Mutton Thanni Kuzhambu and Mutton Varuval Recipe

Recipe for Traditional Kongunadu style Mutton Thanni Kuzhambu and Mutton Varuval Recipe. This is a two in one recipe. Recipe with step by step pictures and video.

The Mutton Thanni Kuzhambu is a popular kuzhambu / curry in Kongunadu region especially in Erode and Salem areas. “Thanni” means water. The mutton curry is made to a watery / soupy consistency. After making the curry, the mutton pieces are removed from the curry and made into a stir-fry with lots of de-seeded red chillies and powdered black pepper. The flavour of dried red chillies roasted in oil tastes divine with mutton. It is not very spicy at all as its deseeded. This is like a two-in one recipe. Traditionally mutton liver, brain etc.. is added along with regular mutton for added flavour. In some homes, steamed mutton blood is added to the mutton Varuval. I have not used any offal today. But make sure you use bone-in mutton as all the flavour lies in the bone and it gets released into the curry while it cooks making it very flavorful. This dish goes so well with tiffin items like idli and dosai as well as for lunch with rice. This recipe is very similar to my Athama’s Kongunadu mutton kuzhambu. The difference is in the preparation.

Here are the things you may buy online for making this recipe.
Stainless Steel Pressure Cooker – 5 Liters
Carote Granite Pan
Heavy Duty Indian Mixie
Indian Sesame Oil

Here is the video of how to make Mutton Thanni Kuzhambu and Mutton Varuval Recipe

Here is how to do Mutton Thanni Kuzhambu and Mutton Varuval Recipe

There are two steps to this recipe. First is making the curry / kuzhambu and then the second is making the varuval / stir fry. First we shall make the kuzhambu. For making the kuzhambu, we will need to make a masala paste from scratch. Here is how to do it.

Take a heavy pan and add in little oil. For this recipe we will be using Indian style sesame oil / Nallaennai throughout the recipe. Add in the dried red chillies and sauté for a few seconds till the red chillies fluff up. Remove from the pan and set aside. Do not let the chillies turn color or brown a lot. Eyes on the pan please.

In the same pan, add in all the spices namely cinnamon, cloves, fennel, black pepper, coriander and curry leaves. I have used Ceylon cinnamon today. The regular Indian cinnamon / Cassia will also perfectly well in this recipe. Roast on a low flame till the spices are slightly brown and roasted. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool.

In the same pan, add in the garlic and the Indian shallots. I have used the small garlic / country garlic for making this recipe. Small garlic is more robust in flavour and goes very well for this recipe. If you cannot find small garlic, regular garlic will do. Peeling the garlic is a pain but its worth it. Saute for 3-4 minutes till the shallots are soft.

Add in the ginger and the tomatoes and sauté for a few more minutes till the tomatoes are mushy.

Set aside on a plate to cool. when the mixture is slightly cool, add a cup of water and grind to a smooth paste. Make sure to grind to a smooth paste.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. I have used a 5 liter pressure cooker today. Add in the curry leaves and the mutton pieces. Saute for a minute. Add in the salt and the turmeric powder and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes.

Add in the ground paste. Add in 750 ml / 3 cups of water to the pan. Mix well.

Add a handful of green chillies. Keep the chillies whole. The chillies are only for flavour and not for the heat. Cover the cooker and cook for 20 minutes on medium flame. Ignore the number of whistles. After the 20 minutes, remove the pressure cooker from heat and set aside. Let the pressure settle on its own.

In the mean time, grind the fried gram dal, poppy seeds and coconut with little water to a fine paste. You can also soak the poppy seeds in water for 5 minutes and then grind it so it grinds to a fine paste. Add it to the kuzhambu.

Simmer the kuzhambu for 5 minutes.

At this stage, remove the mutton pieces from the kuzhambu and set aside in a bowl. Leave a few pieces of mutton in the kuzhambu as some folks like to have mutton covered in gravy.

Now, lets do a tempering for the kuzhambu. Heat oil in a small kadai and add in the sliced shallots. Saute till the shallots are lite golden in colour. Add in the curry leaves and black pepper powder. Do not sauté for long after adding the black pepper powder. Add the tempering to the kuzhambu. Mutton Thanni Kuzhambu is ready.

