A classic South Indian mutton sukka is simply to die for! This is THE mutton recipe which you must master if you are a meat lover and want to please your friends & family along with your own taste buds!
Mutton sukka is a restaurant classic in any good restaurant across South India. After we moved to Bangalore more than 12 years ago, mutton sukka was one such discovery for which I can’t be thankful enough!
We got so addicted to this South-Indian delicacy that we made it a routine to visit our favorite pub in Bangalore every weekend just to relish this mutton sukka which we discovered to be a killer combination with our favorite beer! Try it!
I am not sure of the origin of Mutton sukka; some restaurants call it Mangalorean mutton sukka which means it originated in Mangalore and some stories have its root in Chettinad in Tamil Nadu. But irrespective of its birthplace, it is a true South-Indian dish with all the goodness of South-Indian cuisine.The spice blend for this mutton sukka is a classic combination of all regular whole spices which are rounded up with the exemplary flavor of curry leaves and that’s what takes this mutton sukka to a different level of ‘mind-blowing’ness! Don’t even think of skipping curry leaves if you wanna have the real deal!
There are many mutton sukka recipes available on the net and I tried many of them. Finally I arrived at my own version which you can call an amalgamation of all the best mutton sukka recipes out there!
I prepared the spice mix by dry roasting the classic whole spices which created the right balance of sweet, savory, smoky, earthiness and heat. Black pepper and red chilli will give you the right kick of spiciness which gets beautifully balanced by the sweetness of saunf.
Why is this mutton sukka is a crowd pleaser?
The classic trio of cloves, cinnamon and cardamom add smokiness to the dish whereas the cumin and coriander contribute towards the earthiness of the entire flavor profile of mutton sukka! All in all, this dish is a celebration of all good things of Indian cuisine!
When you dry roast these spices, they release their flavors by releasing their essential oil which in turn flavors the food magnificently while cooking. Grind the roasted spices to make a fine powder and you are all set to win over everyone with your culinary skill, including yourself!
How easy or difficult is it to cook mutton sukka?
Once your spice mix is ready, you are ready to start with your mutton sukka. You have two options – you may pressure cook the mutton in little water with salt and turmeric. Then stir fry the cooked mutton in prepared spice mix along with onion and curry leaves. This is the quick method but I prefer the slower one described below.
Alternatively, you can marinate the mutton with half of the prepared spice mix and leave it for a couple of hours. Then fry the marinated mutton preferably in ghee or oil until they develop a nice brown color on all sides. This step will develop a lot of flavor in the mutton pieces.
You can choose whichever method you want mainly depending upon the time you have at hand. My recommendation is to pre-plan this celebratory dish and slow-cook it with all the love and care it deserves!
Ingredients for mutton sukka
This delicious mutton sukka is not an everyday dish and hence needs a little bit of prep work. This is a special dish for a special occasion and that’s why you would want everything to be perfect!
To get the flavor profile right in my mutton sukka, I create the spice mix from scratch which is why you will need quite a few whole spices which are typically used in Indian cuisine.
Mutton: Usually in Indian cuisine, we use goat more over lamb but this recipe can be made with either meat. Feel free to use what you like most.
Coriander & Cumin seeds: These 2 whole spices add earthiness to the flavors.
Black peppercorn: Adds the necessary spicy kick to your mutton sukka.
Dry red chillies: Mutton sukka is usually a spicy dish that sensationalizes your taste buds and a generous amount of dry red chillies are responsible for that!
Cloves, Cinnamon, Green cardamom: The holy trio of garam masala when roasted whole imparts maximum flavor upon grinding.
Fennel seeds: This is a cool & sweet spice which balances the warmth of all other whole spices.
Turmeric powder: The indispensable spice of Indian cooking and rounds up everything beautifully!
Onion: The base of this curried mutton sukka is sliced onion which you need to caramelize well.
Curry leaves: The authentic South Indian flavor without which this dish will be incomplete!
Green chillies: Another level of spiciness is added via green chilli. This dish is not for the faint-hearted!
Aromatics: Ginger paste and garlic paste are mandatory ingredients to add tempting aroma to any Indian dish. You will need a generous amount of each.
Coriander leaves/Cilantro: A burst of freshness is added by adding a handful of fresh coriander leaves at the end.
Ghee: To get the best taste possible, you should make this mutton sukka in ghee i.e clarified butter. Just in case you are scared of this fat, you can use mustard oil or any other oil of your choice.
How to make mutton sukka
There are few separate elements to make before you get to the main cooking.
Step 1: Dry roast (i.e. without any oil) all the whole spices – coriander seeds, black peppercorn, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, dry red chillies, cloves, cinnamon stick and green cardamom – in a small frying pan for 2 to 3 minutes on low heat until they become fragrant. Keep stirring them to prevent them from burning.
Step 2: Transfer the roasted spices to a dry grinder and grind them to make a fine powder. Your powdered spice mix is ready.
