Aalu Gosht

Method

Put the clay pot on the wood fired stove. Heat the mustard oil till the smoking point is reached. Tamper the oil with a tbsp of water & a pinch of salt. One needs to be do this step very carefully since the very hot oil can splatter & cause burns.

Add sabut garam masala. Add the onion paste. Cook till the oil floats to the top. Add garlic paste & cook for another 5 minutes. (it is advisable to keep the pot covered between the processes, to seal the flavours.). Now, it is time to add ginger & tomato paste, whisked yoghurt, salt, both mirch powders, haldi & dhaniya powder to the pot. Cook, till the mix has thickened & the oil has floated to the top. At this point, add mutton. Keep the flames high and cook it till the oil separates, and the moisture has all dried up (this stage, in the local cooking parlance, is referred to as ‘bhun na’ ‘bhuno-ed’ …in my opinion, a very important stage in the non-veg cooking that takes care of the offending raw meaty smell in the dish …so often found in small-run-of-the-mill eataries found dime a dozen. Even though the meat is apparently fully cooked, the offensive raw smell is all permeating & makes it unpalatable).

Now, is the time to add water to roasted mutton. Be sure to add hot water (I have learnt that cold water added at this stage makes the mutton pheeka [bland] & flavour-less). Also add a handful of chopped coriander to the pot. Cover, and let simmer till you feel that the mutton tenderness is ¾ way there. Now is the time to add the jacketed baby potatoes, albeit worked upon with a fork, pricking them deep to encourage soaking of taste & flavours. The meat & the potatoes should become tender enough at the same time.

Take the pot off the chulha, add another handful of chopped fresh coriander & 1 tsp of ground garam masala. Cover with the lid. Let it rest for 10 minutes, before you start serving.