Railway mutton curry recipe | How to make railway mutton curry at home

Railway mutton curry is a very popular mutton curry recipe, created in the Indian railway’s first-class coaches canteen during the British era. A simply delectable, less spicy mutton curry cooked with lamb or goat meat, potato, onion, ginger-garlic paste, yoghurt, tomato, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, and coconut milk in mustard oil. Though from the railway’s kitchen, this mutton curry would be served with a dinner roll. However, in my opinion, it goes best at lunch with plain rice.

Railway mutton curry is quite close to our authentic Bengali mutton curry recipe, as prepared with big potato chunks, mustard oil and with almost the same spices. On the other hand, preparing using coconut milk & tamarind pulp is just as a South Indian-style mutton curry is prepared.

About Railway mutton curry

Railway mutton curry was originally created by the British Indian Frontier Mail’s (Golden Temple Mail) Chef. Prepared for the British railways’ first-class coaches British and Anglo-Indian passengers who do not like spicy food.

According to the original recipe, to make this mutton curry, mutton was first boiled and then simmered in spices with coconut milk, tamarind pulp on low heat for long hours. However, I am making this curry in my way with a little change. Use a pressure cooker for fast cooking the mutton and potato both. Instead of using tamarind pulp, use yoghurt (curd/dahi) and tomato, which makes the mutton tender and juicy. Even mutton is heavy to digest so compared to cumin powder, a little more coriander powder I used to keep the stomach healthy. Whole spices (cloves, cinnamon, cardamom & bay leaves) play an important role in this curry to create the exact flavour of this dish.

If you love mutton curry, then you will surely love Indian railway’s this old delicacy. Besides, if you love a curry cooked with coconut milk, then also this mutton curry is perfect for you.

Try this railway mutton curry at home, hope my step-by-step recipe description will guide you well.

Try my other Mutton curry recipes

Bengali kosha Mangsho recipe

Kochi Pathar mangshor jhol (Bengali mutton curry)

Mutton masala curry

Bengali Golbari style mutton curry

Kashmiri Mutton Rogan josh

How to make Railway mutton curry step by step with pictures

• First, simply heat a pressure cooker with mustard oil, and heat it till the oil release smokes.
• Temper the oil with whole spices (cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaves).
• Fry the spices until the aroma comes out.

• Add onions in oil, fry the onions until soft & capture a light golden brown texture.

• Then add masala paste (made with tomato and ginger garlic paste), and sauté for 1 min.

• Afterwards, add 3/4 tsp cumin powder, 1+1/2 tsp coriander powder, 3/4 tsp turmeric powder, and 1 tsp salt.
• Then add 1 tsp plain chilli powder and give it a good stir & mix it well.

• Fry the spices until the raw smell goes off & leaves oil.
• Then add a little water (around 1/3 cup = 5-6 tbsp) mixed with the masala left in the grinder (moshla dhoa’r jol/মশলা ধোয়ার জল in Bengali). Mix it well.

• Let the water boil until the gravy gets thick & quite dry.

• Then add mutton pieces and potato chunks(cut into halves) into the pressure cooker.
• Stir the mutton and potatoes with the masala.

• Roast the mutton and potatoes with the masala until they release oil.
• Then add 2 cups (500 ml) of water, mix well, and boil the gravy.
• Once the gravy starts boiling, close the pressure cooker lid.

• Keep the Pressure cooker on high heat until the cooker blows one whistle, then slow down the heat and cook for 10 minutes.
• After 10 mins of slow cooking turn off the heat.
• Remove the lid while the cooker automatically cools down by slowly releasing its steam.
• Then add 2+1/2 tbsp well-beaten curd or yoghurt (dahi) or tamarind pulp with the mutton gravy. Mix it well.
• Check the softness of the meat, and again turn on the gas.

• Once the gravy starts boiling, add 6-7 tbspoon coconut milk(narkeler dudh) to it and cook for a while on high heat.
• Check the salt, and add if required (as per taste).
• Boil the gravy until it tastes good, and turn off the heat.

• Mutton curry is ready, serve with a dinner roll, roti, or rice.