Kolkata style mutton chaap recipe with step by step pics – Mutton chaap is a delicious Indian style mutton curry, made by slow cooking in a flavourful masala-based gravy. After Long hours marinated in chaap spices and flavors, mutton(preferably ribs pieces) is cooked in ghee till the meat gets soft and juicy. More interestingly, in making chaap, more than cooking mutton is seared in oil. As through the whole cooking process, very less water is used, it is mostly cooked in water released from the meat and other ingredients used in this recipe.
Though mutton chaap is originally a Mughlai style dish, however, Kolkata is one of the best places for making this recipe. It is just because of our popular Kolkata-based restaurants Arsalan, Amania, Royal, Shiraz, famous for serving their Mughlai dishes. Among them, Shiraz and Royal (at Chitpur) are the popular old names for serving the best mutton chaap, another old Mughlai food joint, Aminia is popular for its chicken chaap. However, being comparatively the newcomer, Arsalan almost acquires the best place for making all chaap recipes including their biryanis. And my recipe is totally influenced by the Arsalan mutton chaap recipe.
In Kolkata, mutton chaap mostly serves with Bengali Biryani, however, rumali roti, tandoori roti, or paratha is also a good option.
About this Kolkata style mutton chaap recipe
- Generally, in Kolkata, mutton chaap is prepared with the sliced cut of lamb or goat ribs or chops pieces. However, the boneless mutton also can be used in this recipe. Though in both cases, the meat must be flattened by a mallet, a practice for making the meat soft and tender.
- All Kolkata-based restaurants must use boiled onion to prepare in any Mughlai style gravy-based recipe, including chaap. And that is the secret of their cooking style. Actually, raw onion paste sometimes makes a raw smell into the gravy. Though gravy cooks for long hours. However, if that raw smell exists in the gravy it may spoil the taste as well as its flavor too.
- As you know, poppy seeds, cashew nuts, and charmagaj or melon seeds are almost common ingredients to make any Mughlai dish. Though the nuts and seeds are normally soaked in water for making their combined paste. However, to avoid the smell of raw seeds and nuts, I always dry roast it first then soaked and make its paste for making any of my Kolkata style chaap recipes. That makes a thick, creamy, delicious gravy that contains more fat, add extra oil to this mutton chaap recipe.
- Curd and lemon juice contain acidic agents and raw papaya paste(must use in Kolkata restaurants) contains papain enzyme which breaks down the proteins, carbohydrates, and fat. That is why, curd, lemon juice, and especially raw papaya paste must use in mutton chaap to tenderize the meat. Even long hours of marination method, also helps the meat to get perfectly tenderize.
- Roasted gram flour or sattu is one more important ingredient used in all Kolkata style chaap recipes. Roasted gram flour makes the gravy thick, though more use of it can spoil the taste of this dish. However, khoya is not mandatory in making chaap, but use to balance the richness of spices and make a creamy and delicious gravy. Though due to its fat content, it also releases oil in this gravy. Along with khoya, saffron-soaked milk is one more common ingredient of royal cuisine, which also adds creaminess and flavor to this mutton chaap recipe.
- One more important ingredient of my all Kolkata style chaap is my homemade chaap masala. Which I already described in my chicken chaap recipe. Where assorted whole spices are dry roasted and ground to a fine powder. Without that masala, chaap is just incomplete.
- Being a part of royal cuisine, chaap completely cooks in ghee. Though nowadays, to cut down more calories, oil also mixes up for cooking. Although, only using cooking oil may not create the magic over this recipe, what generally ghee does. However, in Kolkata, Dalda is a must-used ingredient for making any restaurant-style chaap recipe. Though Dalda is not healthy for its high-fat content. However, to get that exact taste like restaurants must use dalda in making this Bengali-style mutton chaap.
- Mutton chaap is also prepared in slow flame through long hours cooking method, just like other royal recipes. For instance, In Kolkata, at the outside counter of any Mughlai style restaurant, you can see a man is making chaap(with chicken or mutton) in a flat pan or tawa by continuously cooking its gravy in oil. How long the gravy will be cooked/seared in oil, will release much more oil because of all of its fat-based ingredients.
You may check my Kolkata-Style Chicken Biryani or Mutton Biryani recipe to enjoy with this mutton chaap.
Today I am sharing this Kolkata-style mutton chaap recipe for one of my blog post readers Mrs. Arati Nandi. She asked me to share an authentic Mutton Chaap recipe, and this is it. I hope, she will love it and my step-by-step detailed recipe will help her to make it at home.
