How to Make Rajasthani Lal Maas

Rajasthani cuisine wouldn’t be half as glorious if laal maas wasn’t an integral part of its vast repertoire, peppered with regional variations apart from the original offerings from the kitchens of Rajput warriors.

Traditionally prepared with game like wild boar or deer, its bold-red colour comes from the liberally used Mathania red chillies. A cup with a burning piece of charcoal is infused with cloves and ghee and set atop the preparation, after which the utensil is sealed. The dish comes with a thick gravy and is usually paired with hot rotis made of wheat or bajra.

Chef Kunal Kapur’s Laal Maas’ Recipe:

→ Heat 100ml of mustard oil till it smokes, and turn off flame. cool oil to medium hot. turn on flame. Add 10 cloves, 1 cup sliced onions once cloves start crackling. 

→ When onions are golden brown, add 1/2 kg mutton and fry for 5 minutes. 

→ Add 6 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, fry for a few more minutes. 

→ Add salt and 4 tbsp Mathania chilli paste (see below for process). Keep roasting this mix and stirring for another 3 minutes. 

Mathania chillies are grown in an ancient village about 33kms from Jodhpur airport. For Mathania chilli paste, dry roast red chilies for a minute and soak in warm water for 15mins. take them out and blitz in a grinder with a little water. 

→ Increase flame and add the whisked yoghurt*. Stir till it comes to a boil.

 * Make a whisked yoghurt mix with Kashmiri chilli powder & salt. It adds colour, not heat. 

Make sure the flame is high while adding the yoghurt to avoid splitting. 

→ Now simmer gently till the mutton is done. you can add stock if needed. 

→ Separately, heat 1 tbsp of ghee and chopped garlic. Sauté till golden, then temper the mutton with it. 

→ Place a piece of live charcoal in the cup and place it atop the curry. 

→ Add 1 tbsp of ghee and cover the utensil with a lid and allow the smoke to infuse the laal maas for about 3 minutes. 

→ Remove the charcoal, heat the curry once again and serve with rotis made of either wheat or bajra.