Gushtaba (a popular mutton dish from Kashmir)

Ingredients:

Minced mutton - 20 oz. (500 grams)
Yoghurt - 4 oz. (100 grams)
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Fennel - 2 tsp
Dry ginger powder - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a generous pinch
Garam Masala - 4 tsp
Mustard oil - 4 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Water - 4 1/2 cups

For the stuffing:
Almonds - 2 oz. (50 grams) - finely chopped
Poppy seeds - 2 oz. (50 grams)
Cashewnuts - 2 oz. (50 grams) - finely chopped
Raisins - 2 oz. (50 grams) - finely chopped
Refined oil - 4 tbsp

Preparation:

1. Place the meat, yoghurt and all the dry spices in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Add 2 tbsps of mustard oil to the yoghurt-meat mixture.
3. Make large round balls of the mince and stuff with the dry fruit mixture. Set aside for 2 hours.
4. Take a thick-bottomed vessel, add the refined oil and heat it. Place all the mutton balls in it
carefully.
5. Beat yoghurt with 2 cups water and add to the mutton balls.
6. Cook on medium-high flame till the water dries up.
7. Now add 1/2 a cup of water and the garam masala powder till the liquid turns brown in color.
8. Take the cooking vessel off the fire and invert the mince balls into a pressure cooker. Add 2 cups of water and cook on a medium -high flame till the pressure cooker emits one whistle. Now lower flame and cook on medium - low flame for another 5 minutes.
9. Take the pressure cooker off the fire, allow to cool for 20 minutes, open and transfer contents to a serving dish.
10. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with plain boiled rice.

Sponsored by Easy Tours of India.