KOKANI-STYLE MASACHA SAALNA

While seafood dominates the Kokani Muslim cuisine, there are other forms of meat too that the Kokani’s enjoy eating. Apart from seafood, MAAS or mutton is also popular in the #KokaniMuslim cuisine. Unlike seafood it is not used for everyday cooking. It's use is reserved for special ocassions, festivals, weddings and family get togethers.

The curries so made are relished with DHAAN (steamed rice), BAGHARI DHAAN (Also called Sada Pulao made by tempering rice with sliced onions &/or whole spices) and SAANDAN(steamed rice cakes). Mutton is used to make a number of flavourful curry dishes called MAASACHA SAALNA, SHIKORI, GORISO etc. depending upon the region in the coast you are from.

​A common way of preparing the mutton is a flavourful gravy or saalna as Kokanis call their gravies. Also, Kokanis love to flavour their non-seafood preps too with smokiness of roasted coconut so this dish too is not spared from the addition of coconut.

​We savour this dish most with saandan or traditional steamed rice cake. This combination brings back childhood memories of Eid day when grandma would have saalna and saandan prepared as a festive meal.

Here is my recipe of arriving at this flavourful curry.

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Serves: 3-4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 45-60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 750 gm Mutton on bone
• 3 tbsp Oil
• 3 Onion, large-sized & finely chopped
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2-3 Green cardamom pods
• 4-5 Black peppercorns
• 3-4 Tomatoes, large-sized & puree (optional)
• 3 tbsp Roasted coconut paste
• 1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tsp Coriander powder
• 3 tsp Red chilli powder
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds powder
• ½ tsp Turmeric powder
• ½ tsp Garam masala powder
• 2½ cups Water
• Salt to taste
• Fresh green coriander for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pot on a medium flame.
2. Add onions once the oil is hot and fry them till they are golden brown in color. Remove onions from the pot and keep aside.
3. Add the whole spices in the same pot that onions were fried in. Fry for 30 seconds.
4. Add all the dry spice powders and salt. Fry for another 30 seconds.
5. Add ginger garlic paste. Fry for another 30 seconds.
6. Add the fried onions back to the pot and mix well.
7. Add tomato puree and coconut paste. Fry till oil appears on the sides.
8. Add the mutton along with the water and mix well.
9. Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the meat is tender.
10. Serve hot garnished with fresh green coriander.

So do try out this recipe and let me know how it turned out.
Till then, HAPPY COOKING...