Madurai Mutton Kuzhambu
A robust, deeply spiced mutton curry from Madurai's roadside mess kitchens, cooked with roasted coconut and a generous hand of chilli.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 85 min
- Servings
- 5
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 420 kcal
Equipment
- •Pressure cooker
- •Kadai
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- fat
- 27 g
- carbs
- 11 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 34 g
- calories
- 420 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Toast grated coconut, dried chillies, coriander seeds and poppy seeds in a dry pan until golden and fragrant.
- 2
Let the mixture cool. Grind it with a little water into a smooth paste.
- 3
Heat gingelly oil in a kadai (deep pan). Add fennel seeds until they pop and sizzle.
- 4
Add sliced onions and fry until golden. Stir in ginger-garlic paste and cook until fragrant.
- 5
Add chopped tomatoes and turmeric. Cook until the tomatoes soften and break down completely.
- 6
Add the mutton pieces and salt. Fry briskly on high heat for 5 minutes.
- 7
Move everything to a pressure cooker. Add the ground coconut paste and enough water for gravy, then cook for 6-8 whistles until tender.
- 8
Open the cooker and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken the gravy. Adjust salt before serving.
Chef's tips
Roasting the coconut masala (spice blend) until deep brown, not just golden, gives the curry its characteristic Madurai depth. Let the curry rest for an hour before serving for best flavour.
Ingredient substitutions
- mutton → goat meat
Storage
Refrigerate up to 2 days; freezes well for a month.
Reheating
Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water until piping hot.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Under-roasting the coconut, leaving a raw taste
- •Rushing the pressure cooking, leaving the meat tough
Serving suggestions
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