Kerala Style Mutton Curry

With sublime backwaters, serene greenery, and an unmissable vibrancy of spices in a significantly syncretic culinary palette, Kerala is rightly dubbed ‘God’s own country’. To any gastronome trying to explore the exquisite curries of the nation, Kerala is a paradise in every serving of its distinctive seafood and meat preparations, a fine example of which is the land’s own style of Mutton Curry. Often referred to as the Naadan Mutton Curry and the Varutharacha Mutton Curry, the dish boasts of spice-laden tender meat chunks and a thick flavour-packed gravy that serve as the ideal accompaniment to a plate of steaming rice, the traditional staple of the state.

This classic preparation of mutton starts with cooking large-cut mutton pieces with condiments in a pressure cooker. Meanwhile, onion, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and tomatoes are sauteed in coconut oil with a sprinkling of garam masala and other conventional spice powders till a smooth, thick gravy is obtained. It is then that the boiled mutton and peppercorn are added, simmered for a while, and finally topped with curry leaves to produce the perfect amalgamation of spice and pungency.

It is not uncommon for mutton recipes to take the centre stage in Indian cuisines. Kashmir’s Rogan Josh, Dhaeni Phoul and Tabak Maaz, Odisha’s Bausa Pora and Patra Pora, Bengal’s Kosha Mangsho, and Maharashtra’s Konkani Mutton Curry are all culinary reimaginations of lamb gravies, however, none like Kerala’s way of cooking that lends a distinct flavour of the coconut and the curry leaves. In fact, a thorough study of the dish’s ingredients and style of preparation indicates a historically eventful past and a culmination of innumerable social, political, and cultural realities. For instance, the inclusion of tomato, an essentially Portuguese element, is reminiscent of Vasco da Gama’s arrival in Fort Kochi in the 15th century.

Many of the spices too are imports of the mercantile Arab, who never settled but frequented the direction of the southwest monsoons. The preparation’s innate Konkani and Malabar roots are clearly visible in its choice of local produce like the coconut and curry leaves. In fact, contrary to the rest of the nation that relies heavily on milk or milk products for a creamier meat gravy, Kerala’s choice of coconut milk is also in accordance with the tradition of its Jewish immigrants and their ancient Mediterranean Kosher Law that prohibits the mixing of meat and milk.