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MUTTON CURRY(goat curry)

Mutton curry also referred to as goat curry is a meat curry with deep flavours.

Cooked with everyday Sri Lankan spices, this Mutton(goat)curry has a thick gravy bringing about extra depth and colour, the Mutton is cooked until tender and flavoured perfectly.

You can use this mutton curry recipe to cook a lamb curry as well.

It’s best enjoyed while hot, served on special occasions and family festivities.

mutton curry with thick gravy

What to serve with mutton curry.

Sri Lankan mutton curry cooked in coconnut milk.

Tips for cooking the best mutton(goat)curry.

You can use boneless or bone-in mutton(goat, lamb)curry.

For this recipe, I’m using everyday spices that are already there.

The only exception is tomato paste which adds a deep colour and taster to bring in variation(mostly for the colour though).

A note to the seasoned cook, if you do find me not using a certain type of spice like cloves or other types of additional spices, it’s due to personal preference and my need to keep it simple and child-friendly as much as possible.

If you have a pressure cooker, please use it, I’ve been told using it cuts the cooking time by half.

If you’re looking for the meat falling off the bones tender, the cooking time will be a bit longer on the stove so start early on this dish. Unless of course, you are using a pressure cooker.

Always check that the right amount of salt and the flavours are balanced.

muton curry with thick gravy

More meat curry recipes to try.

Black pepper beef curry(Sri Lankan)

beef korma curry(slow-cooked Indian beef curry).

Slow-cooked beef curry(like my grandmother makes).

Beef coconut curry- Sri Lankan style(village-style, naattu aviyal).

RECIPE DIFFICULTY-LITTLE CARE IS NEEDED

The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

4 tablespoons of oil

3 large onions sliced fine

2 tablespoons of garlic and ginger Paste(simply mince or grate 2″piece of garlic and 3 cloves of garlic)

A sprig of curry leaves(substitute with 2 bay leaves)

4-5 cardamom pods, slightly bruised

2″ piece of pandan leaf(if you are unable to find it, you can opt-out of adding the ingredient)

2-3 green chillies

2″cinnamon piece(careful, can overwhelm all other flavours)

1 large tomato chopped(substitute with 1 tablespoon of tomato paste)

1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste(optional)

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1-2 teaspoon chilli powder( if you can handle it)

2 tablespoons of coriander powder

1 teaspoon of pepper powder

700g Mutton (washed thoroughly, cleaned and cut with the fat removed)

2 cups of water

1 cup coconut milk

Salt to taste

How to cook mutton curry

How to wash and clean mutton.

Place the mutton in a pot, add water and half a teaspoon of turmeric, and leave the mutton in turmeric water for 5 minutes.

Then wash the mutton chunks a few times.

Place in a colander to drain excess water for a few minutes before you follow the next step of cooking the mutton(goat)curry.

Cooking the mutton curry.

In a slightly large pan, pour in the oil, and add onions, garlic-ginger paste, curry leaves, cardamom pods, pandan leaf, and cinnamon stick.

cooking the onions, pandan leaves, cinnamon, garlic and ginger to cook mutton curry

Once the onions turn soft and you get the aroma of the pandan leaf and ginger garlic paste.

This would take 5-7 minutes then add the chopped tomato(tomato paste as a substitute), and green chillies.

Cook further for a few seconds over a low-medium fire.

Reduce heat to low. add the spice powders in the following order, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder

Cook for a few minutes until you are left with a dark coarse spice mixture this would take 5-10 minutes.

curry paste with cooked onions, curry leaves, pandan leaf and spice powders to make the mutton curry

Include the Mutton into the pan and incorporate it with the mixture.

Leave it to cook for a few minutes, mixing occasionally, 10-15 minutes.

Pour in the water, season with salt and let the mutton curry simmer until the water is reduced.

Don’t cook on high heat to hurry the cooking process as it just evaporates the water, leaving the meat still half-cooked.

As the mutton curry cooks, check on the tenderness of the meat, if the mutton is still semi-tough then add extra water.

simmering gravy of mutton curry with pandan and mutton bones and meat

You will notice the mutton gravy thickening and changing colour.

Once the water is reduced almost to the bottom, add coconut milk.

Check on the seasoning and add salt if needed.

Cover and cook over low-medium heat for at least 45 minutes to an hour until the meat is tender.

mutton curry with gravy

If you find you need a bit of gravy-like me, just add 1/2 a cup of water, by this point, there’s already a thick gravy which can absorb the water but still keep its thick consistency.

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mutton curry served with a wooden spoon.

Mutton curry(goat curry)

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Mutton curry also referred to as goat curry is a meat curry with deep flavours.

Cooked with everyday Sri Lankan spices, this Mutton(goat)curry has a thick gravy bringing about extra depth and colour, the Mutton is cooked until tender and flavoured perfectly.

