Spicy mutton curry Maharashtrian style

I have always been amazed by the people who cook the best non-vegetarian food but are pure vegetarian themselves. How can you cook something without knowing how it tastes like or how it should taste like? My mother is one of those people. She cooks the best non-vegetarian food I've ever had. Another such person I know is the Husband's grandmother (for some reason the whole world calls her Mami). So Mami has been a vegetarian all her life but started cooking for her husband cause he just loved eating. She is famous for her Gavran Mutton and Chicken curries which are known to burn a whole in your sole. She visited us recently and knowing of my low tolerance to chilies she made the less spicier version of it. I stood next to her observing the recipe and here it is for all of you to try. Make it, eat it and let me know how it turned out.

Ingredients
Mutton - 600 gms
Onions - 2 medium sized
Garlic - 5-6 cloves
Ginger - An inch long piece
Cinnamon - An inch long stick
Black cardamom - 2
Green cardamom - 2
Bay leaf - 1
Grated coconut (dry or fresh) - 4 tbsp
Chana dal - 2 tbsp
Rice - 2 tbsp
Almonds - 2
Cashewnuts - 4
Dry coriander powder - 2 tsp
Red chili powder - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Refined oil - 4 tbsp
Fresh coriander for garnish

Method

• Wash mutton properly and keep aside.
• Roughly slice onions, heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the onions till they are golden brown. Remove and keep aside.
• In the same pan roast the grated coconut, remove and add to the fried onions.
• Roast the dal and rice too in the pan and add to the onion and coconut mix. Adding dal and rice to the preparation balances out the flavour of the spices and you don't end up eating mutton which tastes more of garlic and cinnamon.
• In a blender take fried onions, garlic, ginger, coconut, rice, dal, cinnamon, black and green cardamom, almonds and cashewnuts, add water and blitz them to a fine paste.
• Heat rest of the oil in a heavy bottomed pressure cooker and fry the paste for 5 minutes.
• Add mutton pieces, coriander and chilli powder and fry for atleast 10-15 minutes before pressure cooking it.
• Add 5 cups of water, salt and put the lid on. 5-6 whistles and your mutton will be ready.

Garnish it with fresh coriander and serve with hot rotis or rice. I prefer rotis slathered with ghee.