One Pot Mutton Curry: South Indian Style (Paleo, GF, DF)

I came across this recipe on a random Facebook video as a 'bachelor friendly' recipe. Thankfully I had written it down in my diary, but I thought I would publish it on here, so that I do not lose it. My partner says it's as better than restaurant-style! Before proceeding the recipe, let me give you a little nutrition lecture on -

Why slow cooked meat, broths and soups are a SUPERFOOD!

In any traditional culture, meat soup or bone broth is a treasured super food. Ayurveda calls it 'mamasarasa' and claims that it makes one stronger, and improves their digestive fire. Grandmothers prepare chicken soups, and mutton head stews were once used to cure arthritis in my culture. Bone broth and slow-cooked meats have played an essential role in healing my IBS and constipation, a disease that took away more than 10 years of my precious young life due to crippling pain, bleeding, medication dependence, depression and other complications. Since then, I have quit veganism, and questioned all the nutritional 'beliefs' I held on to. I have swapped out lean chicken breast for fatty, gelatinous chicken wings, and I almost never buy a lean piece of beef or pork - slow cooked fatty meat is a staple in my household. 

The science on why slow-cooked meat is superior to lean muscle meat:

Collagen and Gelatine are proteins found in slow cooked meats that form skin, bones, cartilage. The amino-acid composition in slow-cooked meats is vastly different from that of the chicken breast and egg white that our lovely governments suggest we consume. Protein is essential and important, but the amino-acid composition of the proteins are important. Most lean meats are rich in amino-acid homocysteine and methionine, which when consumed in excess can cause inflammation, including heart disease. They also lack fats, which means that they will produce a larger insulin spike, and not keep us satiated for long. Slow-cooked meat with fat on the other hand is rich in amino acid glycine, which is a potent anti-inflammatory amino acid. It is used to produce glutathione (a potent anti-oxidant which prevents cancer & heart disease!), reduces your risk of diabetes and heart disease, and is essential to line your gut, produce strong bones, skin and joints. Glutamine is another amino acid that is essential to help your gut lining heal. A bad gut is a recipe for all sorts of diseases, as most autoimmune diseases are caused by 'leaky gut' - where proteins from the gut enter your blood circulation and cause 'autoimmune reactions'. Glutamine stimulates immune cells, and promotes the maturation of immune-boosting cells that fight arthritis, cancer, and aging. Along with proline and glycine, it enhances recovery from injuries, wounds, burns, stress, post-surgery trauma, and most major illnesses. Patients whose diets have been supplemented with glutamine show quicker recoveries and earlier hospital releases. Perhaps this explains why I fall ill far less frequently!

If you want to age gracefully, this is your secret. Have you noticed how Asians have amazing 'glass' skin? Their secret is bone broth. East Asian cuisines have soups and stews as a staple.

Bone marrow has also played a major role in human evolution. As evolutionary anthropologist Professor Leslie Aiello of University College London puts it: “Bone marrow is highly nutritious, and contains many important elements for brain growth and development. It also takes much less energy to digest than plant food. Scientists have shown that brain size was beginning to increase in the later australopithecines, and it could all be down to bone marrow as brain food.” Bone marrow contains omega-3 fats, alkylglycerols, lecithin and choline, all of which are important nutrients that play a role in the immune system and nervous system. It is also rich in fat soluble vitamins A, D3 and K2.  A good immune system means lower risk of cancers and heart ailments too!

The politics of broth:
Making broth is a time-consuming process, but it is also political. Broth symbolizes tradition and culture. It means slowing down, rejecting what the government tells me to do, and questioning what I have been told. It means prioritizing my health rather than hustling away. 

            One-pot Mutton Curry ( South Indian Style)

                                    (serves 3-4)

Adjust Servings:    

🧾 Ingredients

• 1 kg of grass-fed lamb shoulder, bone in, marrow rich pieces included

Make a ground mixture of the following: (I use a high-speed blender)

• SPICES: 1 tbsp chilli powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder, 1 tsp fennel powder, 1 tbsp kerala style meat masala (recipe here), salt (I use the 1% rule, so 10 g)
• 2 red onions
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 tbsp yoghurt (you can use coconut yoghurt or 
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste: fresh or store bought without seed oils & preservatives. 

Whole spices:

• 4 cloves
• 3 cardamom pods
• 1 inch cinammon stick
• 1 star anise
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp fennel
• curry leaves
• 1 split green chilli
  
  

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Place washed mutton pieces in pressure cooker.
2. Mix the ground mixture very well into the mutton pieces, ensuring well coated.
3. Add whole spices, chilli, curry leaves, and 1/4 a cup of water. Mix well
4. Cook on stove-top for 2-3 hours, or pressure cooker for 45 minutes until the whistle blows twice. Check on the mutton to ensure it is soft. 
5. I love to serve this with paleo-friendly cassava rotis, or some basmati rice, coconut yoghurt and some fermented pickles!

More reading on broths:

Bone Broth As A Cultural Symbol In Various Societies – Ladybird Cafe

Nourishing Broth: An Old Fashioned Remedy for the Modern World

Low-carb | Gluten-free | Keto | Paleo