Laal Maas

Laal Maas is a traditional Rajasthani mutton (goat meat) curry that is fiery hot and deep red in color. Make it at home in an instant pot or a traditional pressure cooker using my authentic recipe.

Here are some more mutton recipes that I love to make at home – Railway Mutton Curry, Bhuna Gosht, Indian Mutton Curry, and Peshawari Kadhai Gosht.  

Jump to:

• About This Recipe
• History Of Laal Maas
• Ingredients
• How To Make Laal Maas
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Pro Tips By Neha
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage Suggestions
• You Might Also Like
• Recipe Card

About This Recipe

Laal maas literally translates to “Red Meat”. It is a traditional Rajasthani curry made using goat mutton and spices and it is fiery hot and bright red in color.

Traditionally, Mathania chillies were used to make Rajasthani laal maas, which gives this mutton curry a fiery red color and moderate heat. These red chillies get their name from Mathania village of Jodhpur district in Rajasthan where they are grown in abundance. But if you can’t find these chilies where you live, you can use Kashmiri red chili powder instead.

In the earlier days, laal maas used to be cooked with spices on slow fire until the meat was succulent and almost fell off the bones but now to quicken the process, I make my recipe in an instant pot or a traditional pressure cooker and it turns out just as fantastic.

When the laal maas was cooked over a fire on low heat, it also developed a smoky flavor which can also be easily replicated at home using Dhungar method. It is totally optional but if you want your curry to have a smoky flavor, then you can consider taking this extra step. I have explained it in the post below.

Also, my recipe doesn’t require you to marinate the mutton. It saves time and the result is not at all compromised. This means no extra mixing bowl and no preplanning.

History Of Laal Maas

In earlier days, the kings used to go for 3-4 days hunting trips and they would take their best chefs (khansamas) along with them to set up a temporary kitchen at the hunting camps. The kings would hunt wild boar, deer, rabbit, neel gai, etc and the chef’s task would be to clean and cook the meat. They would use ghee, dry chilies, garlic, etc to veil off the gamey odor of the meat and make a delicious dish using minimum ingredients that they could carry with them to the camp. This is how Junglee Maas was invented.

After some time, the kings got bored of the same recipe and wanted some change. That’s when some other ingredients like yogurt, whole spices, and powdered spices like coriander powder, chili powder, etc were added to the basic Janglee Maas recipe and this Laal Maas was invented.

Ingredients

Goat Mutton – Use bone-in goat mutton pieces cut into 1 and ½-inch chunks to make laal maas. If it’s not available, you can use lamb instead.

This dish was traditionally made using the kill of the day. It was game meat like wild boar, rabbit, deer, or neil gai. With time, the game meat was replaced with goat mutton.

Oil – For an authentic taste, cook the laal maas in mustard oil or ghee.

Garlic – Peeled whole garlic cloves are added to the curry for an authentic taste. Do not skip them.

Yogurt – Yogurt gives a rich and creamy texture to the curry. Whisk it well to prevent it from curdling while cooking.

Spice Powders – To make Laal maas, mutton is cooked along with Mathania chili powder which gives this dish a fiery red color and heat. You can source the Mathani chili powder from amazon and if it is not available, use Kashmiri red chili powder instead.

Other than red chili powder, you will need turmeric powder, coriander powder, and roasted cumin powder.

Note – Some people do not add any spices except the red chili powder to their recipe. You can try that version too.

Whole Spices – This recipe also uses a few whole spices, that are lightly crushed and then added to the oil. When added to the hot oil, they infuse a beautiful aroma and flavor into the recipe. These whole spices are – cloves, black peppercorns, black cardamoms, green cardamoms, cinnamon, and bay leaves.

Others – You will also need onions, ginger garlic paste, salt, cilantro (coriander), and lime juice.

Note – Cilantro (coriander) and lime juice are not traditional. I add these for extra taste and flavor.

How To Make Laal Maas

Preparation

Wash the goat mutton and drain all the water.

Peel the garlic cloves and slice the onions.

