Railway Mutton Curry Recipe

While growing up, I lived in a town where my maternal grandparents also lived. We used to meet them very often, and I remember spending hours sitting next to my Nana Ji, listening to stories about India’s independence.

My Nana Ji was a scholar and had a room full of books from every genre. Food was not left behind. In one of those books, I came across the recipe for this railway mutton curry. I was quite young then and hadn’t yet started cooking independently, but the dish stayed with me.

Years later, I visited their house and brought back the book with me to try out this recipe. It was written very vaguely, but I used it as a base and adapted it to make my own version. It tasted delicious and also justified the recipe’s intent. So here it is. Do try and let me know how you liked it.

About Railway Mutton Curry

Railway Mutton Curry, as the name suggests, originated from the Indian Railways. Served in the first-class coaches of Indian Railways during the pre-independence or British Raj era, this mutton curry is a mellowed-down version of the spicy North Indian-style mutton curry.

The spice level was toned down with coconut milk to suit the sahibs traveling in the first-class compartments of Indian railways.

This curry is no longer served on the railways, but it has a long history. It involves boiled mutton pieces cooked in a spicy onion-based curry, the flavors of which are mellowed down with coconut milk.

Serve it with steamed rice or Indian breads like tandoori roti, phulka, or naan.

You can make this curry in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker or an Instant Pot.

I used my 3-quart Instant Pot (or a 3-liter stovetop pressure cooker) to make this recipe. To scale the recipe, use a bigger Instant Pot or pressure cooker. The cooking time will remain the same.

History Of Railway Style Mutton Curry

During the pre-independence days, the Indian cooks in Frontier Mail, run by the Western Railways, prepared a meal for themselves after a busy day serving the guests in the first class.

Then, a British officer, traveling First Class, reached the pantry for a midnight snack, following the fragrance of the food being cooked.

Surprised, the chef offered him the mutton curry and a stale dinner roll.

When the officer took his first bite, he burnt his tongue.

The officer demanded that the curry be mellowed down, and the chef generously added some coconut milk, thereby reducing the pungency of the spices.

The officer left the pantry satisfied, but when he visited again and could not remember the dish’s name, he called it the Railway Mutton Curry, and that’s how the dish got its name.

How To Make Railway Mutton Curry

Cook The Mutton

Step 1: Rinse 1 kg of bone-in goat mutton (cut into 1 and ½-inch pieces) or 500 g of boneless mutton cubes, then add them to a pressure cooker.

Step 2: Add 2 cups of water and 2 teaspoon of salt, then stir gently.

Step 3: Close the lid and pressure cook for 1 whistle on high heat. Reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes. Remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release naturally.

Note – You can also cook the mutton in an Instant Pot. Add the mutton, 1 cup of water, and salt to the instant pot and secure the lid. Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 20 minutes at high pressure. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid.

Make The Curry

Step 4: While the mutton is cooking, make the curry. Heat 5 tablespoon mustard oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the following ingredients once the oil is hot, and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.

• 2 bay leaves
• 2-3 cloves
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 2 black cardamoms
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2-3 dry red chilies

Step 5: Add 1 and ½ cups of thinly sliced red onions and cook until they turn slightly brown (7-8 minutes), stirring frequently.

Step 6: Now, add 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste and cook until the onions turn nicely brown.

Step 7: Add the following spice powders and cook for 2-3 minutes.

• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder

Step 8: Reduce the heat to low. Add the cooked mutton along with the broth and 2 potatoes (peeled and cut into halves). Mix well.

Step 9: Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender, stirring a few times.

Step 10: Add 1 tablespoon tamarind paste and 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Step 11: Now add 1 cup of coconut milk and cook until the curry comes to a gentle simmer.

Step 12: Check for salt and add more if needed. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice or roti.