Here's a simple and delicious Mutton Handi Kebab recipe, passed down through generations! I adapted it from a charming little kebab shop from the Birbhum district of West Bengal.
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- Kebabs from Small-town! Are they different?
- Step-by-step instructions
- Cooking Tips- Mutton Handi Kebab!
- Here's how I cook Mutton Handi Kebab at Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Recipe Card
- Mutton Recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Similar Recipes
- Have you tried the Mutton Handi Kebab Recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Mutton Handi Kebab Pin for your Pinterest Board!
It's been a while since I've shared a mutton recipe, but this one is worth the wait. This easy-to-make Mutton Handi Kebab is an heirloom treasure. I learned it from Sabina, my daughter's former nanny. She had amazing kebab-making skills, which makes sense since her father owns a small kebab shop in Dubrajpur, a suburb of West Bengal, near my in-laws' home. I've tried almost all the kebabs from their shop.
Kebabs from Small-town! Are they different?
What I love about these small-town kebabs is their simplicity and the light touch with spices. Sabina helped me adapt her father's beef kebab recipe to create this Mutton Handi Kebab, and it turned out perfectly!
My friends and family often tease me for not cooking for them as much as I used to. So, a few days ago, I decided to make a large batch of Mutton Handi Kebab for my family and some close friends, all of whom are true food enthusiasts with discerning palates, something I truly appreciate. Mehebub and Pasta, for example, know exactly how they like their mutton. Seeing their empty plates and the requests for more told me I had succeeded. There's always a unique joy in cooking for the people I love, care about, and enjoy spending time with.
Step-by-step instructions
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Wash the mutton pieces and pat them completely dry; no water should remain.
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Slit a papaya stem to collect its gum. Grate the papaya skin. Mix about two tablespoons of grated papaya skin with the collected gum and one teaspoon of salt until well combined.
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Separately, create a paste from the onions, ginger, and fifteen garlic cloves.
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Dry roast the dried red chilies with six garlic cloves, then grind them into a paste.
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In a large bowl, rub the papaya skin mixture into the mutton pieces until they become slightly sticky.
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Add half of the mustard oil, the red chili and roasted garlic paste, the ginger paste, and the mint paste to the meat. Squeeze out the onion juice and pour it over the mutton. Stir in the turmeric powder, red chili powder, dry roasted cumin powder, and Bengali garam masala powder until everything is thoroughly mixed.
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Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the mutton overnight. When you're ready to cook, remove the mutton from the refrigerator.
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Add lemon juice and salt to taste, mixing everything thoroughly.
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Prepare a deep, thick-bottomed pot or Handi.
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Heat the remaining mustard oil in the same pot.
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Add the mutton chunks and their marinade.
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Stir in the slit green chilies, cover the pot, and cook slowly for about 1.5 hours.
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Check and stir with a spatula occasionally until the mutton is tender.
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Once the mutton is fully cooked, stir in the fresh cream and turn off the heat.
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Serve the Mutton Handi Kebab hot with your preferred bread.
See recipe card below for measurements.
Jump to RecipeCooking Tips- Mutton Handi Kebab!
I added a touch of fresh cream to the recipe, and it wonderfully enhanced the flavor and richness of the dish.
Regarding the Mutton Handi Kebab, as I've mentioned before, the dish is more about showcasing the natural flavors of the mutton rather than being heavily spiced. It's also important to note that lean meat isn't ideal for this recipe; including some fat is preferable.
I cooked about 2 kilograms of mutton. When you make this, be sure to use the best quality mutton you can find.
Here's how I cook Mutton Handi Kebab at Debjanir Rannaghar!
Recipe Card
Mutton Handi Kebab | Gosht Haanri Kabab Recipe
A very easy yet, tasty heirloom recipe of Mutton Handi Kebab. I have adapted the recipe from a small-town Kebab shop in West Bengal
Ingredients
- 1 Kg Mutton with Fat
- 400 g Onion
- 20-25 Garlic
- 2- inches Ginger
- 2 tablespoon Papaya skin and gum/ glue see notes
- 10-12 leaves of Fresh Mint to make a paste
- 4-6 Dried Red Chili
- 2-3 Green Chili
- 3 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Dry Roasted Cumin Powder
- ½ teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala Powder
- 1.5 teaspoon Salt or to taste
- 5 tablespoon Mustard Oil
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 3 tablespoon Fresh Cream
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the Mutton pieces. There should not be any water.
