Sunday Lunch Kosha Mangsho

Some of you would already know me because of my other blog, and would also be aware that my life revolves around my home, my family, the cupboard, the plants in the terrace, the fishes and of course my kitchen.
So one Sunday, a very loving husband suggests "why dont you start a cooking blog "

and in all appropriation here it is. A glimpse into our lives, on weekends with lavish menus, weekdays with quick soulful food and lots more.

Sundays in a Bengali family is a big affair since it begins with planning for the "ranna" (cooking) from Saturday morning.So on Saturday morning G and I planned to make "koshamangsho ", which basically means mutton slow cooked over low flame.

In the earlier days women , dint have a pressure cooker, cooking was done over an oven made with mud, and the fire was made of wood. Cooking utensils dint mean non-stick cookware, but "peetoler" bashon, utensils made of mixed metals, that ensured the food cooked retained its original flavour.

To make a simple easy loving version of kosha mangsho, you need

For the marinade
500 Grams of Mutton
3 teaspoons of mustard oil
1 teaspoon of jeera powder, dhaniya powder,chilli powder,salt
5 to 6 teaspoons of yogurt
2 teaspoons of ginger garlic paste,turmeric powder.

Ideally this is left to marinate for 5-6 hours, since i told you women in those days considered cooking a very important business(their only business) they even left it marinated over night. My granny used to leave it marinated,overnight, up on a  high shelf so no stray cats could feats on it. You can leave it in the fridge though. And yes if you are in great hurry, marinate it for an hour only.

Stuff needed for the good stuff to happen 

6 teaspoons of mustard oil
2 bay leaves
4 small cardammons
2 sticks of cinnamon
1 green chilly sliced diagonally
3 onions finely sliced
4 tomatoes chopped
2 potatoes chopped large
1 teaspoon jeera powder,dhaniya powder,garam masala
2 teaspoons of ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste

And now the good stuff begins

Like all good things need a grand beginning, we suggest you bring out your kadai, with a large base so there is more uniform cooking. Heat the oil, and let the kitchen smell of mustard oil, which by the way is what will get your husband strolling in the kitchen, to "help" you. Once the oil is heated, add the bay leaves, the cinnamon sticks , the cardamom sticks and the thinly sliced green chilly.

Once the kitchen starts smelling nice and earthy, the man is standing around the burner, add the onions and wait for them to turn brown and soft. This will take time, so i suggest you could water the kitchen plants, or ask the man to make some tea. It only 12 in the afternoon !!

So you dont have plants in the kitchen?? why ?? take a look at how gorgeous they look.

Fry the onions and tomatoes on high heat, since i know you, want the cooking done soon, cuz Sunday is the only time you both can actually sit on the couch and talk, or you can soak your feet in a bucket of warm water, or just iron your weekday clothes for office. Since the next step is to add the ginger garlic paste, go ahead and put two nice teaspoons of it. And if you are like me, who is in love with Garlic, you will make an extra paste of 10 to 12 pods of garlic. Did you know widowed women in ancient India , were forbidden from eating non-vegetarian food or garlic and ginger. Garlic claims to b one of India's oldest Aphrodisiac, and now i know some of you are smiling on reading this..yeah yeah..thank me !!

And now, the ,magic starts happening, the kitchen smells of heaven, the neighbors know you are making heaven, and you are waiting for that heaven to unfold on your pallate. Time to add that marinated pieces of succulence lying in your fridge. Always remember to cover the marinated meat, so the moisture does not escape.

Bring the flame on high, and keep moving the pieces so the masala is well coated to the meat and now the right time to infuse more flavors, the dhania powder, jeera powder, salt and sugar. While the meat is getting cooked, time to add the potatoes, chopped roughly, separately in a kadai so it browns a little.Fry the meat on high heat, till you see the mutton pieces giving out water. Now time to add the chopped tomatoes and the fried potatoes. And finally add the garam masala 

So now the stage is set, the make up is done, all that we need to do now, is transfer the good stuff into a pressure cooker. 

I am sure you will not not be a traiter and forget the old faithful kadai, yes, now you will pour 4 cups of water in the empty kadai and get this liquid gold, which you will pour into the pressure cooker. You can pour more water, but the purpose of the kosha mangsho is to be dry and thick, so i suggest less water, more yummyness !

And thats it, wait for the loud whistle of your pressure cooker to shout to you for 3 times, on high flame. If you think this would suffice, switch off the gas. But if you need more, let it stay on low heat, and let the cooker shout once more.

Now, lets see heaven, all drizzeled with brown fried onions and chopped chillies. i dint have coriander, but you should keep it, so the red and brown of the mutton curry pushes the coriander to look greener. And the anxious husband greedier :)

Kosha Mangsho as the couple who love cooking, cooked it up !!

And what goes best with this , some steamed rice, a bowl of cucumber and tomatoes and onions as salad, some envious neighbors and Gods Yummy Blessings