food talk
Meat of the matter

The simple raseela gosht does away with the grinding and frying of the masala,
says Pushpesh Pant

THERE are times when the heart, actually the palate, pines for something simple yet flavourful, light yet satisfying. Those are the days when korma and kaliya seem much too elaborate and even the good-old salan appears to be bothersome. For long, we have relied upon the khade masale ka gosht or the ishtew to rescue us in the kitchen. But then, as the adage has it variety is the spice of life and man does not live by these two faithful friends alone. This yearning led us to the trail of ‘exploration and innovation’ and the discovery of the joys of raseela gosht.

Basically, the idea is to save time on backbreaking chores like grinding and frying the masala and to avoid personal supervision of browning the meat to just the right hue or oil parting company with the spice paste etc. The recipe gifted to us by an equally lazy foodie friend blends simple home-style gravy with the simplicity of the aromatic whole spices.

Make no mistake though. This is not accomplished by adding hot water to the mutton braised in its own juices, slow cooked on the dum.

If you wish to savour the true delight raseela gosht offers, you must treat it as an individual with a distinct personality. All that is common with khade masale ka gosht is the use of whole, not ground, spices. And, all that is common to ishtew is the slow unsupervised cooking. The quantity of onions used is much less. The proof of the pudding, and much else that is produced in the kitchen, is in the eating. If you are not happy with the plain Jane and must transform her like the fairy godmother into Princess Cinderella, go ahead and add a few strands of mace or `BC tsp of grated nutmeg.

raseela gosht

Ingredients

Mutton (preferably shoulder pieces mixed with a few chops) 1 kg
Ghee 100 gm
Green cardamom six
Cloves six
Black cardamom three
Cinnamon stick (1 inch long) two
Bay leaves two
Black peppercorns 20
Coriander seeds (coarsely pounded) 2 tsp
Garlic pods (medium sized) two
Ginger (cut in thick strips) 2 inch
Whole red chillies four
Onions medium sized (sliced thickly) three-four
Coriander (washed and chopped, optional) 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method

Heat ghee in a pan. Add green cardamom, cloves, black cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, peppercorns and coriander seeds. Stir over medium heat until the cardamom begins to change colour. Now add the meat and stir-fry for a few minutes, add the garlic and ginger and salt, stir-fry until the liquid evaporates.

Then add the onion and, stir-fry for a while on high heat. Add the red chillies to the pan. Preferably the whole red chillies may be dipped in water for half an hour. Add a cup of water and cover with a lid over medium heat. Stir occasionally till the mutton is tender. If required, small quantities of hot water may be added to the mutton. Once cooked, sprinkle the chopped green coriander to the dish. It is best enjoyed with hot tawe ki roti or steaming plain rice.





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