Dal Makhni Potli Mutton Stew
Add 1 Punjabi Dal Makhni potli with the cooking water immediately before pressure cooking. Remove it as soon as the mutton is tender.
Ingredients
For the Mutton
- Bone-in goat/mutton — 750 g
- Thick curd — ⅓ cup / 80 g
- Ginger-garlic paste — 1½ tbsp
- Turmeric — ¼ tsp
- Kashmiri chilli powder — 1 tsp
- Salt — 1 tsp
Zaika Potli
- Punjabi Dal Makhni — 1 potli
For the Stew
- Mustard oil or ghee — 2 tbsp
- Onions — 2 large / about 280 g, thinly sliced
- Tomatoes — 2 medium / about 200 g, chopped
- Coriander powder — 2 tsp
- Hot water — 2½ cups
- Salt — as required
For Finishing
- Kasuri methi — ½ tsp, crushed
- Fresh coriander — 2 tbsp
- Ginger juliennes — 1 tbsp
Cooking Instructions
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1Combine mutton with curd, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, chilli powder and salt. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
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2Heat oil or ghee in a pressure cooker or heavy pressure pan.
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3Add onions and cook patiently until deep golden. Proper browning is important for the stew's colour and savoury depth.
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4Add the marinated mutton and cook over medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the meat loses its raw appearance and the marinade begins coating it.
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5Add tomatoes and coriander powder.
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6Continue bhuno-ing until the tomatoes have broken down and the fat begins appearing around the masala.
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7Add 2½ cups hot water and the Punjabi Dal Makhni potli.
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8Pressure-cook until the mutton is tender, generally about 25–35 minutes under pressure depending on the cut and animal.
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9Allow the pressure to release naturally. Open the cooker and check the meat; it should yield easily when pressed with a spoon.
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10Remove the potli.
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11If the gravy is thin, simmer uncovered until it reaches a light stew consistency. If too concentrated, add a little hot water.
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12Add kasuri methi and check the seasoning.
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13Finish with coriander and ginger juliennes.
Bone-in shoulder, neck or mixed curry cuts are preferable to very lean boneless meat. Their collagen gives the cooking liquid substantially better body.
🍽️ Perfect Serving Pairings
My Take On Dal Makhni Potli Mutton Stew
This rustic mutton stew uses the Punjabi Dal Makhni infusion outside its obvious lentil application, but in a way that remains culinarily coherent: black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, cumin and mace all pair naturally with slow-cooked mutton. Tomato and browned onion create the body while the potli supplies the whole-spice layer.
The Secret: Bone-in shoulder, neck or mixed curry cuts are preferable to very lean boneless meat. Their collagen gives the cooking liquid substantially better body.