Mutton Kuzhambu, Perur Athama’S Coimbatore Style Mutton Kuzhambu (Mutton Curry)

Recipe for authentic South Indian Tamilnadu Style Mutton Kuzhambu. Perfect side dish for Idli, Idiyappam, Appam and Biryani. With step by step pictures.

Kandasamy Abba is my Paati’s (dad’s mom) elder brother’s son. Kandasamy Abba and my Thaatha (mom’s dad) were the best of friends and he was the one instrumental in getting my mom and dad married. He is my dad’s hero. He will not do anything without asking him. Sadly, he passed away a few years back. Kamalam Athama is Kandasamy Abba’s wife. We fondly call her Perur Athama as Perur is her hometown. She is very soft spoken and has a lot of attention to detail. I have always seen her only in one place. The kitchen. Everything is perfect when she is around. Athama’s dishes are legendary. I have eaten countless number of meals from her kitchen and this curry is my all time favourite. The spices are so mild and makes for a delicious curry to dunk in with Indian breads. Below is the picture of Perur Athama clad in an orange saree with her family. Her daughter in law Renu Akka is the one who painstakingly writes and sends recipes to perfection. Thank you akka for everything.

Here is how to do Perur Athama’s Mutton Kuzhambu.

Heat oil in a pan and saute shallots (small onions and curry leaves) for 3-4 minutes until the shallots are pink and soft. Remove from heat and set aside.

Now we need to make our very own home made mutton masala powder.

Dry roast all the ingredients listed under mutton masala powder except turmeric and poppy seeds (khuskhus) until fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixie / spice grinder. Add in the turmeric and raw poppy seeds. If you cannot get poppy seeds in a country where you live, just skip it. But poppy seeds does add a lot of flavour to the curry. Grind the mixture to a very fine powder.

To the ground powder, add in the fried shallot mixture and add half a cup of water. Grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.

Keep a pressure pan on heat and add in the washed, cleaned and drained mutton pieces. Add a teaspoon of castor oil to the mutton. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes until all the juices that come from the mutton has evaporated and its completely dry. Grind the ginger and garlic with quarter cup of water to a fine paste. Add the paste to the mutton. Note that we are using more Ginger than garlic for this recipe. A Note on Castor Oil Perur Athama uses a teaspoon of Castor Oil while making this curry and she believes that the mutton cooks to tender with the addition of castor oil. Also Castor oil will help in digestion after a heavy non-veg meal. It has cooling properties too. So go ahead and get a little castor oil going in the curry. Don’t add too much though. If you don’t have castor oil, add in a teaspoon of vegetable oil and proceed with the recipe.

Fry till the ginger garlic paste is covered on mutton and is almost dry. Add in the mutton masala paste and the second and third pressed coconut milk. I prefer homemade coconut milk for this recipe. Here is how to make homemade coconut milk at home.

Cover the pan and let it cook for 12 whistles on medium flame. Remove from heat after all the whistles are over and wait for the pressure to release from the cooker naturally. Open the cooker and add a heaping teaspoon of rock salt. Combine well. Set aside.

Tempering Heat oil in a pan and add in the cardamom, mustard seeds and urad dal. Let it splutter. Add it to the mutton curry.

Add in the first pressed coconut milk (do not heat after adding first milk ) and finely chopped coriander leaves. Mix well to combine.

Serve the curry as a side dish for Biryani, Appam, Idiyappam or idli.

For frying Shallots

• 1 teaspoon Vegetable oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 cup shallots (approx 20-25) (small onions)

For Mutton Masala Powder

• 6 dried red chillies
• 1 cinnamon
• 1 clove
• 1 1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds (khus khus)

Other Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon castor oil
• 500 grams Mutton with bone
• 1 heaping teaspoon rock salt
• 4 stalks coriander leaves, finely chopped

For Ginger Garlic paste

• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 1/2 inch piece ginger

For Home made Coconut Milk

• 1 small Coconut
• Click here for coconut milk recipe

For Tempering

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 3 cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon urad dal

1. Heat oil in a pan and sauté shallots (small onions and curry leaves) for 3-4 minutes until the shallots are pink and soft. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Dry roast all the ingredients listed under mutton masala powder except turmeric and poppy seeds (khuskhus) until fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixie / spice grinder. Add in the turmeric and raw poppy seeds. Grind the mixture to a very fine powder.
3. To the ground powder add in the fried shallot mixture and add half a cup of water. Grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
4. Keep a pressure pan on heat and add in the washed, cleaned and drained mutton pieces. Add a teaspoon of castor oil to the mutton. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes until all the juices that come from the mutton has evaporated and its completely dry. Grind the ginger and garlic with quarter cup of water to a fine paste.
5. Fry till the ginger garlic paste is covered on mutton and is almost dry. Add in the mutton masala paste and the second and third pressed coconut milk.
6. Cover the pan and let it cook for 12 whistles on medium flame. Remove from heat after all the whistles are over and wait for the pressure to release from the cooker naturally. Open the cooker and add a heaping teaspoon of rock salt. Combine well. Set aside.
7. For tempering : Heat oil in a pan and add in the cardamom, mustard seeds and urad dal. Let it splutter. Add it to the mutton curry.
8. Add in the first pressed coconut milk and finely chopped coriander leaves. Mix well to combine.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu, South Indian

