Patla Mangshor Jhol
Bengali Lamb/Mutton Curry is every Bengali household delicacy. Bengali style Lamb curry (Mangshor Jhol) is basically a spicy thin stew of lamb/mutton and potatoes made with minimal spices yet it’s so delicious. Authentic Mangshor jhol (Bengali Lamb curry) is made with Kochi Patha (goat meat), since it is not available here, lamb meat it is. The meat is marinated with mustard oil, yogurt, ginger-garlic paste and few other spices for few hours then cooked along with the onions and potatoes until the meat is soft and fall of the bones.
This is my Ma in laws Sunday Mutton curry. Now on days when you are rushing and a simple mutton curry will do you can side-step the “kashano” or “bhuno” part of this recipe and directly make the jhol in the Pressure cooker.
That jhol is a bit runny and akin to something that the famous author Syed Mujtaba Ali would refer to as “Bangali’r Mangshor Maacher Jhol” which means a Mutton Curry which is as runny as plain as an everyday fish curry.
If you spend 30 mins of your time in “kashano”,then the same mutton curry becomes richer and more regal looking. Take your pick and have a lovely Sunday lunch of Mutton curry and rice. Oh yes, do cook the rice in the same pressure cooker with remnants of the mutton gravy to flavor it and little ghee.
Mangshor Jhol
Ingredients
Preparation:
- 1 kg Mutton Medium pieces (Remove the fat)
- 2 Whole potatoes
- 1 medium sized Onion
- 1 tbsp Red chilly powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 5 to 6 tbsp Mustard oil
For Marinating Mutton:
- 100 g Yoghurt
- 1.5 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
- 4 to 5 medium sized Onions
- 1 large Tomato finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Black peppercorns
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 piece Cinnamon , 3 inches in length also called as dalchini
Instructions
Step 1 : Marinate Mutton
- In a large mixing bowl , mix yoghurt, ginger and garlic paste, thinly sliced onions, chopped tomatoes,peppercorns,bay leaf and cinnamom.
- Add the mutton pieces and coat them well with the marinade.Massage the pieces really well.
- Cover and set aside for 1 hour.
Step 2 : Fry Potatoes
- Heat mustard oil, 3 cm deep, in a pan.
- Add little turmeric powder , fry the potatoes until they are lightly coloured on all sides (about 4 minutes).
- Keep the flame on medium to high.Drain and set them aside.
Step 3 : Cooking Mutton
- Heat mustard oil, add onion paste and sauté until light brown in color.
- Add sugar, gently stir the sugar until all of it has caramelized into a beautiful golden brown color.
- Add the mutton pieces and mix well.Add turmeric powder and red chilly powder and salt.
- Fry on a medium to high heat for 10 to 15 min with the lid on.At this point the mutton will start releasing water.
- Add some hot water (one ladleful at a time) , mix and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Then add some more water in the same amount.Repeat this process until the gravy is turned into a nice brown colour.
- Let the mutton cook over low heat covered. Stir in between to prevent from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan.This process is called "kashano" or "bhuno".
- For faster cooking , once you have obtained the desired colour for the gravy you may stop the frying process and tranfser the mutton to a pressure cooker.
- First add the fried potatoes.Lay them to the bottom, followed by the mutton on top.
- Add 150 g water ,pressure cook it on medium-low heat for 30 minutes.If you are using instant pot , 20 mins in pressure cook mode is enough.Remember mutton will also release water.
- Serve hot with steamed rice, luchi, roti, puri, paratha. The typical Bengali way to have this Mutton Curry/Mangshor Jhol is with steamed rice/gorom bhaat.
Recent Comments