They say the best of Indian cooking is in the narrow lanes on the streets.

One such example was discovered in the holy city of Banaras.

Now you will say, Banaras and non-veg!

Somehow they don’t go together, but I have had some of the most delicious non-veg in Banaras.

Here is the original non-veg recipe straight from Kashi.

This is a mean mutton curry in tomato gravy, quite unlike anything you have eaten.

Basic Ingredients

  • 1 kg of curvy cut Mutton on the bone, marrow bones extra
  • 1 kg of Desi Tomatoes
  • 50 gms of Garlic
  • 20 gms of Ginger
  • Green Chilli to taste
  • 4 medium size Onions.

(Rest as explained in the recipe below)

Method

  1. Make a paste of garlic, ginger and green chilli and keep aside.
  2. Make a second paste of a teaspoon each of jeera saunf and haldi powder and two teaspoons of coriander powder and two teaspoons of chilli powder.
  3. Peel and roast onion on the fire and make a paste for a lovely smoky flavour.
  4. Make a paste of the tomatoes.
  5. In a big heavy bottomed pot or kadhai or dekchi or earthenware pot, put in three tablespoons of mustard oil and two tablespoon of desi ghee. Do not scrimp on this.
  6. Throw in a Bay leaf and a few aromatics like elaichi and dalchini and a teaspoon of sugar. Once it splutters and the sugar caramelizes chuck in the onion paste, brown it up and throw in the masala paste and then the chilli-ginger-garlic paste. And then add the meat and roast. Keep stirring, adding a bit of water every now and then.
  7. Gradually incorporate the tomato paste, a ladle at a time and roast till all the tomato paste is used.
  8. What you should have is a thick pasty meat and the aroma should be hitting your nostrils. Now add the salt and roast some more.
  9. Add about five cups of water and cover and seal the edges with dough (atta) and simmer away for two hours, or you can also pressure cook for about four whistles. Open when it cool downs.
  10. Add some coriander and some lemon juice and serve. Keep it a bit watery if you want to have it with rice or dry it out if you want to have it with chapatti or breads.

Serve with boondi raita, kachumber salad and aloo chokha.