Shubho Nobo Borsho :Kasha Mangsho

Shubho Nobo Borsho to all you wonderful people!

Ma suggested I take a break from the kitchen today. "Why do you want to sweat it out in the kitchen, g out and have fun.," she said. Strange. Usually, she is the one who complains that I am always having fun, that I am never around and while every girl my age helps out at home I have no clue how she runs the house. Well I was surprised. And then I surprised her. I said that I wanted to be home. And how could I not do my favourite thing the first day of the year. My mother has over the years drilled into my head that the first day of the year sets the tone for the entire year. By that logic, when I was a kid she made me study at least for a couple of hours even on Nobo Borsho so that I would study every day for the rest of the year. Neat. So while all my friends were having fun I would be sitting with my books all decked up in my New Year special buys and teary eyed.

I reminded her that by her own  logic if I would cook good food today, I will be cooking good food all year round. "That's exactly what I was trying to avoid," she said. I went ahead with the cooking anyway and made a Kasha Mangsho. For me a Kasha Mangsho should necessarily be made without a drop of water. Just the meaty juices and fat with a heavy dose of mustard oil and definitely spicy hot. Kasha Mangsho is made in at least 5 different ways at my place, this is my recipe which is a current favourite. For me though, the Kasha Mangsho I used to have as a child, remains a favourite and I often crave that oily treat.


I use a special garam masala I make at home.

Special Garam Masala 

Ingredients
Cardamom - 5
Cloves - 5
Cinnamon - 2 inch stick
Black cardamom - 4-5 seeds
Coriander - 3-4 tbsp
Cumin - 1 tbsp
Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp

Method
Simply dry roast the spices and grind together.

Moving on to the recipe!!!

Ingredients 

Mutton - 1kg

For marination
Curd - 100g
Minced onions - 1 cup
Garlic paste - 3/4 tbsp
Ginger paste 11/2 tbsp
Raw Papaya paste - 2tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
Kashmiri red chili powder - 1 tsp (heaped)
Red chili powder- 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1tbsp
Special Garam Masala * - 1tbsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Salt 1 tbsp
Mustard oil - 1.2 cup

For cooking
Ghee- 2 tbsp
Cardamom - 2
Cloves -2
Bay Leaves - 2
Sugar - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Dried Red chili
Coarsely ground peppercorns - 1tsp

Method 

Marinate the mutton overnight with all the ingredients listed under marination.

Heat ghee in a pan. Add the cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and wait till they splutter, reduce heat and add sugar.

Once the sugar caramelizes add the marinated mutton and turn up the heat. Once it comes to a boil, turn down heat to minimum, cover and slow cook for an hour and a half. Make sure you stir it through once every 15 minutes.

Remove cover, add ground peppercorn, whole red chilies, adjust seasoning (add a little sugar, optional) and cook without cover on medium heat until oil separates.