Mutton curry is an Indian curry dish that is prepared from Goat Meat and vegetables. Although very popular in northern India, mainly in Bengal region, the dish is found in different variations across all states, countries and regions of South Asia. It originated from Eastern India, but soon became very popular and standard way to cook mutton all over Indian subcontinent. Railway mutton curry is a variation of the dish that originated during the British India. Mutton curry was originally prepared putting all the ingredients together in a earthen pot and slow cooking the whole curry by wood fire on a clay oven. Today it is cooked using pressure cookers and slow cookers after briefly sautéing all the ingredients and spices in a big wok. The slow cooked mutton becomes more tender than normally cooked mutton. Mutton curry is generally served with rice or with Indian breads, such as naan or parotta. The dish can also be served with raji, a cereal.
Mutton is a central part of Kashmiri cuisine. Both Hindus and Muslims prepare the same dishes but with different spices. While Kashmiri Muslims use onion and garlic in their dishes, the Kashmiri Hindus use hing and ginger powder instead of onion and garlic to increase the flavour of their dishes. Most of the mutton dishes are part of Wazwan, a meal of 36 courses which is served during weddings. Some of the important dishes include:
In Odisha mutton curry is always made of khasi goat meat. There are many varieties of goat meat curries that are prepared in Odisha. Some of the popular curries are: While mutton curry is usually eaten with rice, in Western OdishaMangsaw Kawsa is particularly relished with mudhi. Mangsaw Kawsa is said to be the predecessor of the popular Bengaligoat curry dish known as Kosha Mangsho most probably introduced by the Odia cooks who moved to West Bengal during the British rule to work in the kitchens of Bengali families.
West Bengal
Kosha mangsho is the Bengali version of mutton curry. It traditionally has less juice and more gravy than mutton curries eaten in other parts of India. This dish is prepared in a kosha style, which involves retaining the mutton's flavor and moisture using slow cooking and sautéeing methods. Kosha mangsho is traditionally prepared as part of the celebration of Kali Puja, a festival dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kali, celebrated on the New Moon day of the Hindu month Kartik. Railway mutton curry is a British Raj colonial-era dish that was served on long distance trains. The dish was served with dinner rolls. Tamarind was originally used to extend its shelf life. Some restaurants serve the dish in present-day times, such as Oh! Calcutta! restaurant in Kolkata, India. Railway mutton curry is prepared using a coconut milk base.
Counterfeit variations
In 2012, in The Midlands, England, trading standards officers working undercover went to twenty restaurants that were randomly chosen and bought 39 lamb curry and kebab dishes. Four of the dishes contained no lamb, instead using a mixture that contained beef, pork or chicken. In the investigation, it was found that only three lamb curries out of the nineteen tested contained only lamb. Most were found to consist of a mixture of lamb with beef or chicken. Additionally, all of the twenty lamb kebabs that were sampled contained meats in addition to lamb that was mixed with it, such as beef, pork or chicken.
