Mutton masala recipe (Restaurant-style Mutton curry) with step-by-step pictures. Mutton masala is one of the most delicious North Indian-style mutton curry (lamb or goat meat curry) cooked in simple yet flavourful spices. Mutton (lamb or goat meat), whole spices (khada masala), ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and garam masala powder are manlily required for making this mutton curry. Mutton masala originated in the Royal Mughlai kitchen and was passed on to North Indian cuisine. Generally served with rice, roti, or chapati, however, also tastes great if mutton masala serves with chicken biryani, white pulao, lachha paratha, naan, kulcha, and even tandoori roti or rumali roti too.
Mutton masala is a restaurant-style delicious lamb or goat meat curry that everyone wants to make at home. Though using almost the same ingredients, don’t get an exact restaurant-style taste, right? So something must be special in this restaurant-style mutton curry recipe, so let’s try to find out that secret.

Actually, more than ingredients, their cooking technique generally brings that mouthwatering taste to their recipes. That mostly makes the difference between our homemade and restaurant-style mutton masala.
Even people say such traditional mutton curry recipes do not retain that authentic taste if made without using a kadai/pan. However, that is also just a myth about this recipe. Without using a kadai, my pressure cooker brings the same taste contained in the authentic restaurant-style mutton masala even in less time.
Pro tips for making restaurant-style mutton masala recipe
- Actually, this restaurant-style mutton curry taste depends on a few things. 1. how long frying the onion. 2. how long roast the tomato and curd. 3. how long roasting ginger-garlic paste. 4. how to long roast the dry masala(including red chilli powder Kashmiri red chilli powder and coriander powder) in oil. 5. how long roast the meat. If any one of these ingredients is not perfectly roasted then a raw smell will exist in this curry and won’t get that restaurant-style taste. I describe how to do this all through my step-by-step recipe, hope that will help you to do it perfectly.
- Don’t put other ingredients into the oil till the onions are not perfectly fried. Onion raw smell will exist, even the crunchiness of onion will also exist and never allow it to meltdown in the gravy. If tomato-curd- green chilli- ginger-garlic paste is not perfectly roasted in oil then also the raw smell of these spices exists and spoils the taste of the gravy. Even dry spices like chilli powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder and coriander powder need to roast well to avoid their raw smell in the gravy. Even perfectly roasting meat is one more crucial task for making such recipes.
- That means the secret lies in roasting all ingredients till the oil is separated from the masala. Though more roasting may cause burning of the masala and as a result, the gravy may get bitter in taste.
- Even the ratio of meat and the spices used in such recipes should be perfect, as that is one more secret to getting a restaurant-style taste. If you use more masala (paste or powder) can spoil the taste of the gravy. As the same method can be used in making chicken masala curry too, however, the quantity of masala will be less than this recipe.
- Even using whole spices in oil plays one more important role, as in this step, whole spices release their flavour in oil to make a flavoursome gravy.
- Though if you want to have a Punjabi restaurant or street-side Dhaba style taste, then must use Kasturi methi and must cook it in mustard oil.
- Generally in restaurants, mostly curry-cut mutton is used for making these recipes. However, you can use boneless lamb or goat meat too if wants to cook it in kadai. Though a perfect combination of boneless pieces along with bone pieces, Nalli pieces are best for making such a recipe. And for that, must choose the run or front leg portion of lamb or goat meat. Though you may use chops or ribs pieces too. As I used in making my mutton chops fry and Kolkata style mutton chaap recipes.
- Must add the salt when the meat(red meat like lamb or goat meat) is perfectly roasted in masala and starts releasing oil.
Though my own addition of a teaspoon of desi ghee at the last of this recipe makes this curry more flavourful as well as scrumptious. However, I do not have any idea whether ghee is really used in restaurants’ mutton masala or not.
If you love red meat, then must try this restaurant-style mutton masala recipe with it at home. I hope my step-by-step recipe will help you to make it at its best. Enjoy this mutton curry with plain rice/ghee rice, roti, chapati, or even with biryani or pulao. I mostly have it with my Bengali biryani and it tastes delicious, though you may try it with Hyderabadi biryani or Lucknow biryani too.
