Delicious recipes to try this Dashain

Mutton is the staple Dashain food at every Nepalis household. But following the same recipe every time you plan to indulge in this red meat is a strict no-no as there’s so much you can do to enhance its flavor.

Here, we have listed out three delicious mutton recipes that you can try this festive season. Every single one of them is different and offers a twist to the classic mutton recipe you have been following for years now. 

MUTTON CHOPS

This is hands-down the easiest recipe for the preparation of a mutton dish you will ever come to know of in your life. And even though it’s pretty effortless and quick to prepare, it tastes just as good as a restaurant prepared meal.

Ingredients
    All purpose flour
    Eggs
    Breadcrumbs – crushed
    Vegetable oil
    Salt
    Pepper and any other finely ground spices you want to add
    Lemon slices
    Mutton chops - French cut
    Dip or sauce of your choice

Directions
    Beat the eggs in a bowl.
    Sprinkle some flour and breadcrumbs onto two separate plates.
    Firstly, run the mutton chop piece in the plate full of flour.
    Then dip it in the egg wash and roll it over the breadcrumbs.
    Put vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat.
    Add the mutton chops to the pan and fry them for about three minutes on each side. Both sides of the chops should turn a golden brown color.
    When you are halfway through each batch of frying the mutton chops, add a blob of butter onto the pan and squeeze a slice of lemon on top.
    Once the chops are fried to your preference, set them aside in a clean and dry plate.
    Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top and let them cool down.
    Further trim down the mutton chops and place them on a baking sheet.
    Slide the sheet into the oven and let the chops bake for maximum three minutes.
    Serve with your favorite dip or sauce.

GOAN MUTTON CURRY

Inspired by South Indian dishes, this recipe was derived by chef James Martin. It is spicy, sour, and hot and tastes very heavily of coconut. If you want to get fancier with your cooking, you can substitute the mutton with lamb.

Ingredients
    Cumin seeds
    Coriander seeds
    Cinnamon stick
    Leg of mutton (or lamb) – with bones but cut into cubes
    Onions – finely sliced
    Garlic cloves – crushed
    Root ginger – fresh and finely grated
    Red chilies – sliced
    Tamarind paste or lime juice or rice vinegar or white wine
    Amchoor or mango powder
    Vegetable stock
    Dried coconut
    Coconut milk
    Coriander leaves – fresh

Directions
    Heat a frying pan with a thick base and gradually add cumin, coriander, and cinnamon into it.
    Singe them, let that dry and then grind them together, very finely.
    Heat another pan and add vegetable oil to it.
    After a while, add mutton to the pan and cook until the pieces of meat turn a beautiful golden color.
    Place the cooked pieces on one side and let it cool.
    Place the pan (with oil) back on top of the stove and add the sliced onions.
    Cook for about ten minutes with the lid on.
    Now add all the garlic, ginger, chili, toasted spices and any other remaining spices you have readily available. Place the lid back on and cook for at least a minute more.
    Add the mutton pieces and vegetable broth to the pan.
    Cook for an additional minute or two before turning the heat off.
 

SPICY SLOW COOKED MUTTON

This is originally a Mexican recipe. We have tweaked it in some places to suit the Nepali taste and household (as in what is and isn’t available in the Nepalis market). It needs quite a lot of time for the whole preparation process but the end result is definitely worth it.

Ingredients
    Cinnamon
    Cloves
    Cumin seeds
    Bay leaves – sliced
    Rosemary leaves – chopped
    Garlic cloves – crushed
    Carrots – chopped
    Onions – chopped 
    Peas 
    Mutton leg
    Chilies – chopped, deseeded and crushed
    Black pepper
    Vinegar
    Pomegranate molasses or cranberry sauce

Directions
    Start by grinding together all the spices you have collected for this recipe.
    With your fingers, thoroughly rub the spice mix, salt and black pepper over the mutton leg.
    Place this onto a tray, seal it with a plastic film and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
    In a roasting tray, toss together carrots, onions, garlic and chilies.
    Add vinegar to the tray and keep the mutton leg on top of the tray.
    Roast this in your oven (for about three and half hours or so) until the meat turns tender.
    Once that is done, pick out the mutton leg and set it aside to cool.
    Pour everything else into a blender container and blend them together until you get a puree like substance.
    Pour this puree onto a pan and warm it over medium heat.
    Add the carrots, onion and peas.
    Slowly pour in the pomegranate molasses or cranberry sauce into the pan and stir everything together.
    Separate the mutton leg into smaller pieces and add these pieces into the pan.
    Cover the pan with a lid and cook for about three minutes before turning the stove off.

 
• dashain
 
• festival
 
• Nepal
 
• mutton
 
• food
 
• recipes