Kerala Mutton Roast

If you have read my Kerala Beef Roast, Chicken Ularthu & Beef Ularthu posts you would be quite familiar with the Kerala cooking style. Though the preparation of these dishes is quite a task and demands much of your time and energy, the final outcome is truly worth the effort. How else can you make a proper Kerala style 'Ularthu'(Roast)?

For those who haven't tried the traditional 'Ularthu' dishes, I should say, you shouldn't get intimidated or turned off seeing the numerous amount of spices that goes into the preparation. After all the spices are what that makes these dishes so unique! After moving to US I missed these authentic dishes so much that I finally ventured into making these. And can anything ever beat the taste of home made food?

These dishes always tastes better the next day because sufficient time has to given to the spices to properly infuse into the meat. So all you have to do is to resist your temptations until the next day! All Ularthu dishes pairs well with Appam/Idiappam/Steamed Rice with a dollop of ghee.

Mutton(Goat Meat)- 2 lb

Big onion - 1 chopped(18-20 Shallots preferred)

Tomato - 2 chopped

Fresh Ginger minced - 1 tbsp

Garlic Cloves - 2 minced

Green chillies - 4 split

Chilly Powder - 3/4 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp

Meat masala - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp

Curry leaves - 3 sprigs

Thin Coconut slices - 3/4 cup

Coconut oil for cooking

Ground roasted spices(Recipe follows)

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 3/4 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Meat masala - 1 tsp

Ginger Garlic paste - 1.5 tsp

Salt to taste

Cinnamon stick - 2 each 2.5" long

Cloves - 7

Cardamom seeds - 1/4 tsp

Star anise - 1

1/2 nutmeg

Fennel seeds - 1.5 tbsp

Dry roast the ingredients mentioned above at medium heat until the colour slightly changes and you get the aroma of roasted spices.Cool and grind to a fine powder.Marinate mutton with the above roasted spices and all other ingredients mentioned above under marinade.Keep marinated mutton for at least 30 minutes.Cook mutton in a pressure cooker adding little water. Keep aside.Add some oil in a pan and roast the coconut slices until the raw smell goes. Keep aside.Add oil to the same pan and splutter mustard seeds.Add freshly torn curry leaves and saute till it turns crisp and gives out aroma.Add chopped onions/sliced shallots along with green chillies and saute till onions turn brown.Add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes.Add chopped tomatoes and cook till it turns mushy.Add chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, meat masala, salt and mix everything together and saute till raw smell of spices go.Add cooked mutton along with water obtained from pressure cooking along with coconut slices.Mix everything well.Increase heat to high and saute till the water has evaporated and dish turns dry. You'll need to keep stirring at intervals to prevent mutton from sticking to the bottom of the pan.When the dish has turned dry and the dish has turned dark brown, remove from heat.Serve hot with Appam/Idiappam/Steamed Rice with ghee.

Pooja.