Say hello to my easy mutton curry recipe! Quick, simple, and incredibly tasty, and its ready in under an hour. I'm talking about tender, pull apart mutton that melts in your mouth.
I always thought making mutton curry is a long and laborious process that needs hours of prep and cooking time. But you shouldn't have to wait so much for good things in life!
Planning on making Mutton Curry? Serve it with Jeera Rice, No Yeast Naan, Basmati Rice or Garlic Cheese Kulcha
But this easy mutton curry recipe is different. What I love about this recipe is that it requires very little prep, uses simple, everyday ingredients and is ready in under an hour. If you’re wondering how, I’ve got you! I have simply replaced long hours of prep and marination with a store-bought mutton curry masala and it has been a complete game changer! This means that my lamb curry is now ready in half the original time without any compromise on taste! The result - a heartwarming mutton curry that’s homely, spicy and a total flavour bomb!
What is mutton curry made of?
This mutton curry recipe uses onions and tomatoes as the base, which is then flavoured using different whole and ground spices. The hero ingredient of this recipe is the meat masala (different from curry powder most commonly available abroad), responsible for giving this whole dish that distinctive warm and spicy flavour.
- Mutton / Lamb: Use good quality mutton pieces, preferably with bones to make this dish a whole lot tastier.
- Turmeric: Helps eliminate that slightly gamey taste of raw mutton.
- Oil: I like using mustard oil, but any other cooking oil will work
- Spices: This recipe mainly uses whole spices to pack in a tonne of flavour. I have used fennel seeds, bayleaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves and green chillies. Apart from this, you’d also need some coriander powder and garam masala for an extra flavour boost.
- Meat Masala: Hands down the star ingredient of the whole dish and the reason why it comes together so quickly. I've used readymade Mutton Masala. This is different from curry powder so specifically look for meat masala, chicken masala or mutton masala. In the U.S. you can buy it on Amazon / If you are in the U.K. buy it here on Amazon
- Onions and tomatoes: Both finely chopped and used to form the base of this curry. You can even puree the tomatoes to save yourself some time and effort.
- Potatoes: Potatoes soak up the flavour from the meat and masalas, thereby enhancing the whole dish. Not a necessary ingredient, but highly recommended.
- Kasuri methi: Dried fenugreek leaves - A commonly used ingredient in Indian curries added at the end for a hint of smokiness and to bring everything together. Even though this one’s optional too, it’s one I highly recommend using.
- Ghee or butter: Takes the flavour of the whole dish a notch higher. Do not skimp on this!
Which cut of mutton is good for curry?
I personally prefer using shoulder cuts of lamb or goat when making curries or stews. Some people prefer to use the legs or rump, while some recipes use a mix of mutton pieces from different parts. However, I would highly recommend using bone-in mutton or lamb pieces as they pack a tonne of flavour and taste so much better when used in stews and curries.
Is goat meat and mutton the same thing?
In most countries around the world, mutton meat means lamb and is different from goat meat. But in India, mutton is referred to as both sheep and goat meat, and is often used interchangeably.
How to make Mutton Curry
Here's a quick step by step to show you how to make mutton curry:
- Add turmeric and salt 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 two green chillies, onions and ginger garlic paste. Cook this for 10-12 minutes stirring occasionally till the onions are a deep brown. This is called bhuno.
- Add tomatoes, coriander powder, meat masala and salt and cook for 5 minutes till the tomatoes break down slightly.
5. Add mutton, potatoes and two cups of water and put the lid on.
6. If using a stovetop pressure cooker, cook on high pressure for 20-25 minutes (5-6 whistles). For the Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 20 minutes and let the pressure release naturally or manually release the pressure after 15 minutes.
7. Once the pressure is released, open the lid and switch on the flame again. Add more water if the gravy is too thick. Stir in garam masala, kasuri methi (if using), remaining green chillies, julienned ginger and ghee and simmer for another 3-4 minutes.
8. Check and adjust seasoning. Let the curry rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Why is my mutton chewy?
An important step to prevent chewy mutton is to either marinate the mutton before cooking it or allow it to cook in the pressure cooker for enough time. This process is called tenderising and is what helps your meat become soft and perfect tender.
Which is the best mutton curry in India?
Such a tough one to answer - Mutton curry is a very popular dish in India and most states have their own versions that taste incredible. Some other mutton curry recipes you need to try are mutton keema, kosha mangsho, rogan josh and mutton korma. Some mutton recipes I personally love and keep making all the time include this easy one pot mutton kofta curry, slow cooker lamb curry, Kerala mutton stew and my all-time favourite mutton biryani!
I usually serve my mutton curries with either rice or rotis with a side of sliced onions for a complete, heartwarming meal. You can even serve yours with naan or garlic kulcha especially if you are making this for guests.