- Take a Papaya and cut a slit on the stem to extract the gum from it.
- Grate the skin of the papaya.
- Take around 2 tablespoon of Papaya skin along with the gum extracted already, and 1 teaspoon of salt as well. Mix those properly.
- Make a paste of the Onions, ginger, and also 15 Garlic pods separately.
- Dry Roast the dried red chilies along with 6-7 Garlic pods.
- Make a paste of the roasted chili and garlic pods as well.
- Take the mutton chunks in a big bowl and rub the Papaya skin mixture until the mutton turns a bit sticky.
- Now, pour half of the Mustard Oil, red chili, roasted garlic-ginger paste, and mint paste as well over the meat.
- Extract the juice of the onions and pour the onion juice over the mutton.
- Add Turmeric Powder, Red Chili Powder, Dry Roasted Cumin Powder, and also Bengali Garam Masala Powder, and mix thoroughly.
- Cover the bowl with a cling film and refrigerate the mutton overnight.
- At the time of cooking, take the mutton out of the fridge.
- Add lemon juice and salt as required and mix thoroughly.
- Take a deep-bottom thick vessel or Handi.
- Rub Ghee inside the utensil and then heat the remaining Mustard Oil.
- Pour the mutton chunks along with the marinade.
- Start slow cooking after adding slit green chilies by covering the pan for around 1.5 hours.
- Check in between and stir using a spatula as and when required, and cook till the mutton softens.
- Once the mutton is done completely, add fresh cream and mix thoroughly, and switch the flame off.
- Serve Mutton Handi Kebab hot with your choice of bread.
Notes
- The Papaya skin and the gum/ glue (the white extract) worked as a tendering agent and helped to soften the meat.
- Roasted Chili Paste is responsible for giving the nutty aroma to the Mutton Handi Kebab.
Nutrition
Mutton Recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Kochi Pathar Jhol (Also known as Bengali Mutton Curry)
- Mutton Kosha (Also known as Kosha Mangsho or Meat Kasha)
- Niramish Mangsho (also known as Bhoger Mangsho or mutton cooked with no onion and no garlic)
- Posto Mangsho (Also known as Bengali Mutton Curry cooked with Poppy Seed Paste)
- Hyderabadi Haleem (Also known as Mutton Haleem)
- Bengali Keema Curry (Also known as Mutton Mincemeat Curry with Potato Chunks
- Anglo-Indian Mutton Curry (Also known as Anglo style mutton)
- Gota Moshlar Mangsho (Also known as Kata Moshlar Mangsho or Mutton cooked with whole spices)
- Kolkata's Mutton Tikia (Also known as Tikia Kebab)
- Mangshor Jhol (Also known as Bengali light Mutton curry or Aloo diye Mangshor Jhol)
- Bangladeshi Mutton Tehari (Also known as Mutton Tahiri)
- Mutton Ghee Roast (Also known as Mangalorean Mutton Ghee Roast)
- Mangsher Ghughni (Also known as Yellow Pea Curry with Minced Mutton)
- Mutton Rogan Josh: a Kashmiri Delicacy (Also known as Gosht Rogan Josh)
- Mutton Rezala (Also known as Kolkata style Mutton Rezala)
Similar Recipes
Have you tried the Mutton Handi Kebab Recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
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Mutton Handi Kebab Pin for your Pinterest Board!
About Debjani Chatterjee Alam
I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.
Saptarshi says
This recipe looks very promising! Have to try it over the weekend. Thank you!
Debjani says
Do try and let me know how do you find it 🙂
Parvati Purukayasta says
Excellent recipe! I love recipes from small town stalls. Do you have any more?
Debjani Chatterjee Alam says
Thank You!