Gota Moshlar Mangsho is a classic Bengali mutton curry. The secret is in the slow cooking, where the mutton simmers for hours with whole spices, or "gota moshla," giving the dish its distinctive name.
Jump to:
- Debjani's Note
- The Birthday spread with Gota Moshlar Mangsho!
- The name banter; Gota Moshlar Mangsho or Kata Moshlar Mangsho!
- Gota Moshlar Mangsho or Kata Moshlar Mangsho, or Mutton cooked with whole spices!
- Amar Barir Mangsho; the homely mutton curry and tips from Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's Adorsho Hindu Hotel to cook the perfect Mangsho!
- Here's how I cook Gota Moshlar Mangsho at Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Recipe Card
- A few meat recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Pairing Gota Moshlar Mangsho / Kata Moshlar Mangsho
- Have you tried the Gota Moshlar Mangsho from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Here's the Gota Moshlar Mangsho recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board
Debjani's Note
"It's Gota Moshlar Mangsho, not Kata Moshlar Mangsho!" I insisted.
"You don't know anything! Maa (my MIL) always calls it Kata Moshlar Mangsho, not Gota Moshlar Mangsho!" my husband retorted, while enjoying the mutton I made for his birthday.
Our playful argument about the name of this classic Bengali curry was quite amusing. However, I decided to hold off on sharing the recipe until Bhai Phota. After all, Bhai Phota calls for a special meat dish, right?
The Birthday spread with Gota Moshlar Mangsho!
Speaking of birthdays, last week we celebrated Mehebub's birthday with a cozy dinner at home and a peaceful brunch at Vintage Asia. I prepared a few dishes, including Gota Moshlar Mangsho. Pasta, however, decided to skip the brunch.
And I can't forget Double Ka Meetha and Chaler Payesh!
The name banter; Gota Moshlar Mangsho or Kata Moshlar Mangsho!
Then there's the fun of naming things! Is it Gota Moshlar Mangsho, or Kata Moshlar Mangsho?
This Bengali mutton curry, cooked with whole spices, has been a favorite in both my family and Mehebub's for a long time. But each family calls it something different. In my home, we've always known it as Gota Moshlar Mangsho. However, Mehebub grew up hearing it called Kata Moshlar Mangsho whenever mutton or beef was cooked with whole spices at his place.
From what I can gather, the difference in names probably comes down to the way we speak Bengali. Bengali is a flexible language, and our accents and vocabulary change depending on where we're from. The way we speak, and even the words we use, differ between countries (India and Bangladesh), states (West Bengal and Tripura), districts (like Kolkata versus other districts in West Bengal, or different districts in Bangladesh), and even neighborhoods within a city (like North and South Kolkata). Getting back to the mutton dish, I've discovered that it's also known as Kata Moshlar Mangsho in Bangladesh.
So, whether you call it Gota Moshlar Mangsho like they do in my home in Kolkata, Kata Moshlar Mangsho like they do at Mehebub's in Birbhum, or simply Mutton Cooked with Whole Spices, it's all delicious!
Gota Moshlar Mangsho or Kata Moshlar Mangsho, or Mutton cooked with whole spices!
Before we dive into the recipe, it's important to know that this isn't your typical Kosha Mangsho or Mangshor Jhol (Bengali mutton curry). Gota Moshlar Mangsho simply means meat cooked with whole spices ("Gota Moshla" being the whole spices and "Mangsho" meaning meat). Feel free to use chicken, lamb, or beef instead of mutton. Actually, this dish is quite similar to the famous Goalondo steamer curry .
Amar Barir Mangsho; the homely mutton curry and tips from Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's Adorsho Hindu Hotel to cook the perfect Mangsho!
This recipe, which I call "Amar Barir Mangsho" (Our Home's Mutton Curry), brings back memories of home and also incorporates cooking tips from Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's classic novel, Adorsho Hindu Hotel, for achieving the perfect Mangsho!
Growing up, we ate this often. I think that's because it's so easy to make! Just marinate the meat for several hours and then cook it slowly. Back then, we didn't use a refrigerator to store meat. It was reserved for water, milk, and a few vegetarian dishes. We bought vegetables in large quantities for our big family of twenty, so storing them wasn't an option. So, any meat curry that required marinating was always planned for dinner.
Every Sunday morning, the "Bajarer Thole," or shopping bag, would arrive brimming with meat. This meat was then lovingly marinated with spices and left in the kitchen, ready for Maa, Mamoni, or Rangama to transform it into a delicious curry.
While cooking the mutton, Maa always mentioned Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's "Adorsho Hindu Hotel!" This cult Bengali novel tells the story of a humble little hotel and its owner. One chapter describes how to cook large amounts of meat. The most fascinating thing I learned from this book, which isn't even a cookbook, was why you shouldn't use cold or room-temperature water when cooking meat! I've wanted to write about this book on my blog many times, but never quite got around to it. The Hindu hotel concept is incredibly interesting, and Bandyopadhyay's writing is, as always, superb. It's definitely a must-read!
Here's how I cook Gota Moshlar Mangsho at Debjanir Rannaghar!
Recipe Card
Gota Moshlar Mangsho | Kata Moshlar Mangsho | Mutton cooked with whole spices
Gota Moshlar Mangsho is a Bengali meat curry where the meat (mostly mutton) is slow-cooked with whole spices for hours.
Ingredients
- 1 kg Mutton
- 6 Onion
- 3 Garlic full pods
- 25 g Ginger
- 3 Green Chilli
- 200 g Hung Curd
- 2 tablespoon Mustard Oil
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
Spices for marination
- 6-8 Dry Red Chilli
- 5 Clove
- 5 Black pepper
- 1 Star Anise
- 1 Black Cardamom
- 3 Green Cardamom
- 1 tablespoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
- 2 tablespoon Mustard Oil
Whole spices as tempering
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 2 Dry Red Chilli
- 5 Clove
- 5 Black pepper
- 2 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Black Cardamom
- 2 Green Cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida
Instructions
- Wash and dry the Mutton chunks and fat portions and pat them dry.
- Roughly chop Onion, Garlic, and Ginger.
- Cut the Green Chillies in half.
- Now marinate meat chunks with Dry Red Chilli, Clove, Black pepper, Star Anise, Black Cardamom, Green Cardamom, Sugar, Turmeric Powder, and Kashmiri Red Chili Powder, and also chopped onion, garlic, ginger, and green chili.
- Add Mustard oil as well.
- While mixing, try to break the spices using your fingers so that the flavors infuse.
- Cover the pot with cling film or a lid and leave the meat in a cool place or in the refrigerator for eight hours before cooking.
- Beat the curd to smooth it at the time of cooking.
- Heat Mustard oil in a deep-bottom pan.
- Temper the oil with Bay Leaf, Dry Red Chilli, Clove, Black pepper, Cinnamon Stick, Black Cardamom, Green Cardamom and also Asafoetida.
- Once the spices started emitting the aroma, add the marinated mutton and also the marination mix.
- Mix with a spatula thoroughly after adding salt to it.
- Cover the pan with a lid and keep the flame on the lower side, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Now add whipped curd and mix thoroughly, and again cover the pan with a lid.
- Cook for around one hour on a low flame.
- The meat will release moisture in the process of cooking.
- If required, add boiling water in between.
- Once the meat softens, top it with Ghee and mix and switch off the flame.
- Serve Gota Moshlar Mangsho hot with your choice of dishes such as rice, pulao or luchi.
Notes
- The recipe calls for lean meat and Fat in a ratio of 80:20. However, you may decrease the amount of meat fat based on your preference.
- Though this curry is prepared with whole spices, I use a few powders, which are Turmeric powder and Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder. Both are optional.
- I prefer my Gota Moshlar Mangsho to be semi-thick, but not runny. If you want the gravy to be runny, add boiling water while cooking to adjust the consistency.
Nutrition
A few meat recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Chicken Chaap (also known as Chaap Bhaja)
- Hyderabadi Haleem (also known as Mutton Haleem)
- Aam Kasundi Murgi (also known as Bengali Style Chicken in Mango Mustard Sauce)
- Kolkata's Mutton Tikia (also known as meat tikia)
- Bengali Keema Curry (also known as Mutton Mincemeat Curry with Potato Chunks)
- Doi Murgi (also known as Kolkata style Doi Chicken or Bengali Curd based Chicken Curry)
- Kosha Mangsho (also known as Bengali Mutton Kasha)
- Kochi Pathar Jhol (also known as Aloo diye Mangshor Jhol or Bengali runny Mutton Curry)
- Dak Bungalow Chicken Curry (also known as Chicken Dak Bungalow)
- Bengali Desi Murgir Dum (also known as Bengali Country Chicken Curry)
- Niramish Mangsho (also known as Bhoger Mangsho)
- Mutton Ghee Roast (also known as Mangalorean Mutton Ghee Roast)
- Mangshor Jhol (Also known as Bengali light Mutton curry)
Pairing Gota Moshlar Mangsho / Kata Moshlar Mangsho
Have you tried the Gota Moshlar Mangsho from Debjanir Rannaghar!
Please inform me of your experience, and feel free to send a photo to [email protected]. Additionally, you can find me on various social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Google News, X, and Thread. Don't forget to use the hashtag #debjanirrannaghar when sharing your attempts at my recipes or if you have any questions or recipe requests.
Here's the Gota Moshlar Mangsho recipe 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.
Leave a Reply