Kolkata Mutton Rezala Recipe – Sabir’s Mughlai Style Goat Curry
Mutton Rezala with paratha is one of the most desired festive dishes in many Bengali families. Rezala refers to a delicate Mughlai curry cooked in a thin yogurt-based sauce flavored with aromatic spices.
The famous Rezala from Sabir's Hotel near Chandni Chowk, Kolkata has been loved since 1948. Sabir Ali from Uttar Pradesh introduced Mughlai cuisine to Kolkata and made this dish legendary among food lovers.
The secret of Sabir's Rezala lies not only in the ingredients but also in slow cooking over charcoal fire. Even when the recipe is followed carefully at home, the restaurant flavor remains unique.
Mutton Rezala Recipe
Ingredients
- Goat meat from ribs – 1 kg
- Onion paste – 1/4 cup
- Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
- Curd (yogurt) – 400 g
- Fresh lime juice – 1 tsp
- Ghee or oil – 2 tbsp
- Dry roasted spice powder – 3 tsp mixture (white pepper, mace, nutmeg, caraway seeds, cinnamon, cardamom)
- Cashew paste with saffron milk – 1/4 cup
- Poppy seed paste – 2 tsp
- Salt – to taste
- Bay leaves – 5 to 6
For Garnishing & Aromatics
- Fried dried red chilies – 8 to 10
- Fried black peppercorns – 2 tsp
- Kewra water – 2 tsp
- Roasted lotus seeds (makhana) – 1/4 cup
- Mitha attar – 4 to 5 drops
Directions
- Combine goat meat, curd, onion paste, ginger garlic paste, roasted spice powder, bay leaves, salt, lemon juice, kewra water, and ghee in a large bowl.
- Marinate for at least 30 minutes (overnight marination yields the best flavor).
- Blend the poppy seeds into a fine paste and combine thoroughly with the cashew-saffron milk paste.
- Transfer the marinated mutton to a heavy-bottomed pot, cover tightly, and simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes until the meat is tender.
- Stir in the cashew-poppy paste with saffron milk, fried peppercorns, fried whole red chilies, and roasted lotus seeds (makhana).
- Add 4 to 5 drops of mitha attar, cover, and allow the stew to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve hot with flaky paratha, roomali roti, or tandoori roti.
Yogurt has long been an important ingredient in Bengali cuisine, especially during seasonal shifts when it is believed to aid digestion.