Step 3: Take the washed mutton pieces in a large bowl and add turmeric powder, salt and half of the prepared dry spice mix. Massage the powdered spices evenly on all the mutton pieces. Take your time to ensure each piece is nicely coated with the masala. Leave the mutton to marinate for at least 2 hours.
Step 4: Now heat a kadai or a heavy bottomed pot and add ¼ cup of ghee (preferable) or oil. Once the ghee is hot, add the marinated mutton pieces to it.
Step 5: Sauté the mutton in ghee (or oil) on medium high flame by stirring them frequently for about 25 to 30 minutes or until there is no excess water left in the pan. There should be a nice brown color developed on the mutton pieces. This step is crucial to build the flavor of mutton sukka, so take your time here and don’t rush!
Step 6: After about 30 minutes, cover the pot and let the mutton cook in its own steam for another 25 to 30 minutes or until the mutton pieces are tender and cooked through. Once the mutton is nicely sautéed, take them out in a large bowl and set aside until needed.
Step 7: Heat the remaining oil or ghee in the same pot and add the sliced onion. Sauté the onion on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes; then add the slit green chillies and curry leaves.
Step 8: Continue to fry on medium heat for another 5-6 mins until the onions turn translucent and lightly browned around the edges. Now add the ginger & garlic paste and sauté them for 2 mins until the raw smell is gone.
Step 9: Once the onion turns golden brown, add the sautéed mutton along with all the accumulated juice at the bottom of the bowl. Mix everything really well.
Step 10: Now add the remaining spice mix prepared earlier and give a good stir. Sauté on high heat for around 6-7 mins. If the spices start to stick to the bottom of the pan, then add a few splashes of water to deglaze the pan.
Step 11: Continue cooking until mutton pieces are completely cooked through and turn deep brown in color. Also, all the liquid should be absorbed by now. Check and adjust seasoning if needed at this stage.
Step 12: Finally add the freshly chopped coriander leaves and fry on high heat for 1-2 mins till oil separates. Your mutton sukka is ready to serve! Enjoy it with roti or paratha or just on its own! It’s a pure delight!
Other meat recipes you will love:
- Coriander seeds – 4 tsp
- Black peppercorn – 2 tsp or as per taste
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
- Dry red chillies – 2
- Cloves – 6 to8
- Cinnamon – 2-inch stick
- Green cardamom – 4 to 6
- Mutton (goat or lamb) curry cut – 1 kg, small to medium pieces
- Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Dry spice mix – ½ of the prepared amount
- Onion – 500 gms (about 5 large), thinly sliced
- Curry leaves – ¼ cup, tightly packed
- Green chillies – 4, slit through the center
- Ginger paste – 2 tbsp
- Garlic paste – 2 tbsp
- Freshly chopped coriander leaves – ¼ cup
- Salt to taste
- Ghee – ½ cup, (you may chose to replace with oil but ghee is preferable)
- Dry roast (without adding any oil) all the whole spices listed under dry spice mix in a small frying pan for 2 to 3 minutes on low heat until they become fragrant. Keep stirring them to prevent them from burning.
- Transfer the roasted spices to a dry grinder and grind them to make a fine powder. Your powdered spice mix is ready.
- Take the mutton pieces in a large bowl and add turmeric powder, salt and half of the prepared dry spice mix. Massage the powdered spices evenly on all the mutton pieces. Take your time to ensure each piece is nicely coated with the masala. Leave the mutton to marinate for at least 2 hours.
- Now heat a kadai or a heavy bottomed pot and add ¼ cup of ghee (preferable) or oil. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated mutton pieces to it.
- Sauté the mutton in ghee (or oil) on medium high flame by stirring them frequently for about 25 to 30 minutes or until there is no excess water left in the pan. There should be a nice brown color developed on the mutton pieces.
- After about 30 minutes, cover the pot and let the mutton cook in its own steam for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the mutton pieces are tender and cooked through. Once the mutton is nicely sautéed, take them out in a large bowl and set aside until needed.
- Heat the remaining oil or ghee in the same pot and add the sliced onion. Sauté the onion on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes; then add the slit green chillies and curry leaves.
- Continue to fry on medium heat for another 5-6 mins until the onions turn translucent and lightly browned around the edges. Now add the ginger & garlic paste and sauté them for 2 mins.
- Once the onion turns golden brown, add the sautéed mutton along with all the accumulated juice at the bottom of the bowl. Mix everything really well.
- Now add the remaining spice mix prepared earlier and give a mix. Sauté on high heat for around 6-7 mins. If the spices start to stick to the bottom of the pan, then add a few splashes of water to deglaze the pan.
- Continue cooking until mutton pieces are completely cooked through and turn deep brown in color. Also, all the liquid should be absorbed by now. Check and adjust seasoning if needed at this stage.
- Finally add the freshly chopped coriander leaves and fry on high heat for 1-2 mins till oil separates.
- Your mutton sukka is ready to serve! Enjoy it with roti or paratha or just on its own!
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