Niramish meat curry! Kali pujo bhog
Isn’t Kali pujo all about meat? Even a decade back Pantha Boli or goat sacrifice was common. However, with time animal sacrifice has been barred in most places. Yet, Bengalis’ love for their Kochi Panthar Jhol hasn’t gone down a bit and most Bengalis still routinely have their meat curry every Sunday, just as they have it every Kali Pujo.
What about trying a Niramish or vegetarian meat curry without onions and garlic but with a dash of gondhoraj lebu to ward off the smell of meat? Try the following recipe from our Grandma’s cookbook.
Vegetarian Mangshor Jhol
Ingredients:
• 500 g mutton/ goat meat on the bone,
• 100 g curd
• 1 teaspoon garam masala and Kashmiri red chilli powder
• Pinch of turmeric, cumin and coriander
• 2 potatoes cut into half
• 2 tablespoons mustard oil (more ‘authentic’)
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• Tomato paste or puree
• 1 teaspoon ghee
• Gondhoraj lebu
How to cook:
1. Marinate the mutton for a few hours in the curd with turmeric, cumin and coriander.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker pan.
3. Add whole garam masala and bay leaves and dry red chillies.
4. Add ginger paste, tomato puree to marinated mutton and potatoes and stir and cook for about 10 minutes.
5. Add water and bring to boil.
6. Close the pressure pan lid, keep the gas flame high and wait for 6 to 7 whistles. Then reduce the flame and let it cook on a low flame for 30 minutes.
7. Add garam masala and ghee in the end and a dice of gondhoraj lebu for the flavor.
8. Serve it with plain rice.
