A Mind-blowing Mutton Pickle!

A Mind-blowing Mutton Pickle!

Mango Achaar may indeed be the nation’s favourite pickle but let’s not forget that India has a mindboggling array of pickles – and the sheer variety is just incredible! So far we have been exploring pickles made with vegetables and fruits. For a change, let’s try a non-vegetarian pickle. Here’s an amazing pickle made with mutton.

The ingredients that you will need are:

1. Mutton, boneless: 500 grams

2. P Mark Mustard Oil: 250 millilitres

3. Lemons: 5

4. Ginger-Garlic Paste: 2 tablespoon

5. Red Chilli Powder: 2 tablespoon

6. Turmeric (Haldi) Powder: 1 teaspoon

7. Garlic pods: 3

8. Fenugreek (Methi) Seeds: half a teaspoon

9. Cumin (Jeera) Seeds: half a teaspoon

10. Coriander (Dhania) Seeds: half a teaspoon

11. Salt: to taste

Preparation:

Cut the mutton into small cubes and wash the pieces thoroughly. Mix the salt, turmeric powder and ginger-garlic paste to create a marinade. Coat the mutton pieces with this mixture and set aside – allow the mutton to marinate for at least fifteen minutes. Then roast the marinated mutton till it becomes completely free of moisture, completely dry.

Dry roast the fenugreek, cumin and coriander seeds. Let them cool down; then grind them into a coarse powder.

Crush the garlic pods into a paste.

Extract the juice from the lemons.

Wash and sterilize a glass or porcelain pickling jar and wipe it dry. Let it dry completely. Once again, make sure it’s completely dry… there should be no droplets of residual moisture.

Method:

Heat the Mustard Oil in a pan on a Medium flame, till it reaches its smoking point. Add the mutton pieces and cook till the mutton takes on a glistening golden-reddish texture.

Add the red chilli powder – mix well. Then add the ground spice seeds. Add the fresh garlic paste. Continue mixing.

Reduce the flame to Low, add the lemon juice and let the contents simmer till the oil separates out from the mixture. Remove the pan from the flame and let the contents cool down.

Carefully pour/transfer the contents (along with the Mustard Oil) into the large pickling jar that you had sterilized and dried earlier. Use an airtight lid to close the jar. Unlike the fruit and vegetable pickles that you prepare, this mutton pickle does not have a long shelf life (since it contains meat). However, if you refrigerate it, it can last for a month or so. That’s why it is best to make this pickle in batches, in smaller quantities.

Your traditional Mutton Achaar is now ready. You can have it as a side-dish with snacks, or with rice or roti along with your meals.