Bengali Style Mutton Kosha Recipe

Even if you are not a bengali, but a non-veg lover I am sure you would have heard about mutton Kosha. Well! The lip-smacking Mutton kosha recipe is surely gonna drool your mind and make your tastebuds dance with joy.

I am going to share the recipe of Golbari and if you don’t know what that is, then I am here to help you.

Relation Between Golbari And Mutton Kosha

This dish is named after Golbari, a renowned heritage eatery in Kolkata. This place is famous for its signature Kosha Mangsho not only in Bengal, but also around the world. At Golbari, the marinated mutton is slow-cooked to perfection over a low flame. The gravy is thick, dark brown, and made with their own secret ingredients ( I will share them with you, don’t worry). 

Being a bengali I have always been a fan of his particular mutton kosha from childhood. I learnt it from my Mom and she from hers (My Dida). I learnt the Golbari mutton kosha recipe from my family and here I am sharing it with you all.

Ingredients List – Mutton Kosha Recipe

Here is the whole list of ingredients that you will need to make a bengali mutton kosha recipe.

For Marination of Mutton

• 1 kg of mutton
•  4 tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste
• 6 green chilies (adjust to taste)
• 1 cup of raw papaya paste
• 2-3 tbsp yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder
• 4 tablespoons of mustard oil

For Golbari Mutton Kosha’s Roasted Masala Powder

• 2 black cardamom
• 2 mace (jaitri)
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 to 5 green cardamoms
• 3 to 6 red chilies
• 1 to 3 star anise, broken into pieces
• 1-inch cinnamon stick
• 4-6 black peppercorns
• 1/2-inch nutmeg (jaifal)

For Preparing the Kosha Mutton

• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup onion paste
• 4 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
• 1 cup fresh curd
• 6 tablespoons mustard oil
• 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 2 tablespoons red chili powder (give less if can’t have spicy food)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• Roasted Masala Powder, as needed
• Beresta paste, as needed
• Salt, to taste (keep it on the lower side)
• Water, as needed

Cooking Our Kosha Mangsho 

Now here comes the very famous mutton kosha bengali recipe as shared by my mum and dida. Are you ready to taste the authentic dish? Come on let us get started.

Steps to Marinate the Mutton:

 Wash the mutton thoroughly, ensuring it has some fat. 

Grind the ginger, garlic, and green chilies into a smooth paste. 

Separately, grind the raw papaya into a smooth paste.

Combine the ginger-garlic-chili paste and papaya paste with the mutton. Add turmeric powder and mustard oil.

Add some two to three tablespoons of curd to it. This will make the meat softer and tastier.

Massage the mutton with these ingredients using your palm.

Refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours for marination (overnight marination is preferable).

Steps to Make the Roasted Masala

Heat a kadai and dry roast all the whole spices until aromatic. Do not burn.

Keep it aside for some time to cool down.

Grind the roasted spices (ingredients mentioned above) to make a masala powder.

Start the Cooking Process

Beat the curd/ yogurt/ dahi in a bowl with a fork to avoid lumps. 

Add coriander (dhaniya) powder and turmeric (haldi) powder, and mix well. Set aside.

Chop onions, dividing them into two parts: 

• one for making beresta
• The other part for the onion paste. 

Grind ginger and garlic again together to make some more paste.

Heat two tablespoons of oil in the kadhai. Add the chopped onions and fry until they turn a nice brown color to make beresta, being careful not to burn them.

Once done, remove the onions from the kadhai, let them cool to room temperature, and grind them into a smooth paste.

 In the remaining oil, add the onion paste and ginger-garlic paste. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until the raw smell disappears.

Add the curd mixture with coriander and turmeric powder to the kadhai. Cover and cook on low heat for another 5 minutes.

 Add the homemade roasted masala powder and mix well.

Add the beresta paste and mix thoroughly. Cover and cook for a few more minutes until the masala releases oil.

Add red chili powder, salt (as required), sugar, and honey. Stir well. Cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Add the marinated mutton to the kadhai. Mix well. Cover and cook on low flame for about an hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

As the mutton cooks, it will gradually change color to a blackish maroon. Be careful not to burn it while achieving this color.

If the mutton appears dry, add 1/2 cup of hot water, then cover and cook. Ideally, avoid adding water if possible.

Once done, add 2 tablespoons of ghee and mix well before turning off the flame.

Remember to cook the mutton on low flame. It requires patience and practice, but the final result is worth the effort and time.

For Garnishing

If you wish and love to present your food nicely on the dinner table, then here you go. You can garnish it with some lemon, finely chopped coriander leaves and onion. 

Serve the Mutton Kosha with:

Well! I prefer having this amazingly awesome dish with plain rice. Ahhhh! Sounds so delicious, right? You can also have it with pulao (especially the Bengali styled one), Luchi or Lachha paratha. 

Hope you enjoy the dish! Let me know in the comment section about your experience.