Bengali Style Mutton Stew

We’re more familiar with the Kerala Mutton Stew, but there’s another variation to the stew, that is made in Bengal and had often during monsoons or winters.

This one’s a favourite at home as it was usually prepared by my Thaami (my father’s mother) and the recipe has been passed down to my mother as well. You can make the same stew with chicken, eggs or veggies and tastes superb with garlic bread, steamed rice or rotis.

You will notice a number of vegetables used in this stew and it will make you wonder whether it is necessary. Well, this stew is a meal in itself with the goodness of veggies and meat blended to perfection. This is often had during winters and monsoons and an ideal meal when you’re recovering from a bad bout of flu! Just have a bowl of piping hot mutton stew to boost your strength and pep you up.

For this recipe, my mother usually boils the mutton first with some salt and strains it. This ensures that when you pressure-cook the meat with the veggies at the end, the vegetable don’t melt away.

Ingredients

• Mutton – Boiled 650 gms approx.
• Ghee/ Butter/ Refined oil – 1tbsp
• Bay leaf – 1 – 2 nos.
• Whole garam masalas – small cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper
• Crushed garlic flakes – 8 – 10 nos.
• Onions – 2 medium ones finely chopped
• Ginger paste – 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Tomatoes – 2 nos. cut in quarters
• Salt to taste
• Sugar – 1 tsp
• Potatoes – 2 large ones, cut in halves/ quarters
• Carrots – 2 nos – chopped into big pieces
• Turnip – 2 nos – cut in cubes
• Green peas – 1 small bowl
• French beans – 1 small bowl chopped

Method:

1. Heat ghee/ butter/ oil in a cooker and add the bay leaf and whole garam masalas, garlic and chopped onions and fry well.
2. Now add the ginger paste, boiled mutton, salt, sugar and tomato quarters and mix well.
3. Add all the veggies (potatoes, carrots, turnips, peas and beans) and mix well with the meat and the masalas.
4. Add the mutton stock that you kept aside after boiling the meat.
5. Give it a boil, mix well and pressure cook it and switch off the gas after one whistle.

What’s your recipe!

Do you also have a similar stew that is made at your home that’s passed down from your granny? Do send it to us at tanya@tanyamunshi.com and we’ll publish it on The Lifestyle Portal with due credit to you!