If you enjoy this mutton masala curry so please write down your valuable feedback about this recipe in the comment section below.
You may also check my Classic Bengali biryani and pulao recipes from my blog post to serve with this dish –
Bengali-style white pulao(with vegetables)
Even I am sharing a few more common mutton recipes from my blog,
Mangalorean mutton ghee roast,
Awadhi style mutton kofta curry recipe
You may also try out this delicious starter Mutton seekh kabab recipe along with this dish.
Restaurant-style mutton masala recipe – Mutton curry recipe
Restaurant-style mutton masala recipe – Mutton curry recipe
Course: Main course, Lunch, DinnerCuisine: North IndianDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutes25
minutes577
kcal45
minutesMutton masala is the most delicious North Indian style mutton curry cooked in simple yet flavourful and spicy gravy. Mutton (lamb or goat meat), whole spices(khada masala), ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and garam masala powder are manlily required for making this mutton gravy. Serve rice, roti or chapati, goes well with this mutton curry.
Ingredients
○ 650 g Mutton or lamb or goat (curry cut pieces)
○ Half Lemon juice
○ 3 Onions Finely sliced
○ One Tomato(medium)
○ 3 pcs Green chillies
○ 1 tsp Ginger paste
○ 2 tsp Garlic paste
○ 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
○ 1 tsp Red chilli powder(tikha lal)
○ 1 tsp Coriander powder
○ 1 tsp Turmeric powder
○ 4 tbsp Curd/Yogurt
○ 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
○ 1/2 tsp Salt
○ 12-15 tbsp Vegetable oil
○ 1 tsp Ghee
○ A handful of chopped fresh coriander
- Dry whole spices for making this mutton curry
○ 1-inch Cinnamon stick
○ 2 pcs Green cardamom
○ One Black cardamom
○ 8 pcs Black peppercorn
○ 4 pcs Cloves
○ One Bay leaf
- Equipment required for cooking
○ A pressure cooker
○ A wooden spatula
How to make mutton masala curry
Marination
- Take mutton (with bone and boneless mutton pieces), clean and wash it thoroughly and drain it well. Mix it with half lemon juice and mix it well.
- Preparation of mutton curry
- Cut the onion into fine slices and by using a grater, make the ginger garlic paste.
- Grind one medium-size tomato and 3 green chillies, and make a smooth paste of it.
- Making gravy of mutton masala
- Heat a pressure cooker, add vegetable oil to it, let the oil get hot. Add the whole spices mainly garam masala(described in ingredients) to the hot oil. Let the spices splutter, then add finely chopped onion to the cooker.
- Fry the onion till gets soft and golden brown in colour, then add the tomato-green chilli paste to the pan. Stir it well.
- Saute it till the raw smell of tomato goes off. Then add ginger- garlic paste to the cooker, stir it well. Again saute it till its raw smell goes off.
- Then add spicy red chilli powder(I used tikha lal), Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, stir it well.
- Cook it for a few mins, then add well-beaten curd to the masala and again mix it well and saute it for some time.
- Saute until oil separates from the masala and the masala almost dry off. Then add the marinated mutton to the cooker and mix the meat with the other masala. Frequently stir the mutton to avoid sticking it to the bottom of the pressure cooker.
- When the meat releases the oil too then only add salt and mix it well. After cooking for few more mins, add the water to it. Stir it well. Let the gravy boil.
- Once the gravy starts boiling, then close its lid and reduce its flame to its minimum and cook it for 10-12 mins on slow flame.
- Then raise the flame to high and let the pressure cooker blows 2 whistles. Turn off the heat, wait till the cooker automatically release its pressure.
- Once the cooker releases its pressure, remove its lid and check the meat is perfectly cooked or not.
- Then again turn on the heat, keep it on high flame and reduce the gravy for the right consistency. Stir it frequently to avoid burning from the bottom. In the meantime, add one tsp of ghee and 1/2 tsp of garam masala powder.
- The gravy should reach its right consistency when bubbles come on the surface of the gravy, indicating the gravy is just right, not too soupy or nor too dry.
- Basically, we need a semy gravy, which is perfect to have with roti, paratha, chapati, biryani, naan or kulcha.
- Then add a handful of chopped coriander leaves from the top of the gravy. Mix it well. And our North Indian restaurant-style yummy mutton masala is ready to serve, simply serve this curry directly from the pressure cooker.
Notes
- Check the detailed step-by-step recipe with a full picture description.
How to make restaurant-style mutton masala curry with step-by-step pictures
Instructions
Marination
- Take mutton(use curry cut pieces, along with bone and boneless meat), clean and wash it thoroughly and drain it well. Mix it with half lemon juice and mix it well. This marination will help to tenderise the mutton.

