Name: Goan Mutton Curry
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Goan
Ingredients: 900g (2 lbs) lamb or mutton, cut into bite sized pieces; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste; Juice of one lime; 1 tsp ground black pepper; 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder; 1 tsp salt; 3 tbsp rapeseed (canola) or coconut oil; 20 curry leaves plus more to garnish; 2 green cardamom pods, lightly bruised; 2 cloves; 3 dried red chillies; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 tbsp coriander seeds; 2 Indian bay leaves (cassia leaves); 2 onions – finely chopped; 8 cloves of garlic – left in their skins and crushed; 1 x 2.5cm (1 inch) fresh ginger root, finely chopped; 400ml (14oz) thick coconut milk; 1 tsp tamarind paste (more or less to taste); Salt to taste

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This Goan mutton curry can also be prepared with lamb meat

Mutton and lamb fans are going to love this mildly spice Goan mutton curry. This time around, I used chopped mutton on the bone but you could cook lamb or mutton off the bone to if that is what you prefer.

This Goan mutton/lamb curry is so good served simply with plain or flavoured Basmati rice. You might also like to try your hand at making homemade naans or chapatis. Of course if you really want to create a perfect Goan meal, try these homemade poppadoms served up with a good chutney or two.

If you want to make this Goan curry into a feast, you can't go wrong with by serving an authentic Goan pork vindaloo with it.

About this Goan mutton curry

This is a curry I came across in southern Goa. It has a good spicy hit to it but it’s no where near as spicy as some of the Goan curries my wife and I tried there.

It really could not be easier to cook. You’ll get so many delicious flavours found in Goan food and you never have to leave your house.

Bone-on vs. boned meat

In Goa, you’ll find many Goan mutton curries cooked just like this with the bone in. The bones add additional flavour to the curry. If you are not a fan, feel free to use boneless lamb or mutton cubes.

If doing this, you might want to add meat stock instead of just water but your Goan mutton curry will still be deliciously tasty if you use water.

Working ahead

Like most curries, this Goan mutton curry can be prepared a day or two before serving. The flavours will develop as the curry sits, covered in the fridge.

So if working ahead sound more convenient, this Goan mutton curry is a good place to start.

Can you use other meats?

Yes! Goan mutton curry is usually made with mutton which can be from a sheep or goat. That said, the sauce will go perfectly well with pork, chicken or beef.

If you are a vegetarian, you could also easily make this curry vegetarian by adding potatoes, other veggies or even paneer. If you do add paneer, add it toward the end of cooking so that it doesn’t fall apart in the sauce.

Make this Goan mutton curry your own

You can and should adjust the ingredients to your personal preference. This is a Goan mutton curry I saw prepared but it wasn’t until I got home that I came up with my own ingredient measurements.

So please use this recipe as a guide and do what you like with it.

What do you serve with Goan mutton curry?

If you'd like to make your Goan mutton curry into a feast, you've come to the right place. You could just go for a side of Basmati rice or mushroom fried rice.

Homemade Indian breads are also something you might like to try. How about trying some of these ---> Instant naans, Peshwari naans, stove top naans, keema naans, garlic naans, tandoor naans (if you have a tandoor oven), or if you're cooking outdoors, karahi naans. Oh, and really easy but just as delicious are homemade chapatis.

You might also like to serve this with a good and easy tarka dal or slowly simmered dal makhani.

Want to start your Goan mutton curry meal off right? How about fried shop bought poppadoms or if you're feeling ambitious, make your own poppadoms from scratch and serve them with coriander chutney, red onion chutney, and/or tamarind chutney.

Step by step photos

Ingredients for Goan mutton curry — Get all of your ingredients together before you start cooking.

Adding the marinade to the mutton — Marinate your meat with the marinade ingredients. This can be done one or two days ahead of cooking.

Frying the whole spices and curry leaves. — Infuse the whole spices and curry leave in the oil for a minute or so.

Adding the chopped onions. — Stir in the chopped onions and fry for about 5 minutes to soften. Then add the chopped garlic and ginger and stir them in.

Adding the mutton and water — Add the mutton and add just enough water to cover. Simmer, covered until tender, about 45 minutes.

Adding the thick coconut milk — Simmer to thicken a little and then stir in the coconut milk.

Simmering the curry to thicken the sauce — Continue simmering until you are happy with the sauce consistency. Season with salt to taste.

Yield: 4 - 6