Bengali Mutton kosha or Kosha mangsho recipe

Mutton kosha(aka Kosha mangsho) is a classic Bengali goat meat curry with a rich, hot, flavorful, dry masala gravy. Mutton kosha is prepared with goat meat, onion, ginger, garlic, tomato, yoghurt, a little water and a few robust spices with or without potatoes. I mostly serve this dish with Bengali fried rice, Basanti pulao, luchi or fine Basmati rice at lunch or dinner. Today, I am sharing a very special mutton kosha recipe that is easy to prepare at home with a few simple cooking tips.

To prepare this special mutton kosha, mutton(with or without fat) is first marinated in lemon juice, salt and mustard oil, then roasted in mustard oil with fried potatoes, brown onions, ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, yoghurt(or curd), cumin powder, coriander powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, sugar & salt, until tender & separates oil. Lastly, adding a little water to cooking helps to make a thick gravy, making it suitable for eating with rice. Though this mutton curry looks hot and spicy but it is not spicy at all, however you can adjust the heat low or high as per your taste.

In Mutton kosha, “kosha” is a Bengali word(from West Bengal), describing all about “Roasting or Braising (meaning Bhuna in Hindi)”, a curry cooked in low heat until it releases oil. In the Bengali language, chicken or mutton is both called mangsho, so we call this dish kosha mangsho too in Bengali. This recipe is also known as mutton bhuna in Bangladesh.

According to the traditional recipe, mutton would be braised at low heat for long hours until tender and juicy by releasing oil. Roasting in a pan on low heat takes long hours to get the mutton soft and tender. So, to quickly make it, I first braise the mutton in a pan when it releases oil, then cook it with a little water and transfer it to a pressure cooker. Later, dry up the gravy to bring the perfect consistency. 

You will never find a potato when you order one plate mutton kosha in any Bengali restaurant. However, while I make mutton kosha at home, I always cook it with big chunks of potatoes. Because my family loves potatoes in mutton, whether it is kosha or mangshor jhol. Simply fry the potatoes in oil and add in pan just after adding the mutton to the pan. Though frying is not mandatory, you can simply add potatoes without frying.  If you want to make it without potatoes, just skip those steps I used to add potatoes.

In Kolkata, mutton kosha is the most popular mutton dish in Bengali restaurants’ menu, Bengali biye barir menu, Durga pujor Nabami special lunch meal, Kali puja, Viswakarma puja’s dinner feast or for any special occasions.

Let’s see how to make kosha mangsho(mutton kosha) recipe step by step with a few pictures.

How do I make special mutton kosha in my kitchen?

1. First, marinate the mutton with salt, lemon juice, little mustard oil for 45 minutes. 

2. Then fry aloo and after that fry 1& 1/2 sliced onion with 1/2 inch cinnamon & 1/2 tsp sugar in the same oil until brown.

3. Blend the brown onion with tomato, green chilies, dry red chilies, ginger-garlic paste, 2 tbsp yoghurt, and cumin-coriander powder for making the masala.

4. Then blend 150 g raw onion and fry with bay leaves until the raw smell of onion goes off.

5. Add the masala paste with turmeric and Kashmiri red chilli powder, and 2 tbsp well-beaten yogurt.

6. Roast it well until the oil separates from the masala.

7. Add the mutton, mix well with masala, add potatoes, and cook it by covering the pan. Stir frequently.

8. After 30 minutes of cooking in this way, add salt and cook it for 5 more minutes. 

9. At this stage, add garam masala powder, mix well, and cook for 5 mins.

10. Then add lukewarm water. Once the gravy starts to boil, transfer it to the pressure cooker.

11. Cook over a slow heat until the pressure cooker whistles 1 time or until the mutton is tender.

12. Once the pressure cooker cools down, after opening the lid, check the tenderness of the mutton first.

13. If the mutton is perfectly cooked, check the consistency of the gravy. If it seems the gravy is too much, boil it a boil to reduce the gravy.

14. Once the gravy gets a thick consistency, turn off the heat.

15. Mutton kosha is ready to serve.

Important Ingredients for kosha mangsho(mutton kosha)!

◙ Mustard Oil – Mustard oil is one of the most important ingredients in cooking any Bengali curry, so as any Bengali mutton curry. From marination to cooking, all bong style dishes are incomplete without it, as the pungent taste will be missing.

◙ Ginger and garlic paste –  Only use homemade ginger, garlic paste, do not use the packet ginger-garlic paste to save time, will spoil the taste of your mutton curry recipes. While making mutton kosha, try to use fresh homemade ginger-garlic paste. Do not use the store-bought packet ginger-garlic paste; that paste has a very bad smell, and the worst taste will spoil the dish.

That packet ginger-garlic paste contains vinegar, vegetable oil, and a few preservatives that give a different flavour to the gravy.  That flavour easily changes the authentic taste and flavour of mangsho and its gravy.

◙ Potatoes – Generally kosha mangsho is cooked without potatoes. However, here, I have used 4 medium to large potatoes and cut them into halves. If using small to medium potatoes use as a whole (gota alu). If using large potatoes, cut them into four equal pieces. 

