This authentic mutton curry (or lamb curry) is guaranteed to be the best lamb curry recipe you've ever had! Deliciously tender pieces of mutton / lamb, simmered in a coconut gravy spiced with aromatic Sri Lankan curry spices. This is a family recipe with a long history, and now you can make it for your loved ones too! EASY - This recipe is easy to make, but do give yourself enough time to make the curry properly. The difference between a mediocre and a fantastic curry is the time you take to gradually layer the flavors (instead of dumping everything in one go and cooking it all at once). So keep in mind that this is an easy recipe, but not necessarily fast.
Cut the mutton / lamb into small 1 inch pieces. You can also use bone-in meat, but have it cut or cubed by the butcher if possible for convenience.
1 kg mutton or lamb
Place all the meat in a large bowl.
Finely mince the garlic and ginger, and add it to the meat.
5 cloves of garlic, 2 inch piece of ginger
Add the rest of the marinade ingredients into the meat and mix well until the meat is coated with the spices. Cover and let it sit for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours in the fridge. I prefer to marinate the meat overnight in the fridge for maximum flavor.
1 tsp fine sea salt, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, 2 tsp Sri Lankan curry powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Mutton curry
Heat a large pot over medium / medium high heat.
Add the coconut oil, along with the onions. Let the onions heat up with the coconut oil, and saute until the onions soften and start to get a little color.
2 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil, ½ large onion
To the onions, add the salt, lemongrass, rampe and curry leaves, and saute for another minute.
½ stalk lemongrass, 8 - 10 curry leaves, ¼ tsp sea salt, 4 inch rampe
Next, add the spices - fennel, cumin, ground cardamom, cayenne pepper, and curry powder. Mix the spices so that it's all mixed well with the onions and oil. Saute for 30 - 60 seconds until the spices are fragrant. Do NOT let the spices burn.
1 tsp ground fennel seeds, ½ tsp ground cumin, 4 - 5 green cardamom pods, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tbsp Sri Lankan curry powder
Now add the marinated mutton pieces and sugar. Mix well to combine the meat with the sauteed spices.
1 kg mutton or lamb, 1 tsp white sugar
Place the lid over the pot and let the meat simmer, COVERED, for about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat if necessary. Stir the meat once or twice during this time to prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Next, add about 1 cup of water. Stir and let the meat cook, covered, for a further 20 - 30 minutes. Stir the curry occasionally to prevent the meat or curry from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.
1 - 1.5 cups water
Now simmer the curry uncovered, for another 20 minutes or so until the meat becomes tender. Make sure to replenish the curry with a little water if the curry becomes a little dry while simmering.
Finally, stir in the coconut milk and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. You can add more water if you want more gravy. Taste and season with salt.
1 cup coconut milk, Salt to taste
Let the curry sit for at least 15 - 20 minutes before serving to let the flavors settle further.
Notes
Please note that in the images that I have shared in this post, I made a double batch of this mutton curry recipe. I like making a big batch of curry to meal prep, and to save some in the freezer for later.You can easily double this recipe, but make sure to use a pot that can hold all of the meat well, with enough room to stir.
Notes on the curry powder
This is made with a Sri Lankan Curry powder, but you can make the following substitutions if you prefer,
Garam masala + coconut milk
Garam masala + yogurt (plain unsweetened)
Madras curry powder + coconut milk
You can also leave out the coconut milk if you like, but then the curry will be less creamy