Calcutta/Kolkata Mutton Chaap

Calcutta/Kolkata Mutton Chaap -

A highly fragrant dish in a nutty sauce or a clingy gravy, slow cooked, slightly charred if you prefer and braised till you get that color – chaap or mutton ribs are every meat lover’s dream. You can replace the mutton with any red meat of your choice.

Ingredients:

8 Rib chops (mutton – lamb or goat. I have used goat here)

Marinade:
3 tbsp : Raw Papaya (grated)
½ cup : Yogurt
1 tbsp : Ginger – garlic paste
1 tsp : Garam masala (check the note)
1 tsp : Red chilli

Curry / sauce / gravy:
1 : Red onion (sliced)
1 tbsp : Minced ginger and garlic
3-4 : Green chillies
1 tsp : Garam masala
1 tsp : Cumin powder
1 tsp : Red chilli powder
¼ tsp : Turmeric powder
2 tbsp : Chickpea flour
2 tbsp : Almond paste
2 tbsp : Melon seed (charmagaz) paste
2-3 tbsp : Ghee
Few threads of Saffron soaked in warm water
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
One or two Bay Leaf
Few drops of kewra water (Screw-pine essence)
Few drops of Rose water

Method:

Preparing the meat :

Wash and cut the ribs into half. With a meat tenderizer, beat the meat to make it more tender. But do not over do it. If you do not have the meat mallet then you can use the back of your steel spoon too. But this step is important and this ensures the even cooking of meat and it will be able to absorb all the flavors and spices.

Marinating:

Mix the marinade in a bowl, apply the marinade generously over the ribs and refrigerate it for at least 3-4 hours. I wrap it with a cling film and refrigerate overnight.
Bring the ribs / chaap to room temperature and sprinkle some salt over it. You will find that the ribs absorb all the marinades.

Cooking:

In a flat fry pan, add one teaspoon of ghee and heat it. Fry the sliced onions till it becomes translucent, also add the green chillies, minced ginger and garlic. Do not brown it. Cool it and make a paste in the mixer.
In the same pan, add another tablespoon of ghee, warm it and slowly add the rib chops along with the marinade (which clinges to the rib chops )
Braise (bhuno) it on high flame for 5 minutes.
Add the Onion, ginger-garlic paste now and keep braising it on medium flame. Add the chickpea flour too.
Next add the spices (garam masala and make a paste of turmeric powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder) and keep braising on medium flame.
Sprinkle salt over it and few dashes of sugar. It will add nice caramel color to the meat. By this time meat should leave enough fat. If it is not, then add few drops of ghee.
Once you are satisfied with the color of the meat and braising (bhuno) is done, check the seasonings and add the almond and melon seed paste.
Mix it well. Stir in the saffron water, bay leaves, Kewra water, rose water, cover the pan tightly and simmer the chaap on low heat till done.
Once it is cooked, remove the bay leafs and close the lid for sometime before serving.
Serve the mutton chaap with rumali roti or naan or tandoori roti or saffron rice or with mughlai biryani.

Notes:

Garam masala – few shah mirch (white pepper) + ¼ tsp shah jeera (caraway seed) + few black pepper + 1 mace (jayitri) + ½ tsp coarsely pounded nutmeg (jayphal) + one black cardamom + one inch cinnamon sticks + one star anise (phool chakra).