Mutton Noorjahani, I'm sure just like me, many of you are not familiar with this name. I came to know about this dish for the very first time was from my culinary expert friend Jhum, when she made Chicken Noorjahani. Somehow never got a chance to make the dish. But when I saw a mouthwatering photograph of that same dish with mutton(goat meat) on my friend ( a well known photographer) Sayntan's Facebook page, I could not resist myself. I decided to cook this dish. It was so awesomely gorgeous I can't even describe.
I must thank Sayantan for his tempting photograph that forced me to cook this dish and a huge thanks to his better half Rani for the recipe.
The recipe referred about Randhuni seeds. But unfortunately we do not get Randhuni here in the US. I always substitute that with celery seeds, but that's a mere compromise. So I googled about Noorjahani dishes and found the use of aniseed/ anise seed. Aniseed belongs to fennel family and has a very similar aroma. So if you do not get aniseed, you can substitute that with fennel.
Aniseed/anise seed |
Here is the way I did my Mutton Noorjahani..
Things needed to make Mutton Noorhajani:
- Goat meat: 1 kilo/ 2.2 lb
- Onion (thinly sliced): 1 cup
- Garlic paste: 1 tbsp
- Ginger paste: 1 tbsp
- Yogurt: 1 cup
- Bay leaves: 3-4
- Dry red chilies: 5-6
- Green chilies: 3-4 (depends on the amount of heat you can handle)
- Cinnamon (1 inch stick): 2-3
- Green cardamom: 3-4
- Cloves: 5-6
- Black cardamom: 2
- Star anise: 2-3
- Aniseed: 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Sugar: 1 tbsp
- Milk: 1/3 cup
- Saffron: few strands
- Oil: 3 tbsp
- Ghee/ clarified butter: 1 tbsp
- Grated papaya or meat tenderizer
- Whole shallots and cherry tomato to garnish (optional)
Steps of making Mutton Noorjahani:
1. Clean and wash the goat meat pieces. Marinate the meat with grated papaya or any other meat tenderizer. Cover and keep aside.
2. Make a paste of green chilies, ginger and garlic, keep aside.
3. Beat the yogurt with sugar and keep aside.
3. Beat the yogurt with sugar and keep aside.
4. Dry roast cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves and aniseed, cool down and ground to powder. Keep aside.
5. Dissolve the saffron strands in warm milk, cover and keep aside.
5. Dissolve the saffron strands in warm milk, cover and keep aside.
6. In a heavy bottom pan heat oil. When the oil is hot add bay leaves, star anise, dry red chilies, black cardamom. Cook over medium heat till the spices release a nice aroma.
7. Add the sliced onion and fry to red-brown. Add the goat meat pieces and cook over high heat till the meat pieces take a light brown color.
8. Add the ginger-garlic-green chili paste. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 min. Add salt and mix well. Add beaten yogurt, reduce heat. Cover and cook for 10 min. Stir in between. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, clove, aniseed powder and ghee. Cook for 5-6 min. Add hot water to cover all the meat pieces, cover the pan and cook till the meat is fully done. Stir in between. Check seasoning, adjust accordingly.
9. Add the saffron soaked milk. Mix well. Switch off heat and let it stand for 15 min. Serve hot with rotis or nan bread.