Kasha Mangsho! :)

This recipe is something I will turn back to, year after year. Nothing spells Bengali cuisine to me, more than the 'Kasha Mutton'. Being bereft of good Bengali food, whenever I am staying anywhere outside Bengal, I often venture out to the nearest 'Bangali' restaurant to scour for this dish. My non vegetarian friends with a penchant for Bengali cuisine can vouch for my love and have often made frenetic trips in the middle of the day to find a restaurant which serves the same. (And yes! On all the Bengali festivals. :| Sigh!) But nothing beats 'Kasha Mangsho(meat)' cooked lovingly by the mom! ^__^ Another one from my mother's repository. 

Ingredients

1) 1 kg Mutton
2) 1 kg finely sliced Onions
3) 2 tbsp Ginger(1/2 tbsp) garlic(1 1/2 tbsp) paste
4) 2 tbsp Red Chili powder(Increase or Decrease acc to taste)
5) 2 tsp Turmeric
6) 2 pieces Cinnamon
7) 4-6 pieces lightly crushed Elaichi or Green Cardamom
8) 4-6 cloves.
9) 2 Bay leaves.
10) 1 cup Oil
11) 2 tsp Garam Masala powder
12) Salt to taste
13) 2 tbsp Curd

Recipe 

1) Marinate the Mutton with the Ginger Garlic paste and the Curd. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours. Bring it down to normal temperature before cooking.
2) Heat up a cup of oil. Fry 1/4 of the Onion slices until crisp. Be careful! Do not burn the onion. Set the fried onion aside.
3) Use 2 tbsp from the oil already used and add the Cinnamon, Cardamoms, Bay leaves and the Cloves into the hot oil. Stir for 30 secs. Add the remaining of the Onions into the pan. Stir for 2-3 mins until the Onion turns a little transparent. Add the marinated Mutton, chili powder and the Turmeric. Stir on high heat until the Mutton turns slightly pink in color. This is your cue to slow cook for 30 mins. If needed, add 2-3 tbsp water. Keep stirring occasionally so that the masala doesn't burn and stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the salt.
4) Heat 1/2 cup water and pour it into a pressure cooker with the mutton. Pressure cook(2 whistles). Let the mutton stand in the cooker after the second whistle until all the vapor has released. Taste the Mutton to figure if it has been cooked, properly! If necessary, cook in the pressure cooker for longer( Another whistle).
5) Sprinkle the Garam masala and add half of the fried Onions we had kept aside. Stir well and cover the pressure cooker for a while. Serve with hot steamed rice and garnish with the rest of the friend Onions. Yum!

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