This easy, homemade Indian Mutton Curry will become your go to recipe every time you want to cook with lamb. Tender, succulent pieces of meat are cooked in a spicy gravy that makes it the perfect bowl of comfort food with basmati rice.
Let’s welcome the easiest Indian Mutton Curry for pullover and pyjama weather. This one’s purely for the beginners who want a bowl of curry and rice now and then. Because you guys are my people. The ones that I really write this food blog for, and I feel your love for comfort food.
Google mutton curry and you’ll get all kinds of Andhra, Hyderabadi and Kerala variations. But this ones quite basic guys. It’s one of those back pocket mutton curry recipes that we all need in life. And that’ll make everyone in the house go totally nuts. They’ll never guess how easy it is. I promise.
It’s basic but amazing. Spicy, flavorful, warming with all the right reasons to be a glutton on Sunday which is when mutton curry makes the most sense. Because after a bowl of this Indian mutton curry and rice, all you’ll want to do is Netflix and nap.
How to make Indian Mutton Curry
We first made this recipe for a couple of friends. Actually Denver did. I was out on a Sunday afternoon, and Denver decided to make lunch. The most amount of work went into chopping the onions and tomatoes, which we had our food processor for, so basically it was a stir and cook game. Which he is awesome at.
We all came home hungry to the house smelling fantastic, made some parathas and rice and dug in!
I knew right there that I needed to share this on the blog because you guys will love it! So we’ve made it again and again, and everytime we ended up polishing it before I could take any pictures. But we are finally here with the best, easiest Indian mutton curry for all you comfort food seekers and curry lovers. Sunday lunches can’t get better than this.
Which cut of mutton (lamb) is best for stewing/ curries?
Almost any cut of lamb can be used for lamb stews and curries, but the shoulder is best. As it becomes really tender and flavorful during the stewing and braising process. Shanks also work really well in a mutton curry or stew because the marrow soaks up all the flavors and is amazing to suck on.
I highly recommend using a ‘meat masala’ which really takes the guesswork out of this, and I used Lala’s Mutton Curry masala for this one. You can go ahead and try Shaan as well, a brand which make fantastic masalas.
Watch Indian Mutton Curry Recipe Video
Easiest Indian Mutton Curry (Pressure Cooker Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 kg Mutton / Lamb cut into medium sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 3 tablespoons Oil
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- 1 Bayleaf
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 3-4 Cardamom Pods
- 3-4 Cloves
- 1 Green chilli slit lengthwise
- 3 Onions finely chopped (large)
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 5 Tomatoes finely chopped or pureed (large)
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 4 tablespoons Lala's Mutton Masala or meat/curry powder of your choice
- 2 Potatoes quartered (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi optional but highly recommended
- 1 tablespoon Ghee or Butter
- 1 tablespoon Salt
Instructions
- Add turmeric to the mutton or lamb and rub all over. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker (electric or stovetop) and saute fennel seeds, bayleaf, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves for a minute. Add green chilli, onions and ginger garlic paste. Cook this for 7-8 minutes till the onions are translucent.
- Add tomatoes, coriander powder, mutton masala (or meat masala) and salt and cook for 5 minutes till the tomatoes break down slightly. Add mutton, potatoes and a cup of water and put the lid on. If using a stovetop pressure cooker, cook on high pressure for 30-40 minutes (5-6 whistles). If using an electric pressure cooker or an instant pot, cook for 25 minutes and let pressure release naturally.
- Once the pressure is released, open the lid and switch on the flame again. Add a little water if the gravy is too thick. Stir in garam masala, kasuri methi (if using) and ghee and simmer for another 4-5 minutes. Check and adjust seasoning. Let the curry rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Any cut of lamb is good for this curry, but shoulder works best as it has the best flavour and tenderises really well
- Meat masala is easily available at Indian stores
Nutrition
More Curries:
Hi richa your recipe explain very well.i really thankfull to you so much To bring you these recipes for us
Hi richa all your recipe explain very well.thank you so much To bring you these recipes for us
Nice presentation.
Thank you Sachin
Cooked Mutton for the very first time in my life and it turned out to be so yummy. Thanks for the super easy recipe. You are simply the BEST !!!!
So happy you liked the recipe Omkar! Thank you for leaving a comment
Super easy and tasty
Soooo happy you liked the recipe Sai! Thank you for leaving a comment
Hi Richa,
The recipe was very easy to follow and certainly one of the tastiest mutton curries I have made! My husband and I loved it and especially that it was so fuss free!
