Mutton Xacuti

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• 10 red Kashmiri chillies, deseeded
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon peppercorn
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 5 cloves
• 2 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 2 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 2 cardamom
• 1 star anise
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 cup coconut(can use frozen, just defrost it)
• 2 red onions – one coarsely chopped and one medium dice
• 1 tbsp tamarind soaked in water
• 5 tbsps coconut oil
• 2 pounds bone in mutton(lamb leg or shoulder)
• Lemon
• Salt

Instructions

1. Process
2. Marinate the mutton with some lemon juice and salt
3. Using a large pan, roast all of the whole spices and allow to cool
4. In the same pan add the onions and garlic, roast and remove to cool
5. Add the coconut and follow with 3 of the 5 tbsps of coconut oil, remove and cool
6. Using a food processor, add all the whole and dry spices together with 1/2 tsp of turmeric and grind to a fine powder
7. Add the onions and garlic and a little bit of water and blend
8. Add the coconut and the melted oil and blend
9. Repeat this process if required to get a smooth paste
10. In a deep sauté pan or casserole, add two tbsps of coconut oil and sauté the second onion cut in a medium dice
11. Add the spice paste or masala and fry for a minute
12. Add the mutton
13. Add some water to the food processor to free all the stuck on paste and add to the spice paste together with the soaked tamarind
14. Cook for 40 mins covered, stirring frequently to prevent burning, add salt, a pinch of sugar and water as required
15. Before serving, squeeze some lemon juice over the Xacuti to enhance the flavour!