Ingredients

  • Ingredients to cook the mutton(goat)curry
  • 4 tablespoons of oil
  • 3 large onions sliced fine
  • 2 tablespoons of garlic and ginger Paste(simply mince or grate 2″piece of garlic and 3 cloves of garlic)
  • A sprig of curry leaves(substitute with 2 bay leaves)
  • 4-5 cardamom pods, slightly bruised
  • 2″ piece of pandan leaf(if you are unable to find it, you can opt-out of adding the ingredient)
  • 2-3 green chillies
  • 2″cinnamon piece(careful, can overwhelm all other flavours)
  • 1 large tomato chopped(substitute with 1 tablespoon of tomato paste)
  • 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste(optional)
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1-2 teaspoon chilli powder( if you can handle it)
  • 2 tablespoons of coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon of pepper powder
  • 700g Mutton (washed thoroughly, cleaned and cut with the fat removed).
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 cup Coconut milk
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

    How to wash and clean mutton.

    1. Place the mutton in a pot, add water and half a teaspoon of turmeric, and leave the mutton in turmeric water for 5 minutes.
    2. Then wash the mutton chunks a few times.
    3. Place in a colander to drain excess water for a few minutes before you follow the next step of cooking the mutton(goat)curry.

    Cooking the mutton curry.

    1. In a slightly large pan, pour in the oil, and add onions, garlic-ginger paste, curry leaves, cardamom pods, pandan leaf, and cinnamon stick.
    2. Once the onions turn soft and you get the aroma of the pandan leaf and ginger garlic paste.
    3. This would take 5-7 minutes then add the chopped tomato(tomato paste as a substitute), and green chillies.
    4. Cook further for a few seconds over a low-medium fire.
    5. Reduce heat to low. add the spice powders in the following order, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder
    6. Cook for a few minutes until you are left with a dark coarse spice mixture this would take 5-10 minutes.
    7. Include the Mutton into the pan and incorporate it with the mixture.
    8. Leave it to cook for a few minutes, mixing occasionally, 10-15 minutes.
    9. Pour in the water, season with salt and let the mutton curry simmer until the water is reduced.
    10. Don’t cook on high heat to hurry the cooking process as it just evaporates the water, leaving the meat still half-cooked.
    11. As the mutton curry cooks, check on the tenderness of the meat, if the mutton is still semi-tough then add extra water.
    12. You will notice the mutton gravy thickening and changing colour.
    13. Once the water is reduced almost to the bottom, add coconut milk.
    14. Check on the seasoning and add salt if needed.
    15. Cover and cook over low-medium heat for at least 45 minutes to an hour until the meat is tender.
    16. If you find you need a bit of gravy-like me, just add 1/2 a cup of water, by this point, there’s already a thick gravy which can absorb the water but still keep its thick consistency.
    17. Serve warm with any of the side dish options mentioned above.
    Nutrition Information:
    Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 848Total Fat: 66gSaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 34gCholesterol: 170mgSodium: 463mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 47g

    Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.

    Did you make this recipe?

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    Each recipe on this blog has been written with great care and love to the best of my ability with you in mind.
    It’s free and on the blog, for you to try anytime.

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    Chelsea Bovell

    Wednesday 23rd of February 2022

    Hi,

    We (boyfriend and I) have been cooking Indian dishes for a while but wanted a southern spin recipe using coconut milk rather than cream, and we made this and it turned out so beautiful it finished very quickly and we had it with Guyanese style roti. Thank you so much for sharing a part of your culture it was so rich and beautifully complex. The layers kept hitting us and astonishing us. We modified it a bit and simmered it with butternut squash chopped up which added a sweet, nutty note. We also used lamb shoulder shanks instead of mutton.

    jehan

    Wednesday 23rd of February 2022

    Hi Chelsea, Thank you for the lovely message, glad the recipe came out well for you. This recipe was written a couple of years ago when I just started the food blog. I'll have to update it with a few more details as this mutton curry is becoming popular among readers. Love the spin you've added to the recipe, I'm sure many will find it useful. regards J

    Joydev

    Saturday 25th of August 2018

    Great post as usual. Don't you have Mutton Kala Vuna? I need that recipe.

    jehan

    Sunday 26th of August 2018

    Hello Joydev, I haven't posted the recipe yet. Maybe in the near future.

    Sally Burke

    Friday 27th of January 2017

    I think this recipe should be added to my comprehensive Indian catalogue, but am not sure that I can buy Pandan leaves in my locality, will the omission make a great difference to the meal? Have saved it anyway.. Regards Sally

    jehan

    Monday 30th of January 2017

    Hi Sally, the Pandan leaves adds a subtle flavor and fragrance to the Mutton curry but you can definitely do without it. doesn't make a big difference to the recipe. thank you for saving the recipe and hope you try it one of these days.

    Abida

    Tuesday 27th of October 2015

    I love mutton curry, this sounds so delicious and rich and has such a beautiful colour.

    jehan

    Wednesday 28th of October 2015

    it was delicious and thank you for stopping by.

    Brian Lageose

    Saturday 24th of October 2015

    Jehan, very nice piece about how blogging can inspire and re-invigorate us, and how lovely it is to make and nurture friendship in the "digital" world. Thank you for sharing...

    jehan

    Saturday 24th of October 2015

    Just so you know, my thanks goes to you too. ☺

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