Before my marriage, I don’t remember my mom preparing mutton, may be because no one in my mom’s house liked mutton,…or I should say no one really liked any non veg item. She rarely used to prepare chicken and fish. Whenever she prepares some non veg item, then that day was used to be a very bad day for me as I was been insisted / scolded …..to have them . And after marriage, I slowly started eating chicken and now I can say “I love chicken  ”  but don’t like mutton, shrimp (I seldom eat fish). My husband being an ardent lover of mutton , I prepare mutton curry (I prepared 5/6 times in 2 years   ).  I always prepared with meagre success. In every attempt I learned a new thing. So with all those experiences, I prepared mutton kurma last wkend   which was a very bit hit……Oh atlast I found the way….

                                                                         Mutton kurma
Source: This is an absolute trial and error recipe.

Ingredients:
Mutton – 300 g
Potatoes – 2-3 no.
Onions – 2 medium size.
Tomato – 1/4 cup
small piece of crushed Ginger
Crushed garlic – 3 no.
Green Chillies – 2 no.
Turmeric – 2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1Tbspn
Garam masala – 2 tbspn
Red chillie powder – 2 Tbspn
Salt
Cloves – 4
Cinnamon small piece
Bay Leaves – 2
Cashew nuts – 2 tbspn
Milk – 1 Tbspn
A pinch Saffron (optional)
Oil – 3 tbspn
Curd – 1 tspn
Cumin powder – 3 tspn

Ground to Paste:
   Brown onion paste:
1.Take pan, add 1 tspn of oil , and chopped onion(1 onion). Remove from the fire when onions turn golden brown.
2.Put into blender, grind to fine paste.
  
   Cashewnut Paste:
1.Take 2 tbspn of cashewnuts in a blender and make them to fine paste using 1tbspn milk. Can add more milk/water for the required consistency. (If you are using saffron then soak the saffron in the milk for 5-10 min and use that milk for grinding the cashewnuts.)

Method:
1. Bofore doing the kurma , cook the meat in spices. This way meat absorbs the spices. I pressure cooked it. So , in a cooker add well washed meat, sufficient water, crushed garlic, crushed ginger, 2 green chillies, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, red chilli powder 1tbspn, salt, potatoes ( peeled and half cut), cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Allow it to cook untill u get 8-10 whistles.
2.In the mean while u prepare the brown onion paste and cashew nut paste.
3.Once the meat is cooked , drain off the water well.
4.Now, heat 2-3 tbspn of oil in a pan, add chopped onion(1 no.), add salt, garam masala.
5.Add brown onion paste once onion turn golden brown color.
6.When you find it leaving oil, add tomatoes and cashewnut paste.
7.After few min ( roughly 7 min), add cooked meat,and potatoes. Now adjust the spices, and water untill you get the required consistency and spice level. Let it boil for 10 min.
8.At the very end, add curd, jeera powder. Mix them well and remove from the flame.
9.Garnish with coriander leaves. (optional)
Goes well with piping hot rice, poori, pulaos, biryani.

Notes:
1.I used frozen indian green chillies.
2.I used pressure cooker for cooking the meat.
3.I drained out the water in step 3, since I was using the frozen meat. If you are using the fresh meat then you need not drain the water. In that case, do keep in mind about the amount of spices you are using.
4.I made the cashewnut paste using saffron milk (saffron being soaked in 1 tbspn of milk for 5-10 min). I also added little for the required consistency.
5.I used tinned tomatoes.

                       Yesterday, I was planning to prepare capsicum rice and I almost sliced the capsicum. Then Suddenly realized that yesterday was supposed to be the last date for the chicken.Then I had to switched on to the chicken curry. I never prepared chicken capsicum before ,..more specific to say I added  capsicum (as I already Sliced for capsicum rice and cant see going waste) at the end and to my surprise it came out very well

                                                   Chicken Capsicum
Whenever I prepare chicken curry I ll allow chicken to sit in the marinade for almost 1 hour , So it almost takes 2 hours to finish (including preparation of marinade), But this time I did without the marinade,..it just took 30-40 min to finish and came tasty too.

Ingredients :

Chicken  – 500 g
Tomatoes – 2 medium sized (I have used tinned tomatoes)
Onion – 1 medium sized
Oil – 2-3 tablespoon
cloves 3
small piece of cinnamon
Bay Leaf (optional)
Redchilli – 1
Jeera – 1 teaspoon
Redchilly powder

Garam masala
coriander Powder (coriander leaves are more preferable)
Turmeric – 1-2 teaspoons
Capsicum – 2 medium sized
Salt to taste

Note : Add redchilli powder,garam masala ,and coriander powder according to your spice level.

Method :

1.Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and add chicken pieces. Sprinkle pinch of turmeric and allow to fry for 4 min and set aside. I skip this step if I use the marinade.
2.Now, heat the remaining oil in a cooking vessel and add cloves, cinnamon, bayleaf, redchilli, jeera, garam masala (Adding garam  masala to the hot oil gives fine aroma). When jeera start spluttering add chopped onions, turmeric,ginger-garlic paste and salt.
3.When onions turn golden brown add chopped tomatoes and close with lid.
4.When tomatoes are well cooked ( You can add little water in between to let the tomatoes to cook) add semi-fried chicken pieces.
5.Add redchilli powder, garam masala(if needed), coriander powder.
6.Once chicken gets cooked add sliced capsicum add close the vessel and let it sit for 3-4 min on medium flame.(First I fried capsicum in 2 teaspoons of oil for 2 min and later I added to the gravy.Next time i wanna try without frying the capsicum)
7 Serve red hot chicken capsicum with rice. Rasam/tomato charu is a good combination.