Eating offal might be a new thing in the West, but in the context of the Indian subcontinent, organ meats were always part of our diet and culinary experiences. And not just the Indian subcontinent, the entire East Asian and South East Asian population is privy to this. Why shouldn’t it be? The nations' population combined constitute almost seventy percent of the world population. Economically speaking, the demand for food and good protein is high, and therefore it is almost part of our lived and shared experiences, that when it comes to food, wastage is almost sacrilegious.
Magaz Masala is a dish that is popular in India and the neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh. Some states in India has their own regional take on the dish, but basically, it is the brain of a goat, lamb or sheep, washed and cleaned of its blood vessels, sometimes parboiled, and then turned into a fried dish incorporated in a spicy, gravy. The brains are creamy in texture and the spices combined with it are heartwarming and comes packing heat. Served with chapatis or parathas, this offal dish is one of the most sought after dishes in the subcontinent. And not just that, animal brains are stacked with essential trace nutrients like selenium and copper that act as antioxidants and helps in improving the body's immune system.
Here is a recipe to make Maghaz Masala at home.
Ingredients:
- 3 pieces, brain of mutton, lamb, or sheep
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp, lemon juice optional
- 5-6 sprigs of fresh coriander leaves
- 4-5 pieces, green chilies slit lengthwise
- 1 tbsp, ginger garlic paste freshly ground
- 1 tsp, red chilli powder
- ½ tsp, red chilli flakes
- ½ tsp, garam masala powder
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1/3 tsp, crushed black pepper
- ½ tsp, cumin powder
- ¼ tsp, fenugreek seeds
- 1/3 tsp, cumin seeds
- 1½ tsp, coriander seeds
- 2 tsp, turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt, or as per taste
- 150ml, mustard oil
Method:
-Add the magaz to a boiling pot of water with 1tsp turmeric powder added to it.
-Boil for 5 minutes and set aside. Remove the blood vessels at this point.
-Having cleaned and parboiled the brains, chop them into pieces and keep aside.
-Heat the oil in a medium pot and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
-Put cumin seeds and mix well.
-Now add ginger garlic paste, further stir well for 2-3 minutes on low-medium flame.
-Then add chopped tomatoes and cook them till turn soft.
-Keep on stirring by adding red chili powder, red chili flakes, turmeric powder, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin powder, and salt.
-Stir to mix the masala on low-medium flame for 2 minutes then add green chillies.
-Cook the masala till oil is separates.
-Turning the flame to low then add the chopped parboiled magaz.
-Note, don't chop up or mash the magaz at all, or it will lose its texture and taste.
-Fold it in with the masala mix and finish it off by adding garam masala, freshly chopped coriander leaves, and lemon juice.
-Simmer it for 2 minutes, then turn off the flame.
-Transfer to the serving dish, serve hot with naan, rotis, or any flatbread of your liking.