Ingredients

• ½ kg mutton
• 750g sponge gourd (turai) or snake cucumber (kakdi)
• 2 medium onions
• 1 heaped tsp garlic paste
• 1 heaped tsp ginger paste
• 2 large tomatoes
• A bunch of green coriander
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
• ½ tsp cumin (zeera) powder
• ½ tsp tumeric powder (haldi)
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 large cardamom pod (badi elaichi)
• 2 bay leaves (tez patta)
• ½ cup oil
• ½ tsp onion seeds (kalaunji)
• Salt, to taste

Directions

Using turai

Wash, peel and cut the gourd into thin round slices. Keep aside.

Pour out the oil into a pressure cooker and when hot add the sliced onions. Sauté and brown them. Add the mutton. Sauté till it dries up.

Add the garlic and ginger pastes and some water. Continue to sauté till there is no raw smell. Add chopped tomatoes and allow them to cook till nearly dry. Add salt and all the spices. Sauté some more till the oil surfaces.

Now add the turai. Add some water but not too much since the turai will release a lot of water. Pressure cook for 18-20 minutes. Check the water content and adjust. It should not be too dry.

Garnish with green coriander and serve.

Using kakri

Use thick kakdi. Wash and cut into cubes. Keep aside.

Wash the mutton and drain well.

Cook the same way as above until the oil surfaces. Then add water and pressure cook for 10 minutes. When the pressure is released add the kakri and kalaunji. Adjust the water and pressure cook for another 10 minutes. On opening the cooker, adjust the water content.

Garnish with green coriander.