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Sunday, July 20, 2008

Chettinad Mutton Kuzhambu or Chettinad Attukkari kuzhambu (Chettinad Mutton Curry)


Any collection of Chettinad recipes will be incomplete without the simple and tasty mutton gravy prepared in chettinad. The chettiar ladies, as I have told before is known for making tasty dishes with very few and small quantity of ingredients. But now days we use everything in large quantity and hope that it will increase the taste. I have heard people telling chettinad mutton gravy will be very spicy. But the real fact is that in chettinad the ladies are very conscious not to make it very spicy. While seasoning though many items are used, a very small piece of each item will be used. Too much of ginger garlic paste will also be avoided.
The authentic Mutton masala is hand grinded. It also would have contributed much to taste. But these days we have to satisfy with the taste we get from the masala grinded in the mixie. These days in chettinad nobody grinds fresh masala even using mixie. They make excellent gravy using the kuzhambu milagai thool along with coriander powder. I have seen from my childhood, my mother using just the kuzhambu milagai Thool instead of grinded masala and make a wonderful mutton curry. So I cook both ways. If I have enough time,I will go for the freshly grinded masala else will use the kuzhambu milagai Thool itself. There will not be very much difference in taste. Another thing to be noted is very small amount of coconut only is to be used. Too much of coconut is supposed to spoil the real taste of mutton. We add coconut just to make the gravy thick

Ingredients
Mutton-1/2 kg (with bones)
Small onion-30
Tomatoes-2
Garlic-10 pods
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Coconut grated- 2 to 3 tablespoons
Kaskas-1 teaspoon or cashews-6
Kuzhambu Milagai Thool-2 tablespoon or (freshly grinded masala)
Coriander powder-1 tablespoon
Lime juice-2 teaspoon or tamarind paste-1 teaspoon



To grind (If you want fresh masala)
Coriander seeds-2 table spoons
Red chillies-8
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Cumin seed-1 teaspoon
Cinnamon-1 small piece
Cardamom-2
Clove-2
Dry roast all these items and dry grind them

Coconut paste
Grind the coconut,Kas kas and fennel seed 1 teaspoon to a smooth paste
To season
Cinamon-1/2 inch piece-2
Cardamom-2
Clove-2
Bay leaf-a small piece
Maruthani mokku-a small piece
curry leaf-little
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon

Procedure
Wash and cut the mutton into small pieces. Cut the onion, garlic and tomatoes also into small pieces. Keep the cooker in the stove. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add the items given in ‘To season’. Then add the ginger garlic paste and stir well. Now add the chopped onion, garlic and tomatoes one by one and sauté nicely. Add the mutton pieces along with turmeric powder now and sauté for 5 minutes. This sautéing is very impotant.In chettinad they call this as ‘Thirakkirathu’.I have heard my grannies instructing the servants to sauté nicely till water oozes out from mutton. Now add the kuzhambu milagai Thool and coriander powder. Mix that also well. Add 3 cups of water and the salt needed. Mix well and close the cooker. Once the steam starts coming, Put the weight . Keep the flame in medium. After the first whistle comes, reduce the flame and cook for 12 minutes. Wait for the pressure to release. Once the pressure is released, open the cooker and add the grinded coconut paste. Check for the consistency and taste. If you find the gravy thick, a cup of water can be added. Salt or milagai thool can be added in this stage according to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes without closing the cooker. If found too watery even after adding cocunut paste,It can be made thick by adding a spoon of corriander powder. If you are adding tamarind extract, add it and bring the gravy to a boil else switch off the stove and add the lemon juice. The gravy can be garnished with coriander leaves.
Today my mutton gravy turned awesome as I was little careful in adding the ingredients. I always make sure that my preparation is perfect using the ingredients mentioned before writing a blog on that.

61 comments:

notyet100 said...

this looks so yum,.thnksfor sharing,/..i am big fan of chettinad food,.

Illatharasi said...

Wow, sunday speciala?;)

Senjidavendiyathu seekirame.... namma oru mutton inge kedakila :( so taste differenta aguthu .... anyway still try this.... thanks or sharing:)

Biryani recipe eppo varum ? ;)

Cham said...

I just made mutton biryani... Wow, the color is pretty attractive...i will make soon ur version.

Revathi said...

wowwwww soon your blog is going to become the one-stop place for chettinad recipes. Mutton kozhambu looks superb...

Solai Chidambaram said...

Illatharasi,Cham,sujatha and Revathi make this and post your comments.I want you people to try Kosamalli posted much before you all started visiting my blog and comment.It is in the side dish section.It is a pure chettinad side dish

Poornima said...

Love your recipes.thanks for them.