◙ Garam masala powder –  Here I used a special garam masala containing cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves along with black peppercorn and bay leave to deliver an awesome flavour and taste. Though you can use a simple store-bought packet garam masala powder too. 

Which part of mutton is best to make mutton kosha?

A mutton raan(a whole leg of lamb/goat, including thighs), shanks (lower part of the lamb’s leg), shoulder, neck and ribs (or mutton chops) are the best parts of mutton that make any mutton curry delicious. Best to use curry cut pieces of mutton; curry cut mutton are nothing but medium sized mutton pieces, suitable for cooking mutton curry. Whereas, goat raan, shanks, shoulder, and neck pieces quickly get tender. Lamb meat is comparatively hard, so it takes a little bit more time to get tender; however, using lemon or yoghurt in mutton marination makes the process faster.

Generally, rewajy khasir mangsho (which means goat meat with a thick layer of fat) and kochi pathar mangsho (young goat meat without fat, called lean meat) are used for cooking any Bengali mutton curry, kosha, to jhol. Though kochi pathar mangsho is easy to melt in the mouth, and good for people who have health issues (or are conscious about consuming fat). However, reawazy khashi is super delicious with soft, melted fat.

Store-bought Powder masala or bata moshla, which is best for making mutton kosha?

Generally, in our grandma’s time, a mutton kosha was prepared with bata masala(masala paste made by hand), the actual secret of authentic Bengali cuisine. To make bata mashla soak jeera seeds, coriander seeds, and dry red chili in lukewarm water for 30 mins. Then grind them with ginger, garlic and green chillies in a grindstone(known as shil nora in Bengali) or in a mixer grinder until you get a smooth paste. Add a little water if needed during grinding. Though cooking with Bata mashla enhances the taste a level up, but a little time consuming, can try it if you have enough time in hand.

Serve with Bengali-style pulao recipes

Basanti pulao

Bengali fried rice or White pulao

If you try this recipe at home then please let me know, how this mutton kosha works in your kitchen and leave a comment in the comment box below.

You can check my other mutton recipes on my website

Kochi Pathar Jhol / Khasir Mangshor Jhol recipe

Mutton Masala(North Indian Style Mutton Curry)

Golbarir Kosha Mangsho recipe

Railway Mutton curry(Mutton curry with coconut milk)

How to make mutton kosha step by step with pictures

Marinate the mutton:

• Clean & wash the mutton with lukewarm water(ঈষদুষ্ণ জল).
• Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 lemon juice & 1 tablespoon of mustard oil, and nicely mix with the mutton pieces.
• Then cover the bowl and marinate the mutton for 45 mins.

Other ingredients used in this mutton curry

• Potatoes – Peel out the potatoes and cut them into halves.
• Onion Paste – Blend half of the onions nicely to get a smooth paste.
• Special Homemade garam masala powder – Dry roast 5-6 green cardamom, 1/2 inch cinnamon, 4-5 cloves, 7-8 black peppercorns, and 1 bay leaf. Then grind it and make a fine powder. Keep this garam masala powder aside for later use.

Making of Masala

• Fry another half of the sliced onion in the same pan along with 1/2 inch cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. until nicely golden brown and crunchy. Remove it and cool it down.
• Blend tomato, golden brown onion, 4 green chilies, 4 red dry chilies, ginger paste, garlic paste, 2 tablespoons curd, 1+1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, 2 teaspoon coriander powder, and 2 tablespoons of water until smooth.

How to roast mutton

• Heat a pan, and add 7 tablespoons mustard oil to it until releases smoke.
• First, fry the potatoes until gets golden. Remove it from the pan and keep it aside.

• Add 2 bay leaves, and then onion paste.
• Fry the onion until the raw smell of onion goes off and release oil from its side. Add the rest of 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to get that nice golden brown color.
• Add the masala paste kept in the blender, add 2 teaspoons turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder to it.
• Then add 2 tablespoons of well-beaten yogurt. Saute it nicely until the masala’s raw smell goes off.

• Add the marinated mutton pieces to the pan and stir to coat the mutton well with the masalas.

• Then add the fried potatoes and mix them well. Now cover the pan with a tight lid.
• Stir it frequently and roast the mutton well. During roasting don’t put salt or water in it.

• Roast it for 30 mins by covering the pan, then add the salt (as per taste). Mix it well. cook it for 5 more mins.
• Then add garam masala powder (prepared earlier) and give a good mix. Again, after cooking it for 5 more mins.
• Roasting or Kosha is done, to get the mutton quickly and nicely soft, add 2+1/2 cups of lukewarm water.
• Put it in a pressure cooker, once the gravy starts to boil add a little salt if required.
• Close the pressure cooker and cook over low heat until the pressure cooker whistles 1 time or until the mutton is tender.
• Remove from heat and let the pressure cooker cool down before opening it.
• Kosha mangsho is ready, garnish with chopped coriander leaves or ghee if desired, and serve hot with rice, pulao, or roti.