Dish of 'Mutton' with Potatoes and Okra
(click to enlarge)

"Mutton" with Potatoes & Okra


India - Andhra   -   Bhindi ka Patla Salan
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 5 main
***
4 hrs
Yes		 Goat is the main meat of India, but during the Raj, the British called it "mutton" to make it taste more British, and the name stuck. This curry is lighter and brighter than the Mughlai style mutton curry of Hyderabad.

1
3
1/2
1
1-1/4
1
12
1
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1
2
1/4
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4
3
1
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1/3
3
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ar
3
3
2/3
#
cl
in
T
#
#
oz
#
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t
t
t
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in
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c

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T
c
t
"Mutton" meat (1)  
Garlic
Ginger root
Oil (2)
Onions
Potatoes (3)
Okra pods (4)
Tomatoes
-- Spicing
Coriander seed
Chili powder (5)
Turmeric
-- Optional
Cloves
Cardamom pod
Cinnamon (6)
-- Herbs
Cilantro
Mint sprigs
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Oil (7)
Oil (2)
Water
Salt
Do Ahead   -   (variable, depending on cut)
  1. De-bone and de-fat your Goat, Mutton, or Lamb.
Prep   -   (1-1/4 hr)
  1. Trim away excess fat and remove bones from MUTTON. Cut into pieces about 1-1/2 inches on a side or however it works out.
  2. Crush GARLIC and chop fine. Slice GINGER very thin and chop fine. Mix and pound to paste in a mortar.
  3. Massage Garlic mix and Oil into Mutton and set aside for at least an hour.
  4. Quarter ONIONS lengthwise and slice thin crosswise.
  5. Peel POTATOES and cut into pieces about 1 inch on a side.
  6. Deep fry Potatoes until a light blonde, or pan fry (see Note-8). Do this while doing other prep work. Drain and set aside.
  7. Shave the hard cap from the OKRAS. Use a very sharp knife and cut in the form of a cone, making sure you do not cut into the hollow part.
  8. In a non-reactive bowl, tumble Okras with Vinegar. Let them soak for 30 minutes, tumbling occasionally to make sure they stay coated - this treatment prevents them from splitting open during cooking.
  9. Scald Tomatoes in boiling water 1 minute, quench in cold water, peel and dice about 3/8 inch.
  10. Dry pan roast Coriander until aromatic but darkened just a shade. Grind to powder and mix with Chili Powder and Turmeric.
  11. Chop Cilantro and Mint small. Mix.
Run     -   (2-3/4 hrs)
  1. In a spacious coverable sauté pan (3 qt), heat Oil over moderate flame and fry Onions stirring over declining heat until light blonde, taking care they don't stick to the pan.
  2. Stir in Coriander mix until well distributed.
  3. Stir in Optional Spices if used.
  4. Stir Mutton mix into the pan. Fry stirring until all liquid has evaporated and oil begins to separate.
  5. Stir in 3 cups Water. Scrape up the fond and bring to a boil. Cover tightly and simmer, stirring now and then, until goat is 2/3 done, about 1-1/3 hours.
  6. Stir in Potatoes, Okra, Tomatoes and Salt Cover and simmer, stirring now and then, until goat is tender, about 30 minutes or so.
  7. Check consistency. Add boiling water if needed - the sauce should be fairly liquid.
  8. Stir in Herb mix until well distributed. Take off heat.
  9. Serve with plenty of steamed Jasmine rice (it's closer to the rice used in southern India than Basmati is). You could also serve with hot Roti (flat breads).
NOTES:

  1. Mutton:

      This can be Goat, Sheep, or even Lamb. I prefer Goat, and I can often get it cheaper than Mutton or Lamb (here, all come from New Zealand). Price is important, because all these are 1/3 bone, 1/3 fat and 1/3 meat, so your cost for actual meat will be three times the price marked.

  2. Oil

      The pattern recipe allows oil or ghee (highly clarified butter). Coconut oil would be an appropriate choice for this region, but Avocado Oil or Pure Olive Oil (not virgin) will work fine. In India, expensive ghee is used for fancy occasions, but use only real butter ghee - vegetable ghees may be loaded with trans fats. For details see our Ghee page.

  3. Potatoes:

      White Rose or similar work well for recipes of this sort. Avoid "Yukon Gold" type potatoes as they disintegrate into mush if cooked a little long. For details see our Potatoes page.

  4. Okra:

      Select the smallest, youngest tender pods you can find. Older pods can be fibrous. Try for 3 inches or less, but the smallest I could find for the photo example were 4 inches. For details see our Okra page.

  5. Chili Powder:

      Easily available Reshampatti powder is appropriate for this region. 2 teaspoons makes a curry that is very moderately hot by Southern California standards - if in doubt, cut it back a bit, but not less than 1 teaspoon. For details see our Indian Chilis page.

  6. Cinnamon:

      In India real Cinnamon is used, which releases flavor faster than the Cassia Bark called "cinnamon" in North America. It can be found in the spice section of almost any market serving a Mexican community. For details see our Cinnamon / Cassia page.

  7. Oil:

      This is oil for deep frying the potatoes. If you don't have it handy you can fry the Potatoes in the oil that will be used to fry the Onions, more attention needed, but workable. Add a little more oil as needed.
  8. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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