LAU (GHIA) – MUTTON KI SHORBA (dish from famous Rampur cooking gharana

Enough of my vege recipes for you and thanks for your patience (The Non-veges) 

I was thinking of making a radical departure from conventional mutton dish that I eat.

I learnt this recipe from Farah Malik’s posting and she has permitted me to publish this recipe. She comes from Rampur and an expert in Rampuri dishes, apart from many others. Now I have access to her many recipes and will cook really and feed you virtually.

Thank you Farah for this amazing recipe.

THE RECIPE ;

It is a typical shorba, i.e. thin mutton soupy curry with fragrance and cooked over long time to maximize bone and other mutton juices. The spicing varies from recipe to recipe. Here Farah has used an awesome spice combo that is cardamom and mace ( jayatri) and no other gram masala. I have a mind to use a cinnamon , cardamom and clove combo or just cinnamon and star anise combo someday 

INGREDIENTS

- Mutton 700 gms ( bone in preferable shoulder and some lumber ( put) and chap ( Thoracic ) vertebra. Some fat is preferred

- Ghia ( Lauki) a medium young one ( I used 400 gms)

- Onion 1 medium, about 21/2 inch

- Garlic cloves 5-6

- Ginger 1 inch

- Coriander powder 1 heap tsp

- Red chili powder 1 tsp , more or less as you want

- Lemon juice 30 to 45 ml ( optional)

- Turmeric 2 tsp level

- White vege oil 2 tbsp ( I use low aroma ghee)

Garam masla

Cradamum 4

Jayatri ( mace) ½ inch

Salt to taste

Sugar 1 level tsp ( to taste not to sweeten)  not used in original recipe.

PROCESS

1. Chop and grind, onion, garlic and ginger to a smooth paste add coriander and chili powder . add little more water and soak. Strain the paste and extract with little more water . Preserve the extract and discard the solids

2.  Grind the gram masala and strain through a Muslin. ( I wet ground the garam masala and extracted)

3.  Peel the ghia (lauki) and cut to 2 inch size . If it is a fat lau, use ½ moon size. Baby seeds may remain

4.    Heat oil , remove from fire and add the juice, mix and return to low flame . Add the mutton and mix thoroughly. Keep frying in such a way that the color doesn’t change to brown, You may add little water from time to time to prevent browning.

5.  Add Turmeric powder, salt and 11/2 cup hot water . Mix and simmer for 30 minutes ( till the meat is semi soft.

6.  Add the Lauki , mix and simmer for 20 minutes till the lauki and meat is done

7.   Add sugar ( not in original recipe , but I add for tatse and not to sweeten). Not in original recipe by Farah

8.  Add the garam masala and simmer for another 2-3 minutes

9.  Add   lemon juice ( I did not)  , eat with rice, paratha  or roti