Mutton Chukka Varuval

Name: Mutton Chukka Varuval
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Tamil Nadu
Ingredients: 700g, bone-in, cut into 3cm pieces mutton; 4 tbsp sesame oil; 20 small, sliced shallot; 10 cloves, crushed garlic; 1.5 inch, crushed ginger; 3 sprigs curry leaves; 1 tsp turmeric; 2 tsp, coarsely crushed black pepper; 8 dried red chilli; 2 tbsp coriander powder; 2 tsp fennel seeds; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp stone flower; 1 star anise; 1 inch cinnamon; 4 cloves; 3 tbsp, grated dried coconut; 3 tbsp, chopped coriander leaves; 250ml water; to taste salt

slow-cooked mutton fried down dry until every piece is coated in black masala

dairy freeegg freegluten freenut free

Mutton Chukka Varuval — Photo: Asif Saleh · CC BY-SA 4.0

Prep25 min

Cook70 min

Active95 min

Serves4

Difficultymoderate

Per serving445 kcal

Allergens in Mutton Chukka Varuval: sesame.

Ingredients

Quantities for 4.

700g, bone-in, cut into 3cm pieces Muttonshoulder or leg
4 tbsp Sesame Oilgingelly oil
20 small, sliced Shallotor 2 onions, finely sliced
10 cloves, crushed Garlic
1.5 inch, crushed Ginger
3 sprigs Curry Leavesone for the pot, two for the finish
1 tsp Turmeric
2 tsp, coarsely crushed Black Pepperhalf in the masala, half at the end
8 Dried Red Chilli
2 tbsp Coriander Powder
2 tsp Fennel Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Stone Flowerkalpasi
1 Star Anise
1 inch Cinnamon
4 Cloves
3 tbsp, grated Dried Coconutoptional
3 tbsp, chopped Coriander Leavesoptional
250ml Waterfor the pressure cooker
to taste Salt

Cookware

stovetop, pressure cooker, kadhai, blender

Ingredient names in English →

Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.

Before you start

Chukka means dry. The mutton is cooked soft first, then fried until the gravy has vanished into a coating. Plan for two stages and do not shortcut the second.
Bring the mutton to room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking; cold meat straight from the fridge seizes and takes longer to tenderise.
Goat, not lamb, if you can get it. The flavour holds up to this much pepper.

Method

Dry-roast the chillies, coriander, fennel, cumin, stone flower, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and 1 tsp of the pepper over low heat for 5 minutes, until fragrant and a shade darker. Cool and grind fine with the coconut.Roast on the lowest flame you can hold. Scorched kalpasi turns the whole dish bitter.
Pressure cook the mutton with turmeric, half the crushed garlic and ginger, one sprig of curry leaves, salt and 250ml water for 5 whistles, then 15 minutes on low.
Release the pressure naturally and check: the meat should give when pressed with a spoon. If not, cook 2 more whistles.Do not proceed with tough mutton. No amount of frying later will soften it.
Drain the mutton, keeping the stock. Heat the gingelly oil in a kadhai and fry the remaining curry leaves 10 seconds.
Add the shallots and fry over medium heat until deep brown at the edges, about 10 minutes.
Add the rest of the garlic and ginger, fry 2 minutes, then add the ground masala and fry 4 minutes with a splash of the stock.
Tip in the drained mutton and toss so every piece is coated. Add 100ml of the reserved stock.
Now fry it down over medium-low heat, stirring every couple of minutes, for 20-25 minutes, until the liquid is gone and the masala clings darkly to the meat.This is the whole dish. Stop while it is still glossy and slightly sticky, not powder-dry.
Crush in the remaining 1 tsp pepper off the heat, scatter the coriander leaves and rest 5 minutes.Pepper added at the end stays sharp and floral; pepper cooked from the start goes flat.

Safe temperatures: Whole cuts of mutton, beef and pork are done at 63°C / 145°F, rested 3 minutes. A long braise passes that well before the meat is tender. Reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F. FoodSafety.gov

Storage

Keeps 3 days refrigerated and tastes better on day two. Reheat dry in a hot pan for 3-4 minutes; a microwave steams it and loses the crust.

Nutrition Low estimate

One serving of Mutton Chukka Varuval (280 g) is about 445 calories, or 160 calories per 100 g.

High protein: 39 g a serving, 35% of the calories

	Per serving280 g	Per 100 g
Calories	445 kcal	160 kcal
Protein	38.9 g	14 g
Carbohydrate	11.9 g	4 g
of which sugars	1.1 g	0 g
Fibre	5.7 g	2 g
Fat	27.7 g	10 g
of which saturated	9.9 g	4 g
of which unsaturated	15.7 g	6 g

Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Nearest database match used for curry leaves, mutton, stone flower. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.

More like this: Gluten-free Indian recipes · Dairy-free Indian recipes · Tamil Nadu recipes

Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.