Preparation of this mutton curry
- Cut the onion into fine slices and by using a grater, make the ginger garlic paste.
- In a small grinder jar, add one medium-size tomato(cut into pieces for smooth grinding) and 3 green chillies. Grind it well to make a smooth paste out of it.

How to make the gravy of mutton masala
- Heat a pressure cooker, add vegetable oil to it, let the oil get hot. Add the whole garam masala to the hot oil. Let the spices splutter, then add finely chopped onion to the cooker.

- Fry the onion till gets soft and golden brown in colour, then add the tomato-green chilli paste to the pan. Stir it well. Saute it till the raw smell of tomato goes off. Then add ginger- garlic paste to the cooker, stir it well. Again saute it till its raw smell goes off.

- Then add spicy red chilli powder(I used tikha lal), Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, stir it well. Cook it for few mins, then add well-beaten curd to the masala and again mix it well and saute it for some time.

- Saute until oil separates from the masala and the masala almost dry off. Then add the marinated mutton to the cooker and mix the meat with the other masala. Frequently stir the mutton to avoid sticking it to the bottom of the pressure cooker.

- When the meat releases the oil too then only add salt and mix it well. After cooking for few more mins, add the water to it. Stir it well. Let the gravy boil.

- Once the gravy starts boiling, then close its lid and reduce its flame to its minimum and cook it for 10-12 mins on slow flame.

- Then raise the flame to high and let the pressure cooker blows 2 whistles. Turn off the heat, wait till the cooker automatically release its pressure.
- Once the cooker releases its pressure, remove its lid and check the meat is perfectly cooked or not.
- Then again turn on the heat, keep it on high flame and reduce the gravy for the right consistency. Stir it frequently to avoid burning from the bottom. In the meantime, add one tsp of ghee and 1/2 tsp of garam masala powder.

- The gravy should reach its right consistency when bubbles come on the surface of the gravy, indicating the gravy is just right, not too soupy or nor too dry. Basically, we need a semy gravy, which is perfect to have with roti, paratha, chapati, biryani, naan or kulcha. Then add a handful of chopped coriander leaves from the top of the gravy. Mix it well. And our North Indian restaurant-style yummy soft & juicy mutton masala is ready to serve, simply serve this mutton curry directly from the pressure cooker.

Tips for cooking this traditional mutton curry or lamb curry
- Usually, in any mutton curry, nalli pieces and pieces with bones always taste more delicious than the boneless pieces. Just because the bone adjacent meat is soft and juicy than the solid meat. So it is best to use in making any mutton recipes.
- Even you can make this recipe in a pan, though the method is the same however takes a long time.
- When adding whole spices in oil be very careful as it splutters. Especially black cardamom, green cardamom and black pepper) and may cause burning your skin. Even you may little crush it before adding it in oil. Or just after adding the whole spices, close the pressure cooker lid immediately.
- Here I have added red chilli powder as per my requirement, you may use it according to your taste. Even you may use slightly more Kashmiri chilli powder to bring more red colour to this gravy.
- Ghee is not mandatory but it makes this curry just delectable.
- You may try this recipe with any kind of red meat, like lamb, goat or beef.
- As red meat is not good for health for containing high calories and fat. So if you have any restrictions on red meat, then try it with chicken too.
- After cooking, you can store this mutton curry in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Don’t store it for more days as may lose its original taste.





