Recipe: Preparation of Mutton Rezala

Mutton Rezala is a delicious Bengali recipe prepared in a simple manner by using yougurt. Meat is infused with deep, rich flavours of cashews cream, khoya and coconut. The recipe tastes best with naan or roti. Prepare this at your home by using the following method of preparation.

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 kg kareli botis
1 kg seene ka parcha
300 gm white onions
20 gm ginger
20 gm garlic
12 green cardamoms
5 gm white pepper powder
20 gm desiccated coconut
50 gm cashew nuts
250 gm curd
150 gm khoya
150 gm cream
250 gm ghee (clarified butter)
2 drops kewda jal
2 drops mitha ittr
2 silver leaves
Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

Clean the mutton pieces by washing in water.

Blanch in a pan of boiling water, remove the scum, drain and keep aside.

Extract the juice of ginger and garlic and keep aside. Then grind separately onions, cashew nuts and coconut to a fine paste.
 
In a heavy bottomed pan place the mutton, pour enough water to cover, add salt, green cardamoms and bring to boil, then simmer.

When the meat is half cooked, add the ground onions and the ginger-garlic juice.

Cook until dry. Then add ghee and the beaten curd, fry till the meat is dry.

Add the nut paste and coconut and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, taking care that the masala does not brown.

Then add white pepper and 1 1/2 cups of water, or enough to cook the meat for a thick gravy.

Simmer for a while. Remove from fire add kewra jal, mitha ittr and mashed khoya.

Blend well. Finally add the cream. Serve hot garnished with silver leaf. Roomali roti is a good accompaniment for this dish.

By Lizitha