After a long time, I am posting a Mutton recipe. A very easy yet, tasty one, the Mutton Handi Kebab, an heirloom recipe I have adapted from a small-town Kebab shop in West Bengal. I learned the Mutton Handi Kebab recipe from Sabina. She was my daughter’s ex-nanny. This is one of the simplest forms of the kebab but full with the flavor of its own and not suppressed by the spices. Sabina was amazing with her skills of making various types of Kebab and why not! After all her father runs a small kebab shop in Dubrajpur, a suburb in West Bengal and my in law’s place as well. I have tried almost all the kebabs they make at their tiny little Kebab shop.
Small-town Kebabs!
In fact, for me, the beauty of the Kebabs from the small town shop is the simpleness and less use of spices. However, Sabina helped me to create the Mutton Handi Kebab using the same process followed by her father for making Beef Kebab and it worked just perfectly. I, though, have added just a small twist to the recipe by adding little fresh cream and it just increased the flavor and richness of the dish.
I at times am told and blamed by my friends that I don’t cook for them often these days. The family claims the same as well! Somehow I was able to make a big batch of Mutton Handi Kebab for the family and a group of close friends of mine a few days back. Now, the thing is, all of them are actually true foodies and know their food really well and I respect them for that. Both Mehebub and Pasta know very well how they want their mutton. When I found their empty plates and consequent request I knew that I was through. It gives me a weird kind of pleasure always, making food for those I love, I care for and I am friendly with.
Mutton Handi Kebab!
Coming to the Mutton Handi Kebab, I already have written that the dish is not dominated by the spices but the flavors of mutton itself. Lean meat is not a preferable option while making Mutton Handi Kebab and hence try to use some fat as well. When I made it last time, I cooked around 2 Kg of mutton. If you are going to try the recipe, make sure to use very good quality mutton. The meat has to be cooked with its own juice.
Here’s how I cook Mutton Handi Kebab at Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Serves: 6 People
- Serving size: 150g
- Calories: 410
- Fat: 23.3g
- Saturated fat: 6.6g
- Carbohydrates: 12.5g
- Sugar: 2.9g
- Sodium: 403mg
- Fiber: 2.4g
- Protein: 37.1g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
- Mutton with Fat: 1 kg
- Onion: 400g
- Garlic: 20-25 pods
- Ginger: 2"
- Papaya skin and gum/ glue: 2 Tbsp. (see notes)
- Fresh Mint: 10-12 leaves to make a paste
- Dried Red Chili: 4-6
- Green Chili: 2-3
- Lemon Juice: 3 Tbsp.
- Turmeric Powder: 1 Tsp.
- Red Chili Powder: 1 Tsp.
- Dry Roasted Cumin Powder: 1 Tsp.
- Bengali Garam Masala Powder: ½ Tsp.
- Salt: to taste
- Mustard Oil: 5 Tbsp.
- Ghee: 1 Tbsp.
- Fresh Cream: 3 Tbsp.
- 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 tbsp. of Papaya skin along with the gum extracted already and 1 Tsp. 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- Garlic pods.
- Make a paste of the roasted chili and garlic pods as well.
- Take 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 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 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 soften.
- 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.
Roasted Chili Paste is responsible for giving the nutty aroma to the Mutton Handi Kebab
Other 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)
Have you tried the Mutton Handi Kebab Recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
Do let me know how it came out. Also, I would love to see a picture of the same which you can share here on dolonchttrj@gmail.com or on Instagram you can use my hashtag #debjanirrannaghar or can tag me at @foodofdebjani.
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