Thank YOU Priya!! So glad you and the hubby liked it
Made this tonight – it was delicious! I halved the recipe, used a .66lb lamb shoulder chop (bone-in) – and just added the chop in whole, and removed the bones/broke up the meat after. I also used 1 large potato.
I didn’t have any mutton/meat masala so I made my own based off of a bunch of different recipes online and the ingredients of Lalah’s. Here’s what I used:
2” cinnamon stick cut up
6 cloves
4 green cardamom pods
.5 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Pinch of coarse salt
10 black pepper seeds
2tbsp coriander seed
.25 tsp cumin seed
(All above dry toasted in a a frying pan)
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Ginger Powder
.5 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp kashmiri powder
(Added to the toasted spices and ground in a spice blender).
Thanks for sharing that Meagan! So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I really liked your recipe. Good work. However, before starting, would like to know are 5-6 whistles necessary in max flame or less number of them?
Hey Rajiv, after the first whistle, reduce the flame and then wait for another 4-5 whistles.
Hi Richa,
Thanks for sharing your valuable tips.
I will prepare this dish very soon in a kadhai.
Will cook it for 60 minutes as you mentioned.
Should I cook this dish with the lid on top or without the lid.
Can I garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Please let me know soon.
Thanks.
Regards.
Savio.
Hey Savio, you can cover it and cook it. Once its 90% cooked, cook it uncovered. Adding coriander leaves towards the end really enhances the flavours.
i have no words to describe it’s amazing taste. very delicious and yummy taste. thanks for posting this.
So glad you liked it Donna!
Hi.
If I want to prepare this yummy mutton curry in a kadai, how much water should I add and for how long should I cook the dish.
Can I use Shan brand of mutton masala powder.
Can I increase the amount of green chillies according to my spice tolerance.
Will prepare this delicious comfort food soon.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Hey savio. Yes, you can make this mutton curry in a kadai. I would recommend adding two cups of water first and then increasing it later by another 1/2-1 cup if necessary. You will need to cook mutton for approx 60 minutes or till its tender. Yes, you can use Shan masala, and increase the amount of green chillies.
The curry taste is good.. But it became watery! I probably next time will avoid adding water bfr pressure cooking the mutton!
Thanks Kanya!
I tried this recipe it was finger licking good. I was skeptical if it would come out well.But too good to be true and so so so easy to prepare. Yum…
Thank you so much!
Hi, thank you for the recipe. It looks great. Is it possible to make this in a slow cooker rather than a pressure cooker and if so what adjustments would I need to make?
I think it should work in a slow cooker. I’d recommend cooking the onions and then adding everything to a slow cooker and cooking it for 6-8 hours or till the lamb is tender
This was delicious! Used it in my instant pot with mdh meat masala. I added extra water after reading the burn sign comments but that was unnecessary. Cooked off the water once I opened it. But super easy. And I’d say the potatoes were delicious and I wouldn’t skip them.
Cooked mutton for the first time today with your recipient & it came out yummmmmmmmmmmmmmyyy!!!!!
Yaaay! Thanks Vanessa!
I cook occasionally but almost never Indian because I find it hard to get the sequence of frying, roasting, stewing etc right and with so many spice options, it’s easy to get it wrong. But sometimes the mutton curry cravings too strong to avoid and I dislike restaurant stuff so I’ve tried your recipe twice and apart from getting the meat cooked right, both times the flavors turned out finger licking. Great recipe.
Fantastic! So happy to hear that. I hope you try the other Indian recipes too
Best curry. It’s the recipe to bring the taste buds asking for more. We increased the spices because we like it but it’s fantastic.
Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much Kim! Really glad you liked it
Must try recipe. Easy to prepare and packed with flavour.
Thanks for the feedback Asha!
I googled “lamb” and “pressure cooker” today and your blog came up. So happy I found it!
This was a great recipe, with easy to follow steps, and great spices!
I made a few changes, and mistakes, but it turned out great. We don’t eat a lot of meat, so I bought three small bone in lamb shoulders that probably totaled one pound. I added the optional potatoes and, after cooking, took a few potato pieces out, blended them, and added it back to thicken the stew. At the end of cooking I added a bag of frozen peas. I didn’t have time to get the masala meat curry, so I used a different curry blend.
It was great. Thank you!
Your version sounds great Danielle. I particularly love the trick about blending the potatoes to thicken this. Thanks for sharing this!
Hi the receipe was too good. Everybody liked it. Thanks for the receipe. But I have a query, did u cook this curry in a 6-qt or 10-qt IP. I used a 6-qt and for me it twice gave BURN alarm. So I had to move the curry to the regular stovetop. But at the end the overall result was just SUPERB.
