Varutharacha Mutton Curry

Name: Varutharacha Mutton Curry
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 sprig of curry leaves; ½ tsp mustard seeds; 2 cloves; 3 tbsp thinly sliced fresh coconut; 2–3 green chillies, slit; 500 g/1 lb 2 oz boneless mutton or lamb, cut into 5cm/2in chunks; 200 g/7 oz onions, thinly sliced; ½ tsp finely chopped fresh root ginger; 1 tbsp ground coriander; 2 x 2.5 cm/1 in cinnamon sticks; 2 green cardamom pods; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 50 g/1¾ oz/generous ½ cup desiccated/dried shredded or grated fresh coconut; 2 tbsp rapeseed/canola oil; 100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup rapeseed/canola oil; 300 ml/10½ fl oz/1¼ cups water, plus 2 tbsp; 1 tsp black peppercorns; 5–6 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 bay leaf; ½ tsp ground fennel; 100 g/3½ oz tomatoes, chopped; ½ tsp Garam Masala (store-bought); 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder; salt, to taste

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Yatra

By Rohit Ghai

Published 2025

About

This is one of the most famous traditional dishes in Kerala. Simple, delicious and spicy, it’s a never-fail recipe that works just as well with lamb or chicken as with mutton.

Ingredients

300 ml/10½ fl oz/1¼ cups water, plus 2 tbsp
500

Asia
India
Main course
Spicy
Kerala
Gluten-free

Method

Heat the 300ml/10½ fl oz/1¼ cups water in a deep pan over a medium heat, add the mutton pieces along with the turmeric and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 20–25 minutes until the mutton is just done. Separate the mutton pieces from the stock and set both aside.

Dry-roast the coconut in a frying pan until it turns brown, then remove from the heat, add the black peppercorns and swirl to heat