Remove the yogurt from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Whisk it well using a wire whisk.

Make The Laal Maas In Instant Pot

Add 3-4 whole cloves, 6-8 whole black peppercorns, 3-4 whole black cardamoms, 3-4 whole green cardamoms, and a 1-inch piece of whole cinnamon stick to a mortar pestle and crush them lightly.

Press SAUTE button of the instant pot.

Add 6 tablespoon mustard oil to the pot. Once the oil is hot, add the lightly crushed whole spices along with 2 bay leaves to the pot and saute for 3-4 seconds.

Add 2 cups of sliced onions and fry till slightly brown (8-10 minutes). Keep stirring at regular intervals.

Now add 10-12 peeled whole garlic cloves and 4 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and fry for another 8-10 minutes, until the onions are nicely browned. Keep stirring frequently.

Add 750 grams (1.6 lb) of bone-in goat mutton and fry for 3-4 minutes. Keep stirring frequently.

Add 1 cup whisked plain yogurt to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Now add 4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (or Mathania red chili powder), ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, and salt and cook for 2 minutes.

Add a cup of water to the pot and close the lid of the instant pot and set the valve to the sealing position.

Press CANCEL 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.

Add 1 teaspoon lime juice (not traditional) and 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro (not traditional) and mix well. Serve hot.

How The Laal Maas In A Traditional Pressure Cooker

Add 3-4 whole cloves, 6-8 whole black peppercorns, 3-4 whole black cardamoms, 3-4 whole green cardamoms, and a 1-inch piece of whole cinnamon stick to a mortar pestle and lightly crush them.

Heat 6 tablespoon mustard oil in a pressure cooker over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is hot, add the lightly crushed whole spices along with 2 bay leaves to the cooker and fry for 3-4 seconds.

Add 2 cups of sliced onions and fry till slightly brown (8-10 minutes). Keep stirring at regular intervals.

Now add 10-12 peeled whole garlic cloves and 4 teaspoon ginger garlic paste and cook for another 8-10 minutes, until onions are nicely browned.

Add 750 grams (1.6 lb) of goat mutton and fry for 3-4 minutes on high heat. Keep stirring frequently.

Add 1 cup whisked plain yogurt to the cooker and fry for 3-4 minutes.

Now add 4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, and salt and cook for 2 minutes.

Add a cup of water and cover the lid of the cooker. Cook for one whistle on high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 20-25 minutes until the mutton is tender.

Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally. Once the pressure is released, open the lid of the cooker. Add 1 teaspoon lime juice and mix well. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pro Tips By Neha

Use the best quality goat mutton from a trusted butchery. The cut of the meat makes a lot of difference in taste and an experienced person only knows how to cut the meat properly.

You can also make this recipe on slow flame instead of cooking it in a pressure cooker. Cook it covered on low flame for 60-70 minutes. You will have to add more water while cooking the curry. The taste will be different and more authentic.

Add the mutton to the pressure cooker before adding yogurt and fry it well on high heat to sear the meat. This will keep the juices locked in the mutton and it will be very flavorful.

Some people add kachari powder to it which gives this curry a very unique tangy taste. If you have it available, cut down the yogurt to ½ cup and add 2 tablespoon of kachari powder in its place.

Some people do not add turmeric powder and coriander powder to their recipes but just like any other traditional recipe, there are different versions of each dish. I have seen my grandmother adding these spices to this curry and I followed the tradition. If you are not comfortable adding it, then feel free to skip it.

Serving Suggestions

Laal Maas is 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 or Jeera Rice. Do serve some sliced onions and lemon wedges on the side.

Storage Suggestions

Laal Maas will last in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days when stored properly in an air-tight container. Reheat it in a pan or microwave before serving it again. Add a little water while reheating, if you feel it has become a little thick while refrigerating.

If you are making it in bulk, make sure you heat only the amount you want to serve. Reheating, again and again, should be avoided.

You Might Also Like

Check out the video to make laal maas in a traditional pressure cooker here.

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