When it comes to non-vegetarian food item--meats,my favorite is mutton .I love mutton but my better 1/2 hates ! He prefers chicken.So,whenever we buy mutton, I've to come up with new recipes to lure him,to make him change his mind and EAT . One mutton recipe that I came to know from his-highness ,he liked and I tasted it for the first time in an Andhra special restaurant was "Gongura Mutton "-An Andhra special mutton curry made with gongura leaves.
I started making Gongura Mutton at home ever since.However,his-highness, usually prefers mutton curry with potato in it.So,I had to make mutton curry with Gongura leaves and potatoes.No regrets at all as it is such a wonderful combination , the softness of potatoes adjusted the tanginess of the gongura leaves and made it tad more extra-special.
Like I said in my previous post about "Gongura chutney",Gongura leaves are like the quintessential leaves of Andhra Pradesh .Now,I know why;it is so tangy by taste that it can act like a vegetable form of tamarind when used in curries .I believe the sourness of Gongura leaves just takes any non-vegetarian food items especially,to a one-of-a-kind ,next level.
These leaves, that looked like an handicapped spinach to me once , now, the more I get used to it,I must say ,it looks like bird's paws to me :D.Ohh my imagination runs wild at times !
Anyways,these leaves definitely takes a recipe to that unique level which may not even need any GI/Geographical Indication to attest that they indeed are Andhra special !
There are many ways to make a Gongura Mamsam/Gongura Mutton and this is how I make Gongura mutton at home :
Gongura Mutton |Gongura Mamsam recipe
Ingredients
Mutton,chopped,cleaned - 1 kilo
Onion,large,sliced lengthwise - 1-2 nos.
Green chilies - 3-4 nos.
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder - 3 tablespoons
Red chili powder - 1-2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Pepper powder - 1-2 teaspoons
Fennel powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam Masala - 1/2 teaspoon
Gongura leaves,de-stemmed,cleaned,chopped - 10-15 nos.
Potatoes,medium,diced - 1 no.(optional)
Curry leaves,a few (optional)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Cumin seeds - 1-2 teaspoons
Dry red chilies ,broken - 3-4 nos
Coconut milk ,semi-thick/thick - 1 cup (optional)
Oil - 2-3 tablespoons
Salt to taste
Salt to taste
Water as needed for pressure cooking.
Method :
Please watch the video that will show you quick-
- Please adjust the red chilli powder,green chilies,pepper powder as per your preferred spicy level.I used a teaspoon of red chilli powder and 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder while pressure cooking the mutton pieces.Rest added later.
- I've used a few Gongura leaves as per the sourness I prefer .So please add more, if you need more sourness.
- Potatoes are strictly optional for a Gongura mutton curry but it gives a special touch to the curry.
- Curry leaves are optional,instead or together ,chopped coriander leaves can also be used (at last).
- The taste of the curry may differ according to the garam masala used.
- I used the water for pressure cooking until it covers all chopped mutton pieces and a little more.Don't exceed the max water level as recommended by your pressure cooker manual.
- My pressure cooker takes 7-8 whistles to cook mutton well -5 whistles on high, then, 2 on medium to low.It may differ from one pressure cooker to another.So,pressure cook it until the meats are well cooked but then don't over cook it.(More the meat,less whistles are needed.)
- I used less oil for the curry in the video,that's why I had to add little water to mix after adding all spice powders.More oil (2-3 tbsps) you use for the curry,better the taste and then ,you don't have to mix all powders with little water to prevent it from sticking to the bottom or getting burnt .In which case,you have to saute it until oil separates from the spice powders.That's when you should add the gongura leaves and follow further steps.
- Coconut milk is optional.It does make the curry more creamy and rich.
- The curry will taste better when used after couple of hours when the true flavors sets in and much better the next day.
Now they make spinach leaves jealous at my home as I buy Gongura leaves more whenever they are available at grocery shops .Like his-highness,I am also falling in love with them too..but ,haule haule (Slowly slowly)....
