MUTTON /LAMB PALAU

Serves 6 Preparation time 1 hour

1 kg Basmati Rice or any other Good Rice …wash and soak for about 1 hour

1 kg Mutton / Lamb (or Beef) cut into fairly big pieces

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons spice powder or garam masala

½ kg tomatoes chopped

3 pieces cinnamon, 3 cloves, 3 cardamoms 1 nutmeg flower

2 cups oil or ghee

Salt to taste

6 green chilies ground

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 tablespoon garlic paste

2 teaspoons chilly powder

½ kg onions sliced finely

1- teaspoon tumeric powder

½ cup fresh mint leaves

Wash the meat and marinate with the spice powder, green chilly paste, half the quantity of ginger garlic paste and tumeric powder for half an hour.

Heat the oil or ghee in a large vessel and add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg flower, remaining ginger garlic paste and onions and sauté for some time. Add the chopped tomatoes, curds, mint leaves and chilly powder and simmer till the oil separates from the masala and the tomatoes are reduced to pulp. Add the marinated meat and salt and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the pieces and keep aside. Now add sufficient water to the gravy in the vessel so as to get about 7 glasses of liquid. Add the rice and cook till half done. Now add the cooked meat and mix well. Cover and cook on low heat till done. Serve with Curd Chutney or salad