This Pepper Mutton Fry is one of those easy yet insanely flavorful recipes that comes together entirely in the pressure cooker. Serve it with malabar parottas for the most satisfying, delicious, and take-a-nap-after kind of weekend lunch!
Once you try this simple Pepper Mutton Fry recipe and realise how quick and easy it is to make at home, I promise you’ll wonder where it has been all your life. It’s got the most tender and juicy pieces of mutton, a freshly ground spice mix that really enhances the flavor, and the most beautiful aroma of curry leaves.
The entire recipe comes together in under 30 minutes in the pressure cooker, but don’t let that fool you. It’s a super delicious and aromatic dish that you’ll want to eat again and again. My favorite way to serve this dish is with crispy malabar parottas, but you can also serve it with ghee rice, jeera rice, naan, or even plain rice for something lighter and quicker.
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Pepper Mutton Fry Ingredients
Mutton: Boneless mutton pieces work best here. I have used shoulder pieces as they stay juicy until the end, but you can use any cut that’s available to you
Aromatics: Thinly sliced onions, lots of ginger-garlic paste, and green chillies make for a flavorful and aromatic base for this mutton fry recipe
Oil: I have used coconut oil for its distinct South Indian flavor and aroma. You can use any neutral-flavored oil or even ghee for this recipe. It will taste slightly different, but still delicious
Whole spices: Cumin (jeera), fennel (saunf), coriander seeds, whole peppercorns, stone flower (patthar phool), clove, cinnamon are used in the spice mix as well as the cooking process
Turmeric: turmeric powder adds a color to the dish
Lemon juice: for freshness and tang
Curry leaves: a handful curry leaves add a freshness, earthy flavors, and aroma typical to South Indian dishes
Coriander leaves: Freshly chopped and used as a garnish to add the perfect fresh finishing touch
Richa’s Top Tips
- I would highly recommend making and using a freshly ground masala for the best flavor and aroma in this mutton pepper fry recipe. But you can replace it with store-bought garam masala in a pinch.
- Use freshly-milled, good-quality black peppercorns for this recipe as that is what delivers the most amount flavor
- Frying onions is the only time consuming step in this recipe and I would not recommend skipping it. Caramelised onions impart a mildly sweet flavor that truly helps balance out the heat from the pepper
- This recipe can be quite hot. Feel free to reduce the amount of black pepper if you have a lower spice tolerance
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, absolutely! Just make sure to reduce the cooking time and use bone-in thigh pieces to help the dish stay juicy right until the end.
Go for tender cuts with a bit of fat like shoulder or curry-cut pieces as they stay juicy and soak up all that peppery goodness.
Yes, you can but it’ll take way longer (around 3-4 hours). Slow cook this dish covered until the mutton is tender and then finish the fry.
Yes, lamb works really well and is often more tender, so adjust cooking time slightly.
Storage Tips
- Fridge: Allow the dish to cool completely and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: This dish can be frozen for up to a month, but it will dry up slightly. Simply thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat as usual.
- Reheat: You can reheat this dish on the stovetop or in the microwave on gentle heat until heated through. Add in a splash of water if the dish feels like it’s become too dry
Serving Ideas
- Malabar Parottas with the soft, flaky and crispy textures make the best accompaniment to soak all of that masala and tender mutton pieces.
- Ghee rice, jeera rice, or plain steamed rice also work really well with this mutton pepper fry if you want a quicker side
- Serve with a side of kachumbar style salad to make the meal more wholesome
- A raita and some fried papadums also make for great accompaniments with this dish especially if you’re eating it with rice
Customisation Ideas
- Replace the mutton with chicken, lamb, pork, or any other protein of your choice. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly
- You can also make this dish vegetarian by using paneer or mushrooms. If you’re making it veg, simply cook it in the pan and adjust the cook time
- Feel free to add a few veggies like carrots, bell peppers, etc. for added texture and nutrition
This easy mutton fry recipe is so delicious that you simply just cannot have once. I made it three times in the past week itself, and believe me, none of us are bored of it yet.
If you make this recipe, do send pictures over on my IG @my_foodstory. It’s always so nice seeing your recreations.
Watch Pepper Mutton Fry Recipe Video
Pepper Mutton Fry
Equipment
Ingredients
Pepper Fry Powder
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- ½ tsp fennel seeds saunf
- ½ tsp cumin seeds jeera
- 2 tsp coriander seeds dhaniya seeds
- 1/2 inch cinnamon
- 1 clove laung
- 1 stone flower dagad ka phool (optional but adds a lovely fragrance and flavour)
For the mutton
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- ½ tsp fennel seeds saunf
- ½ tsp cumin seeds jeera
- 2 medium onions sliced
- 5 garlic cloves
- 20-25 curry leaves divided
- ½ kg mutton
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder haldi
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅓ cup hot water
- Pepper Fry Powder made in the beginning
- 2 green chillies slit lengthwise
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
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Dry roast all the ingredients mentioned under ‘pepper fry masala’ on low heat in a pan for 3-4 minutes. Make sure to keep stirring the spices so they don’t burn and keep a close eye on them. Once roasted, cool and grind them and set aside.1 tbsp black peppercorns, ½ tsp fennel seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp coriander seeds, 1/2 inch cinnamon, 1 clove, 1 stone flower
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Heat coconut oil in a pressure cooker and add fennel and cumin seeds. Once they start spluttering, add onions and garlic and cook this till the onions are a golden brown.2 tbsp coconut oil, ½ tsp fennel seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, 2 medium onions, 5 garlic cloves
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Add 10 curry leaves, mutton, ginger garlic paste, turmeric and salt. Stir fry on high for 3-4 minutes till the mutton starts to get some colour and a little water (very little liquid) starts coming out of it.20-25 curry leaves, ½ kg mutton, 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp salt
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Then add hot water and pressure cook the mutton for 1 whistle on high and then 4 whistles on low. It can take a little longer to cook, depending on the quality and quantity of meat.⅓ cup hot water
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Let the pressure release naturally before opening the cooker. Add the ground pepper fry powder, the remaining curry leaves and green chillies. Cook this for a few more minutes (5-10 minutes) to cook the masala and reduce any excess water. The masala will take on a dark colour as it cooks. Finish with lime juice and coriander leaves and serve hot.Pepper Fry Powder, 2 green chillies, Juice of ½ lemon, 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Video
Nutrition
This article was researched and written by Urvi Dalal.
The post Easiest Pepper Mutton Fry | Pressure Cooker Mutton Fry appeared first on My Food Story.