Eid festivities are over, and so are the holidays. It’s back to school or the office for many of us. We may not feel like going back after such a long break, we do not have a choice :)

I’m sure there is still some qurbani meat left in your fridges, and may be wondering how best to use it in the coming days. I am away from my family at the moment, and remember the simple yet delicious Mutton Do Pyaza my mother used to make. I miss it so much that I decided to make it, and will show you guys how.

Mutton Do Pyaza is a very simple dish made with goat meat and an equal quantity of thinly sliced onions. The two are slowly cooked together until the onion melts down to a smooth paste and the meat begins to almost fall apart.  Simple everyday whole spices from the pantry are used to bind and enhance the flavors of meat and onion. I consider this luxury cooking, as my kitchen is brimming with the rustic, aromatic smells of toasted spices and frying onions.

“Do pyaza” means “twice the onions”, probably because onions are added at two stages during cooking. I will insist that you not compromise on the amount of onions or the time spent in slow cooking the meat; while more won’t hurt, less will.  The onions make the dish — both in texture and flavor.

I hope you try this one out. Happy gosht-ing!

Ingredients:

  • Mutton (goat meat) – 1/ 2 kg – boneless cubes
  • Onions – 4 large
  • Ginger garlic paste – 1 tablespoon
  • Salt – 1 teaspoon
  • Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon
  • Coriander seeds – 1 teaspoon (roasted and grinded)
  • Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon (roasted and grinded)
  • Cloves – 8 to 10
  • Black cardamom – 2 to 3
  • Cinnamon - 1 stick
  • Fenugreek Seeds – ¾ teaspoon
  • Yogurt – ½ cup
  • Lemon juice – 1 lemon
  • Garam masala powder – ½ teaspoon
  • Green Chilies – Julianne cut for garnish
  • Ginger – Julianne cut for garnish
  • Fresh Coriander leaves – for garnish
  • Oil / Ghee – ¼ cup
  • Preparation time : 20 Minutes
  • Cooking time : 1- 1 ½ hours
  • Number of servings (yield) : 4

Instructions:

  1.  Finely chop two onions and thinly slice remaining two onions; lightly roast the cloves, cardamom, fenugreek seeds and cinnamon and grind them into a ground spice mix powder.
  2. Marinate the meat with yogurt, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder and a teaspoon of oil. Cover it and keep aside for 15 minutes.
  3. In a deep pot, heat the oil/ghee add two finely chopped onions, sauté for a while until they become translucent. Add ginger garlic paste. Continue cooking on medium heat until the raw smell disappears.
  4. Add marinated meat along with the marinade and braise (cook) the meat on high heat till the rawness disappears.
  5. Add the ground spice mix, cumin and coriander and continue braising the meat on medium heat now till water of yogurt dries and the oil comes out.
  6. Meanwhile finely sliced remaining two large onions and in a separate non-stick pan, caramelize the onion. A tiny pinch of sugar and salt helps to get nice caramelized color and also quicken the process.
  7. Once braising is done, add enough hot water just to cover the meat pieces.
  8. Cover and let it simmer for half an hour or more till the meat is tender and oil comes on top. ( use pressure cooker if short on time)
  9. Squeeze fresh lemon juice; Add garam masala, green chilies and the caramelized onions. Cover and let it simmer for another 5 minutes on dam.
  10. Garnish with ginger and coriander leaves and serve hot with roti / naan / paratha.

Fatima Ali

I am trained to be an IT professional. I served National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) for six years after graduating from the same university. As long as I can remember, cooking good food has been my passion and it makes me happy. My cooking lessons were a bit unusual though. Back in the day when digital did not mean much, my father would record cooking shows (knorr ka kitchen, kaukab khuwaja and Zee Khana Khazana – Chef Sanjeev Kapoor) for me to watch endless times later on, before trying the recipes out. I would make brownies and cold cake almost every day while my mother was asleep. This was my way of surprising her every evening. My mother cooks amazing food too and I have tried many of the recipes written in her recipe book. I draw inspiration from a number of chefs from televised cooking shows such as Late Chef Farah, Chef Rahat, Chef Mehboob, BBC Food, Masala TV, Chef Shai, Chef Sharmeen, Master Chef Australia and my ultimate favorite Chef Shireen Anwer. I would not be as good a cook I am now without passive guidance from each one of these.