Hey Swati, I made this in a 6 quart and didn’t have any issues with it. I’ll read up a bit about why this could happen. Either way, I’m so glad you liked this!
I love easy dinner recipes, especially when they turn out to be something my whole family loves!. This one also looks tasty.
Thanks Areesha!
Pretty good! It took a lot longer from start to finish than I thought, but I liked the spice recommendations, they were available in the Indian section of my grocery store. Next time I will try with less water as I found it a bit watery after cooking and had to reduce a bit.
Thanks for leaving your feedback here Lindo
Generally I’d dread making mutton curry but this one was a game changer. Turns out great every single time I make it. Simply wonderful!
Wohooo! Thanks for your feedback Priyanka
Tasty and super easy. Needs fresh coriander to garnish in
Thanks Cassandra!
Hi Richa. Could you please tell me how will the cooking time change if I follow this recipe and cook it in a conventional pressure cooker over a gas stove. The intensity of the flame, duration, number of whistles etc?
Thanks.
Hey Paras, I’ve given instructions for this in the recipe. ‘If using a stovetop pressure cooker, cook on high pressure for 30-40 minutes (5-6 whistles).’ I hope this helps!
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Supplier.
Mutton recipe is my go-to. I love it!
Thanks Rebekah!
Hi Richa, I made this recipe on my instant pot but got a burn notice twice. The first time the burn notice came up, I removed the contents, deglazed, cleaned and scrubbed the pot before trying again and added another cup of water to it. Second time it came up, there was no burning but the pot would not come to pressure. Now, my mutton curry has more water than I would have liked and I’m just wondering whether I can do a PIP for this recipe to save it as the flavor was amazing before I added the additional cup of water.
I did modify the recipe a little to suit what was in my pantry. I used 1 pound of mutton cubes, seared them on saute setting first and had also used a can (14 ounce) of diced tomatoes instead of whole tomatoes. I’m not sure whether it is the tomatoes or the potatoes that were causing the burn notice as I noticed that the curry is a little drier than the chicken curries I am accustomed to.
I’m going to try and do a PIP to save the curry. Should I still follow a 25 min HP setting with natural release in this case and how do I fix the flavor profile of a watery curry? Thank you so much!
Hey Amelia, I’m a little stumped because I’ve made this mutton curry in the IP (also in the video) several times and never got a burn notice. There is enough liquid in there for the lamb to cook well. I’ve never tried making it with a PIP method so I’m not sure how that’ll work because the volume of this curry is quite a lot. 25 minutes is actually perfect so I wouldn’t change the cooking times. But to get rid of the water, just simmer the curry in the IP for 10-15 minutes till you have a consistency you like. I hope this helps. I’ll try and investigate this further.
I do not have the lala’s readymade masala nor any meat ready made masalas. Pls advise.
Hey there, you can use a mix of 2 tablespoons coriander powder, 1 tablespoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon jeera powder, 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder instead of a ready made masala.
weekend special recipe. thank you
Thanks Richa for such a quick and awesome mutton recipe. Its simply yummy.
Thanks Sunita!
Hi,I do not own a pressure cooker so do you know how long approximately I will have to simmer the curry on the stove please?thank you!
Hey Kitty, mutton or lamb can take a long time to cook. If you are cooking this on the stove, you will have to simmer this for 1.5-2 hours to get completely tender mutton. I also recommend adding water from time to time if the curry looks like its drying up.
This is amazing – notwithstanding the fact that my name is Denver too!!! And I lived for 11 years in Bangalore, near Fraser Town. Denver.
Hahaha this is such a coincidence! Thanks for following along and really happy you liked this recipe Denver. My husband says hi too!
I like the recipe u have shown I ll try them at home
Thanks Joy!
Hello there,
I’d love to try this recipe🙃. Looks delish! So you hand grind all the dry ingredients? Cinnamon, cloves, etc?
And what cut of lamb is best for this recipe? Thank you for sharing.
Hey Ellen, nothing is hand ground in this recipe – I’m confused – where are you seeing that?
Also, you can use a mix of lamb leg and shanks for this recipe.
Excellent recipe….
I made a slight change…. added coconut milk to the dishinstead of ghee at end…..
Really easy… delicious and superb one…..
I’m a huge coconut milk fan and I can imagine it adding a new twist. Glad you liked it!
My first time at cooking mutton and it was such a hit with my boys! Couldn’t believe the meat was literally falling off the bone..
My meat masala was too spicy so I added coconut milk to the gravy in the end with some coriander leaves..
Paired really well with dosas too!
Superb recipe!
