Kosha Mangsho (Mutton Kosha, Mutton Kasha) is a delicious spicy Bengali-style mutton curry full of flavors from mutton (goat meat), spices, and mustard oil. Here is how to make it in the traditional style (gluten-free).

About Kosha Mangsho

Kosha Mangsho (Mutton Kosha, Mutton Kasha) is a very popular traditional curry in Bengal, and its literal meaning is sautéed meat. It is made with mutton (goat meat), onions, spices, and other basic ingredients.

Mangsho means meat and the word Kosha comes from Koshnao, which means cooking on slow heat with spices.

Slow cooking is the key to making the best Bengali mutton kosha recipe. It is a labor of love that holds an exceptional place in Bengali cuisine and people’s hearts.

The curry, along with mutton pieces, is slow-cooked over low flame for a very long time, and it turns into this rich, dark-brown velvety goodness with melt-in-the-mouth mutton.

This thick gravy made with the robust flavors of mutton is a favorite in every Bengali household. It is made for special occasions, including birthdays, weddings, and festivals like Durga Puja and Poila Baisakh.

It is also a staple curry in many Bengali households on Sunday mornings.

High on the spice quotient, Kosha Mangsho or Bengali style mutton curry is mainly served with soft Bengali luchi (puffed fried bread) or a portion of the delicious Bengali mishti pulao (lightly sweetened rice).

This dish is traditionally made in an iron kadai which gives it a deep dark brown color. But if you don’t own one, make it in a regular pan. There will be a slight difference in taste and color, but it will still be very delicious.

This dish is gluten-free, and the recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.

Here are some more authentic Bengali recipes, that you might want to try

• Begun Bhaja
• Doi Murgi
• Bengali Cholar Dal
• Chicken Rezala
• Bengali Aloo Dum
• Bengali Mishti Pulao
• Chaler Payesh

Ingredients

For Marination

Mutton is marinated so that it becomes tender and soaks up the flavors nicely. To marinate the mutton, you will need thick plain yogurt (dahi) or Greek yogurt, ginger garlic paste, and mustard oil.

It is traditionally made with bone-in goat mutton. Meat from the shoulder or the hind legs is best for curries. Ask your butcher to cut you from these areas. Wash the mutton very well before using and drain all the excess water.

If goat meat is not available, you can use lamb in its place.

Variations – Make the same recipe by replacing mutton with chicken, raw jackfruit, cauliflower, eggs, soya chunks, or paneer. Cooking time will be significantly less, so keep that in mind.

For The Curry

Oil – The mustard oil brings out the flavor of this curry. If not mustard oil, then you can use any vegetable oil or even ghee.

Whole Spices – To make the curry, you will need whole spices such as – black cardamoms (badi elaichi), green cardamoms (hari elaichi), cinnamon (dalchini), cloves (laung), dry red chilies, and bay leaves (tejpatta). When infused in hot oil, these release a pleasant aroma and flavor up the curry.

Potatoes – No Bengali mutton curry is complete without a few pieces of potatoes added to it.

Spice Powders – To enhance the flavor, you will need coriander powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, cumin powder, and garam masala powder.

Others – You will also need plain yogurt (dahi, curd), onions, fresh ginger, garlic, green chillies, ghee, and water to make this Bengali mutton curry recipe.

How To Make Kosha Mangsho

Marinate The Mutton

Start by marinating the mutton. Rinse 1 pound (½ kg) bone-in goat mutton (cut into 1 and ½ inch pieces) well with water and drain nicely.

Mix

• mutton pieces
• ½ cup thick plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon mustard oil

in a large mixing bowl.

Cover the bowl with a lid and refrigerate it for 3-4 hours.

Note – To make ½ cup thick yogurt using plain yogurt, transfer 1 cup plain yogurt to a fine-mesh strainer and let it rest for an hour in the refrigerator over a bowl. All the excess water will drip down, and the yogurt will be thick and creamy. You can use Greek yogurt instead of thick yogurt as it is already quite thick.

Make The Curry

Pull the marinated mutton from the refrigerator and put it on the counter.

Heat 4 tablespoon mustard oil over medium-high heat in a large pan. An iron pan is best as it gives a deep blackish color to the dish, but if you don’t have one, use any heavy bottom pan.

While the oil is heating, lightly crush

• 2 whole black cardamoms
• 3-4 whole green cardamoms
• 1-inch piece of whole cinnamon stick
• 2-3 cloves

in a mortar and pestle. Crushing the spices helps in releasing all their flavor into the oil.

When the oil is hot, add

• 2 bay leaves (cut into 2-3 pieces)
• crushed whole spices
• 3-4 whole dry red chilies
• 1 teaspoon sugar to the pan

and fry for 4-5 seconds.

Add 1 and ½ cups of thinly sliced onions and cook until golden brown (6-8 minutes). Stir at regular intervals.

Add 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, and 1 teaspoon chopped garlic and cook until the onions are nicely browned, stirring frequently. It will take 8-10 minutes.

Now add the marinated mutton pieces along with the marinade and potato halves and cook for 5-6 minutes on high heat.

Add

• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add 1 cup whisked plain yogurt and cook for 5-6 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low. Add a splash of hot water (50-60 ml) to the pan and stir to combine.

Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Now repeat the process of adding some water and cooking the mutton until the meat is tender (1.5-2 hours). Scrape the bottom of the pan at regular intervals to incorporate the browned bits with the masala. This process will help the mutton to develop a rich brown color.

Note – Be careful not to burn the gravy at the bottom of the pan.

Finally, stir in

• ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
• 3-4 slit green chilies
• 1 tablespoon ghee

Check for salt and add more if needed.

Cook for another 3-4 minutes until the gravy is slightly thickened. Serve hot.

Pro Tips By Neha

Some people add raw papaya as a meat tenderizer while marinating the meat, but I have not added it. You can add 2 teaspoon of grated raw papaya to the marinade if you wish. It will fasten the cooking process and make the meat even more succulent.

If you are short on time, cook the curry in a pressure cooker. Once the mutton is added, close the lid of the cooker and pressure cook for one whistle on high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, and then open the lid.

You can also cook the curry in an Instant Pot. Make the masala in SAUTE mode, and then PRESSURE COOK for 20 minutes at high pressure, followed by a natural pressure release.

This dish tastes best the next day. So if you have planned it before, make it a day before serving.

To make a restaurant-style smooth gravy, grind the fried onion masala and add it to the pan.

Potatoes are a must-add to this curry, and no Kosha Mangsho is complete without adding a  few.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

Kosha Mangsho tastes the best the next day, so plan accordingly.

This classic Bengali dish is traditionally not garnished with cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), but you can garnish it with some chopped cilantro.

This traditional Bengali curry is popularly eaten with steamed plain rice, saffron rice, or hot luchis (Bengali style poori). End this meal with delicious Bengali sweets such as mishti doi or soft roshogullas. 

You can also serve this spicy goat meat curry with Indian bread like parotta, Plain tawa paratha, or rice dishes like jeera rice or Bengali basanti pulao.

Storage Suggestions

You can refrigerate it for 2 days in an airtight container.

It can be frozen for up to a month in an airtight freezer-safe container.

Thaw it for a few hours over the counter when ready to serve. Then reheat in a pan or microwave. Add a little water if the gravy is too thick.

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