4 TBSP [ADJUST YOURS]
GREEN CHILLI : 4 [SLITTED, WASHED]
FRESH CORIANDER : 1/2SMALL TEA CUP [CHOPPED, WASHED]
CINNAMON STICK : 2-3 [2 INCH LENGTH]
GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3
CLOVE : 3-4
BAYLEAF : 1
TURMERIC : 1TSP+1TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
OIL : 2TBSP +5TBSP

PROCEDURE :

Wash the mutton thoroughly under running water. Drain all the water. Marinate the mutton with the fenugreek seeds paste, beaten yogurt, salt, 1tsp turmeric, ginger extract, garlic extract, 2tbsp oil. Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for at least 5-6 hours.

Take the box out and bring to the normal room temperature before adding to the wok.

Heat 5-6 tbsp oil in a wok and temper with the bay leaf, green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon sticks.

Add the washed and sliced onions, fry until brown. Now add the ginger and garlic paste, salt and 1tsp turmeric powder. Stir for 2 minutes. Add the red chilli powder and stir for 1/2 a minute.

Add the mutton to the wok sans the marinade. Stir cook at high heat for 3-4 minutes.

Now add the marinade, fold in well and lower the heat to minimal. Cover cook for at least 45-50 minutes.... checking & stirring in between.

We will add 2 coffee mugs of warm [as they say] water when all the water has dried up [koshano holey]

Cover cook at lowest heat for 5-6 minutes at the lowest heat. Open cover and add 1/4 of the chopped fresh coriander & slitted green chillies.

Cover cook again at minimal heat for 5-6 minutes. We are done. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the rest of the chopped coriander leaves.

We enjoyed it with some rice and "doi potol"...