Mutton Varuval
Now, lets move on to the second part of the recipe. Lets make a varuval.
Heat oil in a pan and add in the garlic, curry leaves and the de-seeded dried red chillies. Since its de-seeded, they are not spicy. The seeds are very spicy. If you want a very spicy varuval, you can add some of the seeds. The flavour of the dried red chillies roasted in oil pairs very well with the mutton. Add the sliced small onions / shallots. Add in a little salt. Go easy on the salt. We can adjust the seasoning later if need be. Saute till the onions are soft.

Add a little kuzhambu / gravy that we made earlier. Saute for a minute. Add in the cooked mutton pieces and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add in the black pepper powder. The black pepper powder is what elevates this varuval to a “vera” level.

Add in the coriander leaves and sauté for a couple of minutes. The varuval is ready.

Mutton thanni kuzhambu and mutton varuval is ready.

Mutton Thanni Kuzhambu and Mutton Varuval Recipe

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Recipe for Traditional Kongunadu style Mutton Thanni Kuzhambu and Mutton Varuval Recipe. This is a two in one recipe. Recipe with step by step pictures and video.

• Total Time: 60m
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

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For the Thanni Kuzhambu Masala

1.5 tablespoon Indian sesame oil (divided)
5 dried red chillies, Guntur variety
1/2 inch piece cinnamon – Ceylon
6 cloves
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon black pepper
3 tablespoon coriander seeds
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 pod country garlic – small garlic
1/2 cup Indian shallots, small onions
1 inch piece ginger, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
1 cup water

Other Ingredients for Thanni Kuzhambu

1.5 teaspoon Indian sesame oil
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 kilogram Mutton, bone-in
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1.5 teaspoon salt
750 ml water
1 handful green chillies, whole

Coconut Paste for Thanni Kuzhambu

1 tablespoon fried gram dal – pottu kadalai
2 teaspoon white poppy seeds
1/4 cup fresh shredded coconut
1/2 cup water to grind

For Tempering the Thanni Kuzhambu

2 teaspoon Indian sesame oil
3 tablespoon sliced Indian shallots
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 teaspoon black pepper powder

Mutton Varuval

2 tablespoon Indian sesame oil
1 pod country garlic – small garlic
2 sprig curry leaves
10 dried red chillies, de-seeded
1 cup Indian shallots, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup thanni kuzhambu / gravy from above ***
cooked mutton from above ***
1 tablespoon black pepper powder
3 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

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Instructions

Thanni Kuzhambu

Take a heavy pan and add in little oil. Add in the dried red chillies and sauté for a few seconds till the red chillies fluff up. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add in all the spices namely cinnamon, cloves, fennel, black pepper, coriander and curry leaves. Roast on a low flame till the spices are slightly brown and roasted. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool. In the same pan, add in the garlic and the Indian shallots. Saute for 3-4 minutes till the shallots are soft. Add in the ginger and the tomatoes and sauté for a few more minutes till the tomatoes are mushy. Set aside on a plate to cool. when the mixture is slightly cool, add a cup of water and grind to a smooth paste. Make sure to grind to a smooth paste.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add in the curry leaves and the mutton pieces. Saute for a minute. Add in the salt and the turmeric powder and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes. Add in the ground paste. Add in 750 ml / 3 cups of water to the pan. Mix well. Add a handful of green chillies. Cover the cooker and cook for 20 minutes on medium flame. Ignore the number of whistles. After the 20 minutes, remove the pressure cooker from heat and set aside. Let the pressure settle on its own.

In the mean time, grind the fried gram dal, poppy seeds and coconut with little water to a fine paste. Add it to the kuzhambu. Simmer the kuzhambu for 5 minutes.

At this stage, remove the mutton pieces from the kuzhambu and set aside in a bowl. Leave a few pieces of mutton in the kuzhambu as some folks like to have mutton covered in gravy.

Heat oil in a small kadai and add in the sliced shallots. Saute till the shallots are lite golden in colour. Add in the curry leaves and black pepper powder. Do not sauté for long after adding the black pepper powder. Add the tempering to the kuzhambu. Mutton Thanni Kuzhambu is ready.

Mutton Varuval

Heat oil in a pan and add in the garlic, curry leaves and the de-seeded dried red chillies. Add the sliced small onions / shallots. Add in a little salt. Saute till the onions are soft. Add a little kuzhambu / gravy that we made earlier. Saute for a minute. Add in the cooked mutton pieces and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add in the black pepper powder. Add in the coriander leaves and sauté for a couple of minutes. The varuval is ready.

• Author: Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20m
• Cook Time: 40m