Yet another chettinad special .This is very famous dish in the ever mushrooming chettinad restaurants in the city. I always wanted to try this and blog the recipe. Since I was not sure of the exact chettinad recipe, I had to wait till I attend the Pothu padappu (family group prayer) where they sacrifice a goat. The meat is cooked with pepper instead of chili powder and offered to the family deity along with other dishes. They call it as milagu Kari kuzhambu. Though watery, it will have a taste of its own.
Thalakkari is cooked for next day’s breakfast and served as a side dish for idly. They serve one head curry for 50 people with no compromise in taste. This time I found out the recipe from the old ladies at home .I tried it today and it was almost perfect
Ingredients
Lamb head-1 cleaned and cut into medium sized pieces (brain should be separated)
Brinjal-2
Potato-1
Small onion-20
Tomato-1
Kuzhambu milagai thool-2 table spoons
Coriander powder- 2 table spoon
Ginger garlic paste-2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Lemon-1
For Grinding
Grated coconut-4 table spoons
Kas kas- 1 teaspoon or Cashews-6
Chili powder-1 teaspoon
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
Pottu kadalai-1 table spoon
Procedure
Pressure cook the head pieces adding a cup of water, a teaspoon of turmeric and little salt for 10 to 12 minutes in medium fire. Meantime grind the items to be grinded. Mince the onions and tomato. Cut the brinjal and potato into small square pieces. This is added to give thickness to the gravy.
Once the mutton gets cooked, open the cooker and separate the gravy part. Keep the kadai in the stove. In one table spoon of oil season the curry with a small piece of cinnamon, 2 cardamoms, small brinji leaf and a teaspoon of fennel seed along with little curry leaf. Add the minced onion and tomatoes one by one and sauté for a while. Add the ginger garlic paste now and sauté nicely without gap as the paste will stick to the kadai if left without care. Now add the brinjal and tomato pieces. Sauté this also for some time. Add 1 cup of mutton stock which we have separated before into the kadai.Add little salt and cook till the potato pieces get cooked. Add the head pieces now into the kadai along with the remaining stock. Add the kuzhambu milagai thool and coriander powder and the salt needed .Remember you have added little salt before too. Close the kadai and let the gravy boil for 5 minutes. Now add the grinded masala mixed in a cup of water to this gravy and cook till you get the desired consistency. As we have added cashews and roasted gram, the gravy will get thick fast. If it gets thick add the water required and bring it to a boil. Check for the taste and add if anything is missing .Once the gravy cools, the gravy will thicken further. So switch off the stove, when the gravy is little watery itself. After switching off the stove add the lemon juice.