For frying Shallots

• 1 teaspoon Vegetable oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 cup shallots (approx 20-25) (small onions)

For Mutton Masala Powder

• 6 dried red chillies
• 1 cinnamon
• 1 clove
• 1 1/2 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds (khus khus)

Other Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon castor oil
• 500 grams Mutton with bone
• 1 heaping teaspoon rock salt
• 4 stalks coriander leaves, finely chopped

For Ginger Garlic paste

• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 1/2 inch piece ginger

For Home made Coconut Milk

• 1 small Coconut
• Click here for coconut milk recipe

For Tempering

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 3 cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon urad dal

1. Heat oil in a pan and sauté shallots (small onions and curry leaves) for 3-4 minutes until the shallots are pink and soft. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Dry roast all the ingredients listed under mutton masala powder except turmeric and poppy seeds (khuskhus) until fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixie / spice grinder. Add in the turmeric and raw poppy seeds. Grind the mixture to a very fine powder.
3. To the ground powder add in the fried shallot mixture and add half a cup of water. Grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
4. Keep a pressure pan on heat and add in the washed, cleaned and drained mutton pieces. Add a teaspoon of castor oil to the mutton. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes until all the juices that come from the mutton has evaporated and its completely dry. Grind the ginger and garlic with quarter cup of water to a fine paste.
5. Fry till the ginger garlic paste is covered on mutton and is almost dry. Add in the mutton masala paste and the second and third pressed coconut milk.
6. Cover the pan and let it cook for 12 whistles on medium flame. Remove from heat after all the whistles are over and wait for the pressure to release from the cooker naturally. Open the cooker and add a heaping teaspoon of rock salt. Combine well. Set aside.
7. For tempering : Heat oil in a pan and add in the cardamom, mustard seeds and urad dal. Let it splutter. Add it to the mutton curry.
8. Add in the first pressed coconut milk and finely chopped coriander leaves. Mix well to combine.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu, South Indian

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/mutton-kuzhambu/

Recipe for Chettinad style Urulai pattani roast. Dry Potato peas Curry. Spicy side dish for variety rice or chapatti / roti. With step by step pictures.

Its holiday time here in Bangalore for Dussehra. I still remember the sundal hopping that me and my mom used to do when I was young in Coimbatore for Navarathri. I would just sit next to all the dolls and see them in such awe. The sundal hopping has sure come down to a couple of homes after we moved here to Bangalore.

I am a big fan of dry curries. I love days when I make dry curries and dal for lunch. My baby, well not so much a baby anymore loves peas. This makes for a simple yet very very satisfying lunch. This curry goes very well with variety rice or chapati / roti too. Here is how to make Chettinad style Urulai Pattani Roast / Dry potato peas curry.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the fennel seeds. Let it splutter. Then add in the finely chopped onions, curry leaves and fry well till its brown.

Crush the green chillies, garlic and ginger in a mortar and pestle. You want it in bits and pieces. Do not grind to a smooth paste. The flavour of the crushed ginger and garlic is different from paste. So take your time and crush it in a mortar and pestle. If you don’t have one, pulse it twice or thrice in your mixie / blender until coarse. Do not add any water while grinding. Add it to the onion mixture and saute for a minute. Run two tomatoes in a mixie / blender to form puree. Add in the tomato puree.

Add half a cup of water (I use water left over from boiling vegetables), salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder. fry till all the mixture is dry and streaks of oil starts to appear on top.

Then add in the boiled potatoes and peas. Add in the pepper powder. Mix well to combine. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the chopped coriander leaves and remove from heat.

Chettinad urulai pattani roast is ready. Serve with variety rice or chapati / roti.

• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (sombu)
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 green chillies
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 4 potatoes, boiled
• 1 cup peas, boiled
• 3 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the fennel seeds. Let it splutter. Then add in the finely chopped onions, curry leaves and fry well till its brown.
2. Crush the green chillies, garlic and ginger in a mortar and pestle. Add it to the onion mixture and saute for a minute. Run two tomatoes in a mixie / blender to form puree. Add in the tomato puree.
3. Add half a cup of water (I use water left over from boiling vegetables), salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder. fry till all the mixture is dry and streaks of oil starts to appear on top.
4. Then add in the boiled potatoes and peas. Add in the pepper powder. Mix well to combine. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the chopped coriander leaves and remove from heat.
5. Serve with variety rice or chapati / roti.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Side dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu