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From the royal kitchen

Maratha cuisine is very distinct from Rajput food which is richer in meats and ghee and frugal in greens, being the diet of desert kings. Marathas, on the contrary, eat a lot of coconut, masalas and generous doses of chilli. The Marathas were always at war. They needed to cook in camps with whatever meat they could hunt. The easiest way to make it yummy was to add a lot of chilli. Sukha Meat is dry and can be also enjoyed with paos.

1 kg Mutton
4 table spoons oil
2 table spoons Ginger
garlic paste
2 tea spoons chilli powder
2 table spoons Kohlapuri
masala (Kohlapuri Kanda
Lasun Chuntney
Chopped coriander for garnishing

Masala Paste
1 table spoon oil
3 chopped onions (roast in oil till brown)
2 tea spoons coriander seeds
2 cinnamon sticks
10 dry cloves
2 Black cardamom pods
Half dry coconut (grated)
1 tea spoon poppy seeds
2 tea spoons sesame
seeds
All the above spices to be dry roasted together and crushed finely together. Then add the above roasted onions to the spices and make a fine paste.

Method Hear 2 table spoons of oil in a pressure cooker Add 3 chopped onions and sauté till pink Add ginger garlic paste Fry for two minutes Now add raw mutton Add salt and cover it for 5 minutes Then add 6 glasses of water to it Cook till the mutton in the cooker gets tender and is cooked (4 whistles) Drain the stock and keep the mutton pieces aside You can use the stock for ‘Rassa’ (Soup) Take 2 table spoons of oil and fry the ginger masala paste in it till it leaves oil. Now add red chilli powder and Kohlapuri masala (also known as Kohlapuri Kanda Lasun Chutney) Saute till it leaves oil Now add mutton to it and add salt as per taste. Saute till the masala gets coated on the mutton Serve in a bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

A young mother, a designer, and member of a Kolhapurbased noble family that is also linked to the Chhatrapati family, Nikam is a cook par excellence.

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