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Autumn is the season when the winds turn chillier as the leaves around us brown and fall. With this change of season comes the need to change our culinary choices and the dishes that we eat. As the daylight hours diminish throughout autumn, our bodies crave warmth and comfort, and these become the primary motive for our food choices. Naturally then, autumn is the season for heartwarming stews which offer warmth and comfort, right?
Stews are basically slow-cooked, gravy packed dishes that are made across the world because they offer rich, warm and comforting flavours, no matter what the cuisine of choice. Since autumn is also the season when many root vegetables, marrows, squashes, leafy greens, etc come into season, these are obviously added to most stews to make them more nutritious and colourful. And then there are those stews which are traditionally made with chicken, mutton, lamb, fish and seafood.
Truth be told, just the versatility of stews should be enough for you to give these dishes a try. Add to that the fact that stews are also prepared across the Indian subcontinent with a variety of easily available ingredients, and nothing should stop you from getting your apron on and rustling some up right now. A part of traditional Indian regional cuisines, these Indian stews are must-haves during autumn season. Here are some such incredible Indian stews you should try out.
Video Credit: YouTube/Chef Ranveer Brar
Rogan Josh
The classic Kashmiri meat stew is known for its deep colour, rich taste and alluring fragrance. Made with slow-cooked meat, usually lamb or goat, with a blend of spices like cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and saffron, Rogan Josh gets its signature colour from Kashmiri dry red chillies. Onions, tomatoes and yoghurt are also added to the dish to balance the spiciness and tanginess.
Dal Makhani
You might not think of Dal Makhani as a stew, but the fact that this Punjabi lentil-based vegetarian dish is slow-cooked does indeed make it a stew. Made with whole urad dal and kidney beans or rajma, the lentils are slow-cooked in a gravy made of onions, tomatoes, cumin, coriander, garam masala, and of course, butter and cream. It is the addition of butter and fresh cream that makes this dish velvety and smooth as a stew.
Nalli Nihari
A Mughlai cuisine staple, Nalli Nihari is one of the most difficult to nail stews as it is traditionally cooked overnight. Prepared with lamb or goat meat, especially the marrow-filled leg bones, Nalli Nihari is prepared by slowly simmering the meat in a broth made of onions, ginger, garlic and aromatic spices. As the dish cooks overnight, the marrow melts into the gravy, making it incredibly rich and thick. This delicacy is a must-have this autumn.
Usal
A Maharashtrian staple cooked across homes and roadside eateries alike, Usal is a stew made with sprouted legumes. Traditionally, moth beans or matki are used to make Usal. The sprouted beans are slow-cooked in an aromatic gravy made of coconut, tomatoes, onions, and plenty of spices, especially those that generate lots of heat. Enjoyed with everything from Pav breads, rotis as well as rice, this simple vegetarian stew will be your autumn favourite too.
Laal Maas
A fiery Rajasthani dish known for its liberal use of locally grown Mathania chillies, Laal Maas is a royal stew renowned for its bold flavours. The meat, usually mutton or goat’s meat, is slow-cooked in an onion-tomato-based gravy flavoured with cloves, cardamom and plenty of Mathania chillies. Infused with ghee and yoghurt, this spicy stew should be enjoyed with naan or rice.
Mutton Ishtu
This stew from Kerala is unlike most dishes of its kind thanks to its white colour and loads of colourful vegetables. The mutton pieces used in Kerala Mutton Ishtu are cooked with onions, ginger, curry leaves, mustard seeds and mild spices. Vegetables like carrots and French beans are usually added to the dish, and it is slow-cooked to perfection with coconut milk—the ingredient that gives it its signature white colour.
Chicken Rezala
A Bengali stew of Mughlai and Nawabi origins, Rezala is made with chicken, mutton and fish. The dish, also white in colour, is prepared without any turmeric and tomatoes. The meat is instead cooked in a gravy of white onions, yoghurt and sometimes green tomatoes are also added to it. Spiced with whole cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns and nutmeg, Rezala is a mildly spiced stew enjoyed with naan or rice.
Pork Bamboo Shoot Curry
This staple stew from Nagaland is known for its pungent flavours and spiciness, all thanks to three primary ingredients—bamboo shoots, fermented soybeans and Naga chillies. The pork pieces, usually the belly cut, is cooked with onions. The simple stew is flavoured with soybean paste, bamboo shoots and chillies, and slow-cooked for hours until a rich stew is ready. This one is best enjoyed with steamed rice.
Dalcha
Many believe that Dalcha, a popular stew from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, is inspired by the Middle-Eastern dish called Harees. And yet, with its unique blend of lentils, vegetables and often meat (mutton or chicken), Dalcha is a very Indian stew indeed. Chana dal or toor dal is used to cook Dalcha in a gravy spiced with cumin, coriander, chillies and tamarind. Seasonal vegetables are usually added to the dish and occasionally meat is also added.
Mutton Champaran
Hailing from the region of Bihar, Mutton Champaran is a rich and flavoursome stew made with mutton or goat’s meat. Cooked in mustard oil, onions and plenty of spices like cumin, coriander, red chilli, peppercorns and bay leaves, this slow-cooked mutton dish is known for its deep-red colour and spicy taste. Whole bulbs of garlic are added to this stew, which create an incredible flavour when cooked with the meat and spices for hours.