Pavithra Nagarajan said...

hi ,..
I saw ur mutton kulambu receipe yesterday and ,why to wait,..My husband wanted that only,..
it came out just PERFECTLY,..
He was just PRAISING ur perfection in getting dishes in authentic way...
Thank you so much ,..It was Good to see him relish every morsel of it till end!!
Naan Brahmin ,avar pure Non-veg,..so UR Blog is of ultimate support to me ,..
Thank you so much for the efforts,...(i really mean it)
I guess with your help,i will learn to cook Non veg without having to even taste them for salt.

I even tried Your meen kulambu for this weekend ,..
It was a show stealer,.his friends tasted it and were amazed to know i had cooked it ,..

Thank you solai!!!!

Good work great going!!
I will watch outur blog daily hereafter.

Sathiya said...

உங்க டிஷ் எல்லாம் பார்த்தவுடனே பசிக்க ஆரமிச்சுடுது! உங்க கோழி ரசத்தை பார்த்து என் பொண்டாட்டியை(இல்லத்தரசி) கேட்டேன், ரொம்ப நல்லா வந்திருந்தது. ரொம்ப நன்றி! இந்த மட்டன் கொழம்பு எனக்கு ரொம்ப ரொம்ப பிடிச்சது. இதுல எங்கம்மா நூக்கல் போட்டு செய்வாங்க, ரொம்ப நல்லா இருக்கும். இட்லிக்கு தொட்டு சாப்பிட இதை அடிச்சுக்க முடியாது!

Solai Chidambaram said...

Thankyou sathya.Your illatharasi is also doing a wonderful job.lucky to have such a wife who cares so much for the family

Solai Chidambaram said...

Thankyou pavithra.Very happy to know that my recipe has helped a vegetarian to cook non veg so well.I think that you are naturally a good cook

Sanhita said...

Hi, you have a great blog. I have just shifted to Chennai and tried Chettinad food, and I loved it. I am so glad I can learn how to cook Chettinad food from your blog. I hope you don't mind, I added you to my blogroll.

Sujatha said...

kuzhambu looks superb! I will soon try your version.. I'm bookmarking your recipes one by one. :)

Revathi said...

aachi

saw the kosamalli recipe. Amma is here now. i will ask her to do it -

Illatharasi said...

Solai.... kalakiteenga... ithuvum try senjen, but with chicken.... was too yummy:) will post my picture next week ;)

I saw my hubby's comment and prepared for him;) he liked it very much !

Thanks for sharing.... will try your kosamalli soon :)

Illatharasi said...

I posted my version of curry ;)

Checkout http://illatharasi.blogspot.com/2008/08/chettinad-chicken-curry-events-awards.html

Belated friendship day wishes!!

Uma Antony said...

Hi Solai....i tried out ur recipe y'day and it came out very well...so delicious it was. My husband likes chettinad recipes so much. Thanks for ur recipe

Meena said...

SO far I've tried this recipe 6 times...and everytime it comes out perfectly...and I always think I should leave a comment in ur blog...but forget it all the time because I'm so busy eating :):)

Thank u so much Achi!!!!

Meea

Unknown said...

Hi Solai,

I tried this recipe and came out very well.
I did not have the kuzhambu malagai thool, so i ground all the spices you had mentioned. Please do me a favor.
Kindly post the kuzhambu malagai thool recipe that you use in your curries. I tried the regular sambhar masala but the taste isn't the same.:( ..

Unknown said...

Hi Solai,

I tried this recipe and came out very well.
I did not have the kuzhambu malagai thool, so i ground all the spices you had mentioned. Please do me a favor.
Kindly post the kuzhambu malagai thool recipe that you use in your curries. I tried the regular sambhar masala but the taste isn't the same.:( ..

Unknown said...

Hi Achi

I made ur chettinade mutton kuzhambu and ur kozhi rasam today and got so much of compliments from my guest.i felt i owe it to u.thank u so much for all the lovely chettinad recipes.

Raji

Unknown said...

dear aachi,
today i tried your chiken kuzhambu and cutlet.
Vow.... it was excellent taste..after long time my husband enjoyed chicken kuzhambu ...(i ve stopped cooking chicken kuzhambu since, he didnt like my style of cooking).. tommorrow i am going to cook Mutton kuzhambu.. do i need to use the full freshely grinded masala or as you told i need to use only 2 tspns from that..pls let me know.. tks for making our meal time happy...i am sure that i am going to get great reward everyday bcoz of your recipes.....
Angel

class photo said...

hi solai ,
can u pls tell the difference b/w yam and sweet potato(chakaravali kilangu)we r im US.they say sweet potato as yam.

Solai Chidambaram said...

outer skin of chakkaravalli kizhangu will be pink in colour.yam will be black(karunai kizhangu).

