Mutton Drumstick Kurma |Mutton Murungakkai kurma – Bhagyaraj special

A couple of weekends ago, I made Mutton Murungakkai kurma, a heirloom recipe – meaning it is easy enough to make today and therefore survived the passage of time. My Amma remembers this recipe (but not adhirasam?!) and continues to make this kurma just like how my Ammama made it years ago. Murungakkai reminds me of ‘Mundhani Mudichi’ which reminds me of Bhagyaraj which again reminds me of all his movies. I am a big fan of Bhagyaraj movies, if I haven’t told you before. Bhagyaraj’s movies are a genre on their own – funny, sensitive, family centric, sentiment filled, thoroughly entertaining films that are riveting without a climax car chase. “Ende Kaadhali Ungalukku Manaivi Aayittu Varum.  Patchay Ungal Manaivi Enikki Kaadhali Aaittu Varaadhu” – Legendary dialogue in Andha 7 Naatkal!

I love it that there are always kids in his movies, that the kids ask uncomfortable questions, that the dad takes care of the kids, that women find such men very desirable, that women harbour as much desire as men, that the women cook Murungakkai to woo the men.

Murungakkai (Drumstick) is an aphrodisiac, did you know? You’d know if you had seen Bhagyaraj’s “Mundhani Mudichu”. Watch ‘Chinna Veedu’, ‘Dhavani Kanavugal’ ‘Mouna Geethangal’ and ‘Andha 7 Naatkal also while you’re at it. Let me know if you need more movie suggestions.

For whatever reason you choose to make this kurma, make it. This Mutton Murungakkai kurma must be made simply so you know how glorious this kurma smells, to savour the unbeatable combination of tender mutton and soft cooked drumstick in spiced coconut milk. This is the kind of kurma you eat with your hands. Use soft idlis or dosas to mop up that lovely kurma. It goes amazingly well with pooris or over rice too. Enjoy!

Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 35 mins
Serves:  4-6

Ingredients

Mutton – ½ kilo, rinsed, cut into small chunks
Drumstick – 1 cut into 1-1-2 to 2 inch pieces
Onions – 2 medium chopped fine
Tomatoes – 2 large pureed
Ginger – 2 inch piece scraped and chopped
Garlic – 7-8 cloves peeled
Green chillies – 2 chopped roughly
Cinnamon – 2 inch piece of bark
Bay leaf - 1
Cardamom – 2
Water as necessary
Coconut milk – 2 cups (extracted from one full coconut)
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder – 2-3 heaped tbsp.
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Cooking oil – 1 tbsp

Method

1. Grind together ginger, garlic and green chillies to a paste. Set aside.
2. Puree the tomatoes. Set aside.
3. Heat a pressure cooker. When hot add the oil. Throw in the whole spices – cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaf and fry till they turn fragrant.
4. Add in the chopped onions and fry until they turn translucent. Add the ginger garlic green chilli paste and fry for a couple of minutes, scraping and stirring for a couple of minutes.
5. Add in the mutton and the spice powders – red chilli powder, salt and turmeric powder. Pour in the tomato puree. Add enough water to just about immerse the mutton. Mix well. Close the pressure cooker and cook for 15-20 minutes. Switch off and let the pressure subside.
6. Open the pressure cooker and drop in the drumstick pieces. Pour in the coconut milk. Switch on the stove and reduce heat to low, cover with a lid or with the overturned pressure cooker lid and cook for about 5-8 minutes or till the drumstick is tender (a knife inserted into the drumstick should pass through easily). Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the lid and cook for a further 2-3 minutes if you want to thicken the kurma further. Switch off. Serve hot with idli, dosai, rice or pooris (yes, they’re fantastic with pooris).