GUSHTABA

Gushtaba (Minced Mutton Prepared in Curd)

Gushtaba is a dish of minced mutton balls cooked in curd and spices. This traditional Kashmiri dish is prepared in important ceremonies and functions.Follow the following steps to prepare Gushtaba.

Ingredients

Very finely minced lamb mutton (800gms boneless and 200gms meat fat).1 table spoon salt.2.5 table spoons saunf powder (fennel powder).1 table spoon zeera powder (cumin powder).1/2 table spoon zeera.2 pieces dalcheeni powder (cinnamon powder).2 crushed moti elaichi (black cardamom).2 table spoon moti elaichi daane ( black cardamom seeds).2 crushed elaichi (cardamom).5 crushed laung (cloves)2 tej patte (bay leaves).2 ladles mustard oil.1 table spoon pure ghee.1 tea spoon dhania powder (coriander powder).1 table spoon kasoori methi (powdered dry fenugreek leaves).1'x1'white malmal cloth (thin cotton cloth).3 medium size chopped onions.1.5 cups dahi (curd).1 egg.(big deep pan). Coriander or mint to garnish.

Method

Take the minced mutton in a bowel (it is better to mince the mutton yourself at home with a wooden pestle in a mortar till is becomes fine).Add moti (black cardamom) elaichi seeds, 1/2 table spoons salt, 1/2 table spoon salt, 1/2 ladle mustard oil and egg white in it and mix evenly.Wash the malmal cloth properly so as to remove the dirt or starch if any. Put salt, saunth powder, zeera powder, salt, dalcheeni powder, elaichi and moti( black cardamom)elaichi powder, laung, dania powder and methi powder in the cloth and make a knot in such a way so that all the ingredients remain inside it.Put one litre of water in a big patila or big deep pan, Soak the cloth with spice and tej patte in it and keep it on full flame.Make fine muton balls (about 30gms each) and put them in the patila as soon as the contents in the patila start boiling. Boil it on a medium flame till most of the broth evaporates. Put 1 cup of waterin a bowl. Take out the spice pouch, dip it in water in the bowl and squeeze it properly.Add this water to patila and boil again for 30 seconds.Decard the spice pouch.Remove the patila and put a frying pan on full flame and add chopped onions as soon as smoke appears, and grind them when they turn brown. Put zeera in pain and add whipped curd along with crushed onions, stir it continuously so that curd will not curdle till it starts boiling properly.Add this mixture and pure ghee to meat balls and cook for 5 minutes on a low flame.Garnish with coriander or mint leaves and serve with boiled rice.