யவனிகை 5 said...

mam, u really cherish our tradition i can say, one request, can u use some slang in karaikudi, just like "thorakkuradu" to know their recipes wit their tradition, n m eagerly waiting for coconut rice. thanx

Unknown said...

Dear mam,

what we say for Maruthani mokku in

english please through some light

on it.

thanking you.

Rajasundaram said...

Hello Aachi,

I'm a big fan of your blog nowdays, to day i have tried the chettinad mutton kuzhambu and it came very perfectly.

Thanks for the receipe and keepup the great work!

Thanks,
Raja

omasterfulone said...

mikka nanri. you are a true master of your art. I have tried several of your recipes and the food reminded me of my mother and childhood. All appreciated. Thankyou very much. Have you tried steaming rice, with less water, some pumpkin seeds and cumin seeds and oil. It comes out nice.

Unknown said...

hello Aunty,

I tried ur mutton kulambu recipe y'day.. it was a huge hit.. thanks a lot..

Regards,
Ramya Raja

Unknown said...

Hi,
I have read all your recipes and i must day that they are splendid.I love cooking and love to try something new everyday for my husband as he loves eating.Im very glad that i happen to see ur blog.Each and every recipe is so much interesting & delicious to cook, i start my day visiting your blog looking out what to try today.Pls keep it going and thanks for sharing.

Krithikabalaji

Unknown said...

Hi,
The receipe looks yummy and will defntly try and will post my comments soon

Jayanthi Kanderi said...

Hi Solai...found your blog in a google search for chettinad mutton curry. Just made it with fresh ground masala.Mikka nandri...awesome recipe :)
- Jayanthi

Unknown said...

Dear Aachi,
My first reaction on seeing your blog site is TEARS...
Kumbida pona dheivam kurakka vantha maathiri..I came across your webpage...I was very very frustrated trying 'Aattukkari kuzhambu' from various sites...as everything finally tasted like curma...I was thinking I am never going to get the authentic recipie my aachi made...as she passed away :(...and my mother a very busy obstetrician is hopeless in cooking...I regularly browse for recipies and am basically a good cook also...I want to tell you...HATS OFF FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE about authentic recipies...Your entire collection is simply amazing...wow..wow..wow..its just not another site...but a unique site...God Bless U...
This is the first time in 8 years I have ever commented online...

Supriya.

Solai Chidambaram said...

supriya,Thanks for the touching comment.comments like this only keep me going.i will start with much vigour and enthusiasm now after the short break I took to blogging for taking care of my little new born grandson.Thanks again supriya for the wonderful comment

Lexmi Kumar said...

Dear Solai,

Me and Husband became fan of chettinad dishes when we went to our friend brother's marriage.

From that day onwards, i was looking for authentic chetinad recipe cooking book. Hiya, i found it.

I am going to surprise my hubby with chettinad dish this weekend.

Thanks for ur post.

guna said...

hai aunty,

I havent cooked mutton gravy before my marriage.I was praying if somebody could help me. I hope Jesus showed me how to cook mutton gravy through you. I tried it thrice and it is perfect. Thank you aunty.

Solai Chidambaram said...

guna,very happy that my blog is helpful to you.try other recipes too.

Nagappan said...

Hi Achi,
Your blog has become our reference for every sunday.My wife is a very good cook but with your blog it's me who is cooking almost every weekend.

We tried some completely new things like mutton podimas, dum briyani and mutton chukka, the other items are mostly same as what is cooked at our moms.

This dish turned out to be a little sweet to us.I think in our prep. we add pepper and dont add cardomom.

Thanks for the blog - Nagappan and Annameena.

SoulSnap said...

I've Found my New favourite mutton recipe .. :D Its very easy to follow.. I just followed my own cooker times cos it undercooked when I followed the blog. Truely Chettinad .. Just Put my plate away and came to comment :)

Kavi said...

Hi Aachi, I did grind kulambhu milagai thool and prepared mutton kulambhu.. Wow kulambhu milagai thool really makes wonder.. I was thinking first to use chilli powder (As i am lazy to grind the thool and was also skeptical if it would turn good with the ratio)... I recently came across ur blog and i normally dont post comments in blogs...I in adversely felt i should leave a comment here... After preparing and tasted mutton kuzhambhu my husband was all praising.

Keep Rocking Aachi... Your recipes are great...

Solai Chidambaram said...

Thanks Kavi.Gud that u grinded kuzhambu milagai thool.It is the all in one thool that we use for everything.

gayathri said...

Hi Mam...
I am a beginner in cooking and this is the first time i'm making mutton kulambu. Wow..it came out so well...i've never tasted such a different mutton kulambu..it was so much yummy. My husband felt the same and applauded me. thanks a lot mam!! i'm planning to try all your recipes!

Srivathsan said...