Watch the Recipe Video
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Easy Indian Mutton Curry (Pressure Cooker Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 kg Mutton / Lamb bone-in, cut into medium sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 tablespoon Salt divided
- 4 tablespoons Mustard Oil
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- 1 Bayleaf
- 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
- 3-4 Cardamom Pods
- 3-4 Cloves
- 4 Green chillies slit lengthwise
- 3 large Onions finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 5 large Tomatoes finely chopped or pureed
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
- 4 tablespoons Meat Masala different from curry powder, look for meat masala in Indian grocery stores
- 2 Potatoes quartered (optional)
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi optional but highly recommended
- 1 inch piece Ginger julienned
- 1 tablespoon Ghee or Butter
Instructions
- Add turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt to the mutton or lamb and rub all over. Set aside while you prep everything else
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker (electric or stovetop) and saute fennel seeds, bayleaf, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves for a minute. Add two green chillies, onions and ginger garlic paste. Cook this for 10-12 minutes stirring occasionally till the onions are a deep brown.
- Add tomatoes, coriander powder, meat masala and the remaining salt and cook for 5 minutes till the tomatoes break down slightly.
- Stovetop Pressure Cooker: Add mutton, potatoes and two cups of water and put the lid on. If using a stovetop pressure cooker, cook on high pressure for 20-25 minutes (5-6 whistles).
- Instant Pot: If using an electric pressure cooker or an instant pot, cook for 20 minutes on high pressurenand let the pressure release naturally or manually release the pressure after 15 minutes.
- Once the pressure is released, open the lid and switch on the flame again. Add more water if the gravy is too thick. Stir in garam masala, kasuri methi (if using), remaining green chillies, julienned ginger and ghee and simmer for another 3-4 minutes.
- Check and adjust seasoning. Let the curry rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Any cut of lamb or mutton is good for this curry but make sure its bone-in. Shoulder works best as it has the best flavour and tenderises really well
- Meat masala is easily available at Indian stores. I use Lala's brand, Everest masalas are also highly recommended.
- Kasuri Methi is dried fenugreek leaves that help round up the flavours in the dal makhani. Its available on amazon, and is used in many Indian recipes (on this blog), so stocking it won't be a waste
- Don't skimp on the oil in the recipe. This is necessary for the masalas to fry properly as well as for the lamb pieces to toast well.
- Feel free to adjust the spice levels based on your tastes by reducing or increasing the green chillies
- Cut the mutton pieces into similar sizes to help them cook evenly.
- To make this recipe even quicker and easier you can use a food processor to chop the onions and tomatoes. Once everything is chopped and ready, all would need to do is fry and pressure cook until done.
- Make sure to cook the onions really well before adding the meat - to the point of them becoming deep brown. Bhunoing the masala is an important step as it helps to release flavours and is what gives your mutton curry that typical dark brown colour.
- If you are using frozen mutton, make sure to thaw it out properly on the kitchen counter before adding it to the pressure cooker
Kate says
Hi Richa
Thanks for the recipe, was delicious. My meat masala added ALOT of heat, my son (7 years) couldn't cope, will try again but just adjust the quantity of masala. Kate
Richa Gupta says
Hey Kate! Yes, Indian dishes can be pretty spicy if you aren't used to them. Let us know how the second batch worked out for you! Thanks 🙂
Ratna Das says
Hi richa your recipe explain very well.i really thankfull to you so much To bring you these recipes for us
Ratna Das says
Hi richa all your recipe explain very well.thank you so much To bring you these recipes for us
Sachin says
Nice presentation.
Richa says
Thank you Sachin
Omkar says
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 !!!!
Richa says
So happy you liked the recipe Omkar! Thank you for leaving a comment
Sai Patil says
Super easy and tasty
Richa says
Soooo happy you liked the recipe Sai! Thank you for leaving a comment
Priya Nair says
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!
Richa says
Thank YOU Priya!! So glad you and the hubby liked it
Meagan says
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).
Richa says
Thanks for sharing that Meagan! So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Rajiv says
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?
Richa says
Hey Rajiv, after the first whistle, reduce the flame and then wait for another 4-5 whistles.
Savio Francis Dsouza says
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.
Richa says
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.
donna says
i have no words to describe it's amazing taste. very delicious and yummy taste. thanks for posting this.
Richa says
So glad you liked it Donna!
Savio Francis Dsouza says
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.
Richa says
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.
Kanya says
The curry taste is good.. But it became watery! I probably next time will avoid adding water bfr pressure cooking the mutton!
Richa says
Thanks Kanya!
Shaini says
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...
Richa says
Thank you so much!
Margaret Mason says
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?
Richa says
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