Rajasthani Laal Maas is a traditional Rajasthani Mutton dish that is fiery hot and deep red in color. It is best enjoyed with Indian bread or rice. Here is how to make it in traditional Rajasthani style.
Rajasthan, a state where tourist come all over the world to experience the history, heritage and most importantly the rich cuisine of the state.
I have been to Rajasthan many times and believe me I am bowled over its beauty and food everytime I go.
Each visit we make sure to try something new and authentic, but there is one dish that we have to eat if we go Rajasthan, that is Laal Maas.
Delicious Mutton in fiery red hot gravy, it tickles all your taste buds and I assure you once you have this dish, you will crave for it again and again.
I have had Laal Maas at some of the restaurants, but was not really impressed with the taste.
But I was bowled over when I enjoyed this traditional Mutton dish at one of my relative’s places, and from one of them I came to know about its authentic recipe.
When I made it at home, it came very close to the dish that we enjoyed back in Rajasthan.
So, now-a-days, whenever we crave for this Rajasthani delicacy, we make it at home and lick our fingers every time.
So, if you also want to experience the taste of Rajasthan sitting at home, do follow this recipe and make it at home for your weekend meals or dinner parties.
Here are some more Mutton Recipes, that I make for special occasions – Railway Mutton Curry, Bhuna Gosht, Indian Mutton Curry, and Peshawari Kadhai Gosht .
What is Laal Maas?
It is a traditional mutton dish from Rajasthan. It gets its name from the color this dish has due to the use of red chilies.
Traditionally, Mathania Chillies are used to make Rajasthani Laal Maas, which gives it a fiery red color.
You can use Kashmiri red chilli powder instead if they are not available where you live.
Also traditionally kachari, a type of Rajasthani cucumber is used to marinate the meat.
But now that it is not available easily, I have not used it in the recipe and made the mutton in a pressure cooker instead. This made sure it was well cooked.
The dish is very spicy yet very very delicious.
Now the catch here is that the Laal Maas that you get in restaurants is not even close to the authentic dish which was made at home and used to made in Royal kitchens.
Since my dad is from Rajasthan and we have many relatives and friends all over the state, I got lucky to taste some of the most delicious traditional recipes in their authentic form and this is the reason I can never appreciate a Laal Mass cooked in commercial kitchens.
It’s a labour of love and the amount and proportion of ingredients that goes into making it makes all the difference.
In the earlier days, the mutton used to be cooked with spices on low fire until it was succulent and almost fell off the bones but now to quicken the process, I make my recipe in a pressure cooker and it turns out just as fantastic.
I also add whole garlic cloves to the recipe, just how it was done traditionally.
You can choose to add 10-15 whole peeled garlic cloves to your recipe too.
Don’t miss eating this dish if you like exploring various cuisines of the world!
Ingredients
To make this delicious and spicy curry, you will need whole spices, onions, ginger, garlic, mutton, curd and spice powders.
Here, I have used Kashmiri Red Chilli powder to bring the colour in the curry.
But if you have the traditional Mathania Chillies from Rajasthan, do use its paste instead.
Also, don’t mince the garlic, use it as a whole, it gives a delicious flavour to the curry. Yummm!
Garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves at the end, to add some colour and freshness to the mutton curry.
Using Kashmiri Red Chillies gives this curry a fiery red colour but it’s still not that hot. Ideally Mathania Chillies are used to make this dish.
You can also make this curry in ghee. Traditionally either ghee or mustard oil was used to make it.
You can replace the mutton in this recipe with chicken and make Laal Maas Chicken instead. Keep the cooking time in check though.
To make it smoky, you can give it a dhungar. Heat a piece of charcoal over direct flame until is red hot.
Keep a bowl in the centre of the pan. Keep the red charcoal in the bowl. Drizzle 1 tsp ghee over the charcoal and immediately close the lid of the pan.
Let the curry absorb the smoke for 10-15 minutes. Remove the bowl and give the curry a mix.
Where to buy Mathania Chillies from?
The fiery red color of Laal Maas comes from the use of Mathania Chillies.
It was a little difficult to source these chillies initially but now they are easily available online and the quality is good too. Click here to order your’s.
Serving Suggestions
Laal Maas was traditionally served with Bajre Ki Roti or Makki Ki Roti but you can definitely serve it with any Indian bread of your choice like Naan, Lachha Paratha or Phulka.
It also goes very well with Steamed Rice.
You might also like
Step by Step Recipe
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. When the oil is very hot and fuming, switch off the heat. Let it cool for 2 minutes. Switch on the heat again.
Add cloves, black pepper, black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon and tejpatta.
Add the onions and fry till slightly brown.
Now add garlic cloves and ginger garlic paste and fry for 3-4 minutes, until onion are nicely browned.
Add the mutton and fry for 3-4 minutes on high heat.
Add curd and fry for 3-4 minutes.
Now add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, roasted cumin powder and salt.
Add little water if required and fry till oil starts to separate.
Add a cup of water and cover the pan and cook the mutton till it is soft and tender. ( You can also use a pressure cooker to cook the mutton )
Finely add lemon juice. Garnish with fresh coriander.
Rajasthani Laal Maas Recipe
Rajasthani Laal Maas is a traditional Rajasthani dish which is fiery hot and deep red in color. It is best enjoyed with Indian breads or rice.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Mustard oil
- 3-4 Clove
- 6-8 Black peppers
- 3-4 Black cardamom
- 3-4 Green cardamom
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 2 Tej patta
- 2 cups Onion Thinly sliced
- 8-10 Garlic Cloves Whole
- 4 tsp Fresh ginger garlic paste
- 1 cup Curd Whisked
- 3 tsp Mathania red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
- 2 tsp Coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp Roasted cumin powder
- Salt to taste
- 750 g Goat mutton
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- Fresh coriander for garnishing
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy bottom Karahi / pan.
- When the oil is very hot and fuming, switch off the heat.
- Let it cool for 2 minutes.
- Switch on the heat again.
- Add cloves, black pepper, black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon and tejpatta
- Add the onions and fry till slightly brown.
Now add garlic cloves and ginger garlic paste and fry for 3-4 minutes, until onion are nicely browned.
Add the mutton and fry for 3-4 minutes on high heat.
Add curd and fry for 3-4 minutes.
Now add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, roasted cumin powder and salt.
- Add little water if required and fry till oil starts to separate.
- Add a cup of water and cover the pan and cook the mutton till it is soft and tender. ( You can also use a pressure cooker to cook the mutton )
Next up add lemon juice.
- Garnish with fresh coriander.
- Serve hot with naan or rice.
Recipe Notes
Using Kashmiri Red Chillies gives this curry a fiery red colour but it's still not that hot. Ideally Mathania Chillies are used to make this dish.
You can also make this curry in ghee. Traditionally either ghee or mustard oil was used to make it.
You can replace the mutton in this recipe with chicken and make Laal Maas Chicken instead. Keep the cooking time in check though.
To make it smoky, you can give it a dhungar. Heat a piece of charcoal over direct flame until is red hot. keep a bowl in the centre of the pan. Keep the red charcoal in the bowl. Drizzle 1 tsp ghee over the charcoal and immediately close the lid of the pan. Let the curry absorb the smoke for 10-15 minutes. Remove the bowl and give the curry a mix.
Divya Shivaraman
red spicy curry with goat….looks incredibly amazing