Hi Aunty,

Last week we tried mutton kuzhambu in my cousin house at bangalore!! :) simply superb!!simply the best i ve ever had !!i came to madurai(my hometown) today and am gonna prepare it myself for my mom :)
Thanks aunty,

Regards,
Srivathsan

Solai Chidambaram said...

Srivatsan,I can feel your love for your mom from the comment.Very happy.Thanks for the compliments.

Roughjade said...

Dear Achi,

Could you write me how to make pathya kuzhambu(after pregnency) recepies?

i would like to make for my wife, we are now out of (INDIA) MADURAI.

MANY THANKS

joshua.j.thomas@gmail.com

Chennaitian said...

Nice recipe. I tried and turned out to be awesome along with mutton chops. Thanks for bringing back my chettinad memories.

Chris said...

Hey sis, tried ur recipe and wow it came out very well. My hubby enjoyed every bit of it. Thanks. A real blessing to people like me who donno how to cook mutton dishes.

Shabana said...

hi Aunty,

you never knew how happy i am these days making recipes from your blog . My husband is a Madurai-born guy with rich taste buds :-) and i am from Bangalore. I could not match his taste for the last few years, but now -a- days he is very happy with your recipes...

Thanks a ton and keep up your good work

Vvs said...

Just made this curry ..Turned out so good ..thank you fr the recipe ..I did mke the fresh masala ..

Krupa said...

I just love your recipes. Mutton Kuzlambu was awesome!!! Thanks.

Skl said...

Hello aunty,
We tried this recipe,turned out very well,very delicious,goes well with rice,edli dosa.................on and on..........with everything,kuzhambu Milagai thool is giving great flavour to all dishes,we ground a lot and kept,as I am studying for my medical board license examination here in u.s,don't have much time but I keep the laptop open in front of me when i'am cooking and cook,it's fast and easy,one dish comes for two days,it's delicious and healthy too,very helpful for us,thank you very much,when you visit u.s you shd come home,so we will cook the same recipes from your blog and treat you,thank you,
Skl

Suganya Raj said...

Hi Achi

Recipe is awesome, I tried & liked it so much. My husband & my son enjoyed the gravy.

Thanks for the recipe

~Suganya

Unknown said...

Hi aunty, I have tried this recipe and it turned awesome.. Just a quick question.. Can I add potatoes to it? If yes, at what stage?

Solai Chidambaram said...

You can add potatoes also if desired.It can be added after sauting the mutton pieces.Potato pieces should be cut little big so that it does'nt get overcooked.

Rangasamy said...

Tried this recipe. Simply superb!!! Thanks a ton.
I am cooking mutton after many...... years and we simply enjoyed it.

Unknown said...

Dear Aachi,

I am a very faithful follower of your recipes, and always get the best results.

Yesterday, I cooked 1 KG mutton, and the kuzhambu milagai thool was looking too much, as I doubled the quantity.

But instead of using my head, I followed and threw in all the masala. Even with 16 chillis, My son loved it, as it was not spicy.

The adding of puli in the end, is another great touch to your recipe. The balance of flavor is just right.....

There are something that cannot be perfected any further....This recipe is one of them.

You must have a very big heart, to share this openly with mankind.

I pray for your health and continued contributions, to keep our rich culture alive, as these secrets will die soon, if we do not keep intimate touch with them and enjoy, irrespective of how busy our lifestyles are.

thank you Aachi.

-Sundar

Archana said...

Till I came across this recipe, all my mutton-making endeavours have only met with so-so success. I followed your recipe exactly and the resulting mutton kuzhambu was so delicious. My husband immediately asked me to save the recipe somewhere safely so that I'll be able to remake it. Even I thought the kuzhambu tasted very good - I don't even like mutton much these days!

Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe and for giving such precise directions. Your blog is my one-stop for authentic Chettinadu recipes.

Radhika said...

your mutton gravy is superb

Unknown said...

I am a big fan of your recipes for authentic Chettinad recipes..I happend to see another recipe of Chettinad Mutton Kuzhambu posted by someone else, she has mentioned that her recipe was also inspired by your recipe and she has provided link to your recipe.
http://pachai-milagai.blogspot.com/2013/02/mutton-kuzhambu-gravy-curry.html

Thanks for inspiring lot with your cooking

Unknown said...

wow! very nice recipe. I tried this today and it came out very well. thank you for sharing.

Muhil said...

Solai Achi,

I tried the Chettinad Mutton Kuzhambu and it became my favourite dish which I ever cooked for her, thanks for stregthing our love and many other family's love through your receipe.

Thanks
MJ

Vallikalyani said...

Hello achi, I am ValliRavi from sharjah, your mutton kuzhambu taste is awesome, I am very much interested in cooking achi, I tried your many recipes . Thank you