I’m so glad you and the boys liked this recipe Anisha. Thanks for leaving a comment 🙂
Hi. I’m waiting to try this recipe in the Instant Pot. I’m new to the IP too so this may be a very basic question – would I cook it at high pressure at 45 mins? Just wanted to confirm as I though the cooking time was less than that for mutton so just wanted to confirm the pressure level.
Hey Devyani, 45 minutes on high pressure is enough time for mutton to cook in an IP. However, there are times when cooking times can vary based on the quality of mutton. Start with 45 minutes, and if its not tender enough, add another 10-15 minutes on high pressure. While cooking this is in an IP, let the pressure release naturally.
Very simple and easiest recipe ever seen for mutton.
Thanks Aditya!
Very yummy. Going to prepare immediately.thanks
Thanks Suganthi. I hope you like it!
I had been struggling to make soft melt in the mouth mutton curry for so long that I gave up on it. I stumbled upon this recipe by accident and I’m so grateful I found it. Amazing easy and simple.It has now become a staple at home. Thank you so much.
Thanks Meena!
Thanks for the recipe Richard, it came out really well👍👍
Wanted to post the pic of the curry..but I guess there isn’t that option ryt??
Unfortunately, we don’t have that option Sheeba but you can send it to me on Instagram if you follow me at my_foodstory. I’d love to feature you there!
Best mutton recipe….m zero in making mutton but your recipe made me an expert in making mutton….thank u so much….wish I could share the pic….
Always happy to help Parinita 🙂
I tried it for dinner and that too after coming back from office … ufff it was yummmm .. not bragging but have never had mutton so delicious as you made us make it. Thank you sooooo much .. I wish I could share the pic ..
Thanks Sonia! Your comment just made me so hungry!
This looks really delicious and easy to make. I am going to save this so I can make this later. thank you for sharing
Glad you liked it!
Awesome recipe. Not at all complicated and absolutely easy to cook. But, why turmeric powder hasn’t being used???
Please, reply to my query as I am a first time cook..😅😅
Hi Runjhun, thank you so much! It’s just a preference. You can definitely add a teaspoon of turmeric to the recipe. I hope you try this out!
Good tasty and quick
Thank you so much Rita
Thanks for the recipe…worked well for me…:-)
So happy to hear that Anam!
I don’t think I’ve ever had mutton curry, but it sure looks like a perfect bowl of comfort food to cozy up with on a Sunday afternoon!
Hi, for the mutton curry, will fenugreek methi seeds be ok to use in relation to the recommended kasuri methi in the recipe you have listed. If So, do I still go ahead and use 1 tablespoon. Thanks
Hey!Fenugreek seeds will not add the same flavour. If possible, look for dried fenugreek leaves. Its easily available on Amazon. If you live outside India you can order here: http://amzn.to/2iYMHTr
If you still don’t get them, skip it. They definitely add to the flavour but the curry is great without them too.
Hi richa your mutton looks sizzling
Next time do suggest how to make a mutton soup bascially a paya soup and please do tell how mutton helps to make healthy body what nutritional valueit composes of because im novice to nonveg Just started because i broked my patella knee cap Thankyou and cheers
Thanks Hitesh! I love recipe requests from readers. I’ll do a mutton soup soon!
Good day!
I suggest that your ingredients link point us to the definition and where to buy them instead of sending us back to your website. I click on Cloves, garam masala, etc and goes back to site with other recipe, not defining what it is. It’s really frustrating.
Thanks.
I’m sorry about this but I’m curious – those ingredients are not linked to anything and when I visit the page, I can’t see any clickable links from those ingredients. Would you mind sending a screenshot to me at [email protected] so that we can fix this?
The colour may be different because of the quality of spices..This is very nice post..Thanks for sharing..
Love the pics! It looks delicious!! My friend has a similar recipe. Slight variations in the masala and it includes curry leaves. I love it. I got to try your recipe next time we get mutton.
Thank you Arun, the curry leaves would be an excellent addition!
I am making this on the stove top. How long does it have to cook. The color is not as dark red as yours.
Hey Adi! On the stovetop, this can take anywhere between an hour to 1.5 hours to cook since mutton usually takes time. The colour may be different because of the quality of spices. All my spices are hand pounded. I hope you liked the dish!
Hi , I don’t have mutton masala ,is there any other alternative for the masala ?
You can use any meat masala or curry powder to substitute mutton masala
I love mutton curry…its an awesome Indian dish
Thank you!
I love Mutton, and every time I go to Jamaica I have a feast. I will be cooking this recipe for SURE!!
Beautiful photos!!
Thank you so much Carlos. I’ve never tried Jamaican mutton, will definitely look it up!