Kolkata style mutton chaap recipe
Prep time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 1 hrs 15mins
Total time: 1 hrs 45 mins
Served for: 6 people
Course: Side dish
Cuisine: Bengali/ Indian
Author: Moumita Paul
Ingredients
For marinating mutton
- 700 gms Mutton(lamb/goat) ribs or chops
- 2 Onion(small to medium)
- 1/4 inch Ginger
- 10 Garlic cloves
- 3 green chilies
- 1/2 cup curd
- 1 & 1/2 tsp Poppy seeds
- 9 Cashew nuts
- 1 & 1/2 tsp charmagaj seeds(melon seeds)
- 2 tbsp khoya or mawa
- 1 tbsp roasted gram flour or sattu
- 1 tbsp raw papaya
- 2 tsp chaap masala(check chicken chaap recipe)
- 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp kewra water
- 3-4 drops rose essence/ rose water
- 3 drops Mughlai mitha attar
- 1 tsp salt
For making saffron milk
- 4 tbsp milk
- a pinch of saffron
Other ingredients for this recipe
- 1/2 tsp sugar(to balance the taste)
- 3 tbsp dalda
- 3tbsp ghee
- 3-4 tbsp oil
How to make kolkata style mutton chaap recipe with step by step pics
Instructions
How to marinate the mutton
- Take the mutton( preferably ribs/ seena/chops pieces), flatten the pieces with the mallet or pestle(as shown in the pics) to tenderize and soften the meat including its bones. Apply this method after keeping the mutton pieces in between a food-grade cling wrap or just by placing the meat on a chopping board.
- Then thoroughly clean and wash the mutton pieces, drain them well.
- Take poppy seeds, cashew nuts, charmagaj, or magaj seeds in a pan, dry roast them until change color and goes off raw smell, soak them in water for 10 mins. Strain it well after 10 mins.
- Take 2 small to medium onions, boil them in water for 10-15 mins or until getting soft. Strain it and allow it to completely cool down.
- Take a grinder, add the boiled onion, green chilies, ginger, garlic, grated raw papaya(without skin), soaked poppy seeds, cashew nuts, charmagaj, or magaj seeds.
- Ground it well until prepared with a smooth paste. Then add 1/2 cup of curd. Again ground it well to get a fine paste out of it. Keep it aside.
- Take a mixing bowl, add the fine masala paste to it, then add that homemade chaap masala(check chicken chaap recipe), kashmiri chilli powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, half lemon juice, roasted gram flour or sattu, grated khoya or mawa, kewra water, concentrated rose essence or rose water, Mughlai mitha atar(ittar). Mix it well.
- Then add 1/2 cup of water into the leftover masala that remained in the grinder jar, mix it well, and add it in the mixing bowl. Then add the mutton pieces to the masala. Mix it well. Cover it and leave it for 7-8 hours marination.
How to prepare saffron milk
- Take boiled milk in a bowl, and add a pinch of saffron strands to it.
- Rub the saffron strands with your fingertips and mix them well with the milk. This way the rubbed saffron strands completely leave their colors and fragrance into the milk.
How to cook mutton chaap
- After 8 hours of marination, take out the mutton from the refrigerator. Then heat a flat pan, with ghee, vegetable oil, and Dalda, almost in the same amount, means in 1:1:1 proportion.
- Once the ghee gets hot, then put the marinated mutton into the pan. Stir it well. Then start cooking it by covering the pan with a tight lid.
- Check it frequently, after every 5-6 mins, remove the lid, and stir it well. As khoya and roasted gram flour used in this gravy have a tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- After few mins, turn the mutton pieces, to cook it from the other side. Add 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of sugar(for balancing the sourness of curd) in the pan, mix it with the gravy well and close the lid again.
- When the oil comes up on the surface and floats on the top of the gravy that indicates the dish is going to completion. Then again stir the gravy well to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Now, wait until the meat is soft and tender. When the meat can be cut or torn by the fork or spoon and easily mashed by the fingertips indicates it is done.
- Kolkata-style mutton chaap is ready, serve it hot with Bengali biryani or rumali roti, tandoori roti, or paratha.
Pro tips for making kolkata style mutton chaap recipe
- Ribs/seena/chops pieces of rewazi mutton/ lamb/ goat meat are perfect for making this recipe, even you may use boneless mutton pieces too. For the best result, use meat that contains some fat.
- Don’t forget to flatten the pieces with the mallet or pestle to tenderize and soften the meat.
- Must use boiled onion as I described in this recipe.
- Must dry roast the poppy seeds, cashew nuts, and charmagaj seeds to avoid getting their raw smell.
- If raw papaya is not available, marinate the meat for 1-2 hours more. To get the best result, marinate it for 10-12 hrs in the refrigerator.
- If roasted gram flour or sattu is not available at home, take Bengal gram flour or besan, dry roast it on low flame for few mins. Once its raw smell goes off use it in this recipe.
- Khoya is not mandatory for this recipe. Generally, khoya balance the richness of spices and also for delicious taste and creamy texture.
- Though I used Dalda in this recipe to bring that restaurant-style taste, however, that is not mandatory at all. You may easily use ghee and oil in 1:1 proportion.
- Though I have used very little water(around 1/2 cup) during the marination of this recipe. Later you may also add little water(preferably hot water) if required.
- In the beginning, stir the gravy, after every 5 mins, but when the dish is going to complete, stir after every 2-3 mins. Otherwise, the gravy may stick to the pan.
- For me it took 1hr 15 mins for cooking, it may take more or less, depends on the marination time.
Summary
Recipe Name
Kolkata style mutton chaap
Author Name
Moumita Paul
Published On
Preparation Time
Cook Time
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Average Rating
Based on 3 Review(s)