Mutton Varuval - South Indian-style dry curry

varuval is the king of curries... try making these yourself and you'll understand!

we’re not sure about a lot of things, but there’s one thing we’re sure of - that our blood is made out of prata and curry. this quintessential Singaporean (& Malaysian) dish could be one of the most iconic dishes reflecting our food culture & is eaten all say round - breakfast lunch, dinner, supper, you name it!

along with prata, there exists a variety of curries typically served, including fish curry, dalcha, kulambu and varuval. one of our favourites, the varuval, is a thick, and almost a dry punchy & curry. we’ve created this great varuval recipe here so you can try making time at home!

@nomies.conot Azfar disturbing a small business cuz he dont know how to make prata walao 😒 You can visit Uncle's shop at Chinatown Complex! Poh Time Trading 335 Smith St, #01-147 link in bio for the recipe! ❤️ #sg #sgfood #foodie #sgfoodie #fyp #recipe #food

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Mutton Varuval

500g mutton, cubed
1/4 cup oil / 3 tbsp ghee
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cinnamon sticks
3 dried red chillies, broken
5 cardamom pods
2 star anise
3 sprigs curry leaves
3 green chillies, cut once lengthwise
2 medium red onion, sliced

10 shallots
6 cloves garlic
25g ginger
2 tbsp meat curry powder
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cooking caramel (optional)
salt, to taste
1.5 cups water
3 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

directions

• in a pan, heat oil or ghee. temper the cinnamon dried chillies, cardamom pods and star anise for a few seconds. add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves and let them splutter for a few seconds.

• add onions and sauté the until they turn golden. blend the shallots, ginger and garlic into a paste and add into the pan along with the cut chillies. fry until the fat starts to separate.

• sprinkle in the curry powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder and saute for 5 minutes, constantly stirring.

• place the mutton pieces into the pot and stir well to coat. add water and season with salt. bring the meat to simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes to an hour or until the meat becomes tender.

• remove lid and drizzle in the cooking caramel. cook the curry further until the liquid reduces into a thick sauce which clings onto the meat.

• season with salt and black pepper. serve warm with a sprinkle of coriander leaves.

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if you are looking for more similar Indian recipes, check these out below!