Laal maas, or red meat, comes from the Rajput royal kitchens, where it was originally made with wild boar or venison brought back from hunts. The strong chilli and garlic masked the gamey flavour of the meat, and the dish became a symbol of Rajasthani bravado. Today it is made with goat, and Jodhpur and Jaisalmer are famous for their versions.
Its fiery red colour comes from Mathania chillies, a variety grown near Jodhpur that is deep red, aromatic and genuinely hot. The mutton is cooked slowly in ghee with yogurt, whole spices and plenty of garlic, until the gravy is thin, intensely red and topped with a layer of chilli-tinted ghee. A smoky finish from a hot coal is traditional.
It is served with bajra roti, plain rice or makki ki roti, and a glass of buttermilk to cool the heat. It is a dish for winter feasts and gatherings rather than everyday meals. Mathania chillies can be hard to find outside Rajasthan; a blend of Kashmiri chillies for colour and Byadgi or a few hotter chillies for heat works well. Deseeding them controls the heat without losing the colour.
At a glance
| Region | Rajasthan |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Rajasthani |
| Diet | Non-vegetarian |
| Course | Main course |
| Prep time | 20 minutes |
| Cook time | 90 minutes |
| Total time | 110 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Spice level | Hot |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Gluten-free | Yes |
| Key ingredients | mutton / Mathania red chillies / yogurt / garlic / ghee |
Ingredients
For the chilli paste
- 15 to 20 dried Mathania red chillies (or 10 Kashmiri + 6 Byadgi), deseeded and soaked in hot water 30 minutes
- 15 garlic cloves
For the curry
- 750 g bone-in mutton, curry cut
- 1 cup curd, whisked
- 1/2 cup ghee
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 4 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, 6 cloves, 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups hot water
- Chopped coriander
For the dhungar
- 1 piece charcoal
- 1 tsp ghee
- 2 cloves
Method
- Grind the soaked chillies with garlic and 2 tbsp of the soaking water to a smooth paste.
- Marinate the mutton with curd, half the chilli paste, coriander powder, turmeric and salt for at least 1 hour.
- Heat ghee in a heavy pot on medium. Add the whole spices and let them sizzle, then add onions and fry 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.
- Add the remaining chilli paste and fry on low for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the raw garlic smell goes and the ghee turns deep red.
- Add the marinated mutton and cook on medium-high for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is seared and the marinade has thickened and starts to leave ghee.
- Pour in the hot water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 60 to 70 minutes until the mutton is tender and the gravy is thin and red with ghee floating on top.
- For the dhungar, heat the charcoal on a flame until glowing. Place it in a small steel bowl set in the curry, add cloves and ghee on top, and cover the pot tightly for 5 minutes. Remove the bowl.
- Garnish with coriander and serve.
Tips
- Taste the chilli paste before using it; Mathania heat varies from batch to batch, so adjust the quantity.
- Fry the chilli paste patiently on low heat; rushing it makes the curry bitter.
- Laal maas tastes better after resting for a few hours.
Serve with
Bajra roti or steamed rice, with chaas and sliced onion.