Laal Maas (Fiery Rajasthani Red Mutton Curry)
لال ماس (راجستھان کا تیز لال گوشت)
*Laal maas* means red meat, and it's named for its colour as much as its heat. This is the boldest curry of Rajasthan, from the desert kingdoms where Rajput nobles once cooked game over open fires. Mutton is simmered in ghee with a thick paste of soaked dried red chillies, garlic and yogurt, and finished with a coal smoke. Traditionally it uses fiery Mathania chillies; we use a mix of Kashmiri chillies for colour and hotter ones for kick, so you can control the heat.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 50 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 1 hr 30 min
- Medium
- Serves 5
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Blend the soaked chillies (drained) and garlic into a smooth paste with a little of the soaking water.
Mix the mutton with the yogurt, coriander powder, turmeric, salt and half the chilli paste. Marinate for 1 hour.
Heat the ghee in a heavy pot and fry the cardamoms, cloves and bay leaves for 30 seconds. Add the onions and fry for 10 minutes until deep golden.
Add the rest of the chilli paste and fry for 3 minutes until the ghee turns red. Add the marinated mutton and do the on medium-high for 10–12 minutes until the yogurt dries and the oil separates.
Add the hot water, cover and simmer on low for 60–75 minutes until the mutton is tender and the gravy is thick and deep red.
For the traditional smoky finish, give it 3 minutes of . Garnish with coriander and serve with bajra roti or rice.
Kitchen notes
Kashmiri chillies give the deep red colour with mild heat; the hot chillies decide how fiery it is. Start with 2 if unsure.
Removing the chilli seeds before soaking reduces the heat without losing colour.
Laal maas improves overnight, like most slow-cooked mutton dishes.
From the desert hunting camps
Rajasthan is a land of deserts, forts and old princely states. Its Rajput nobility was famous for hunting, and laal maas was first made with wild boar or deer cooked over fires in the field. The fierce chilli paste and ghee helped preserve and flavour the meat. Today it’s made with mutton, and it’s the dish visitors to Jaipur and Jodhpur are told they must try.
Chillies, garlic and ghee
There are few ingredients, and each matters. Soaked dried red chillies are blended with garlic into a paste that gives both colour and heat. Ghee carries the flavour and turns red as the paste fries in it. Yogurt tenderises the meat and balances the heat a little.
A family resemblance
Pakistani cooks will see the link with slow-cooked dishes like bhuna gosht and mutton qorma: a long until the oil separates, then a slow simmer. What sets laal maas apart is the volume of red chilli and the smoky finish.
Serving
Serve with bajra (millet) roti, the traditional Rajasthani bread, or with naan or rice. A cooling masala chaas or plain yogurt helps with the heat.
Questions people ask
Is laal maas extremely hot?
Traditionally yes, it's one of India's spiciest curries. This recipe lets you control the heat by adjusting the hot chillies.
How is laal maas different from mutton karahi?
Laal maas is cooked slowly in a gravy dominated by dried red chilli paste and ghee. Karahi is quicker, tomato-based and finished with green chilli and ginger.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 560
- Protein
- 40 g
- Fat
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
