Mutton Dalcha

• Toor Dal - 200g or 1 of 250ml teacup
• Mutton with bones - 400g
• Ginger-garlic paste - 3 tsp heaped
• Cinnamon - 1 inch long stick
• Cloves - 2
• Onion - 1 large
• Tomato - 2 medium
• Green chilli - 2 for medium spicy or 4 for extra spicy
• Cooking oil - 50ml or 3 tblsp
• Tinned coconut milk - 3 tblsp or 150ml fresh coconut milk
• Curry leaves - 2 Sprig
• Chopped coriander leaves / mint leaves - 1 tblsp (optional)
• Tamarind - ball of 2cm diameter
• Warm water - 100ml

Spice powders:

• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp heaped for medium spicy or 2 tsp heaped for extra spicy
• Coriander powder - 2 tsp heaped
• Cumin (jeera) powder - 1/2 tsp
• Pepper powder - 1 for medium spicy or 2 tsp for v.spicy

Vegetables:

• Potato large - 2
• Carrot large - 1
• Brinjal/Egg plant - 6-8 or Aubergine - 1/2 of medium
• Cabbage - 30g (optional)
• Marrow/Dudhi - 50g or 1/4 of medium (optional)
• Plantain - 1 small (optional)

1. Rinse the dal and drain it.
2. Clean and rinse the meat.
3. Chop the onion, tomatoes, curry leaves and coriander leaves / mint leaves; Slit the chilli.
4. Peel and cut the potatoes into 1&1/2 inch cubes.
5. Peel the carrots and cut them into 2cm slices.
6. Cut other vegetables into 1 inch cubes.
7. Wash and soak the tamarind in warm water for few minutes. Squeeze out the tamarind pulp, strain and keep this tamarind juice aside.

1. ** Heat a pressure cooker pan on the stove.
2. ** Add dal, about 400ml of water and half of turmeric powder.
3. ** Cover and pressure cook. Switch off after two whistles and open when the pressure is gone. Do not open the pressure cooker when there is any pressure left.
4. Leave the cooked dal aside.
5. Heat a pressure cooker pan on a stove and add oil.
6. When the oil is hot enough, add half of curry leaves, cinnamon and cloves and fry for about ½ a minute.
7. Add chopped onion and saute them on a medium heat until they become translucent.
8. Add chilli and ginger-garlic paste and fry for about 2 minutes.
9. Add all the spice powders and lamb/mutton pieces and fry further for about 4-5 minutes.
10. Add salt, chopped coriander leaves/mint leaves and chopped tomatoes; fry for about 3-4 minutes.
11. *** Add about a cup of water to the pan.
12. *** Cover and leave the heat on medium.
13. *** Switch off the stove after 10-12 minutes and open the lid once the pressure is gone.
14. Switch on the heat; add the vegetables and about ½ a cup of water to the cooked meat and stir.
15. **** Pressure cook again until 1-2 whistles.
16. Add the cooked dal to the pan of meat and vegetables and stir.
17. Add tamarind juice, stir and let it boil on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
18. Add water if the curry is too thick and let it boil.
19. Add coconut milk atlast and let it boil for 3-4 minutes.
20. Garnish with rest of the curry leaves.
21. Mutton Dalcha is ready to be served.

1. Heat a 3-4litre saucepan on a high heat.
2. Add dhal, about 750ml of water and half of turmeric powder.
3. Once the water starts boiling, simmer. Cover with the lid and leave it ajar. Cook until the dal is cooked well. It might take about 40-45 minutes.
4. Open the lid, stir few times and make sure there is enough water left. If there is not enough water left, add more for the dal to be cooked.
5. Switch off the pan after checking whether the dal is cooked well and in soft texture but not too soft.

1. Add about 1.25ltr of water to the pan of lamb,onion, tomatoes and spices.
2. Heat a pan on high heat. Once the water starts boiling, simmer it; Cover and cook on a low heat until the meat is tender enough. It might take about1 hour 15 minutes. Open the lid and stir few times and make sure there is enough water left for the lamb/mutton to get cooked well. If there is not enough water left, add more water and let it cook longer.

1. Add about 250ml of water to the pan of meat and vegetables.
2. Cover and cook until the vegetables are cooked.
3. Switch off when the vegetables are cooked.

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