This delicious mutton masala recipe is one of the fastest ways to cook soft, flavorful mutton that tastes as if it is slow-cooked but does not actually require long hours of marination or cooking. Learn how to make easy goat masala (mutton curry) in a pressure cooker without stressing out in the kitchen!
Why You’ll Love This Mutton Masala Recipe
Mutton masala can be quite intimidating for someone who has never cooked with mutton. South Indian mutton recipes are no exception.
Slow cooking makes goat meat tender and delicious. But sometimes the thought of marinating the mutton and cooking for hours can make you avoid goat meat altogether. Not to mention that chewing through tough mutton pieces (even in a tasty gravy) can be a nightmare!
This recipe will help you cook delicious goat masala in a pressure cooker with minimum effort. With TENDER JUICY MUTTON.
Most Indian curries start with sauteing onions and tomatoes. You then add the meat/vegetables and spices and simmer until cooked.
To make this mutton masala curry, we pressure-cook mutton with spices and aromatics first. The cooked mutton gravy is then sauteed in oil. This is my secret to making the goat meat soft (not just soft, I mean melt-in-your-mouth tender and juicy) and FULL of flavors.
This way you also ensure that the mutton absorbs all those spices while cooking in its own juices.
This pressure cooker mutton curry served for dinner with steaming boiled rice, roti or naan is the perfect comfort food during the cold months. Like my Kerala egg roast or 5-ingredient easy chicken curry which can also be eaten with rice or roti.
Once you know that this mutton curry is good for you, you wouldn’t want to wait for fall or winter to try it. It also happens to be a dairy-free and gluten-free recipe.
Like most of my other curry recipes, this is a healthy mutton curry recipe that does not require butter, cream or coconut milk. Same as the 5-ingredient chicken curry without coconut milk.
Not that I don’t like coconut, but I try to use fresh coconut meat rather than store-bought coconut cream or milk. You can see that in recipes like sprouted mung curry, Kerala parippu curry and Kerala fish curry with coconut.
If you like curries, you might want to try the healthier version of the creamy chicken kofta curry made without cream.
Is Goat Meat Healthy?
The Indian lamb or goat meat, usually called mutton is the lesser-known red meat. Though it is considered red meat, it is a leaner, healthier choice when compared to equal serving sizes of chicken, beef, and pork.
Goat meat contains lower levels of saturated fat and cholesterol, combined with high iron and protein content. This makes mutton a good choice for anyone looking for healthy, nutritious red meat. (source)
More Surprising Health Benefits Of Goat Meat
- Goat meat lowers the risk of blood vessel inflammation since it’s rich in fatty acid CLA.
- Mutton prevents anemia since it is rich in iron.
- It promotes bone and teeth health, being rich in calcium.
- Mutton is rich in cancer-preventing selenium and choline.
- Goat meat contains Vitamin B12 which promotes cell regeneration and hence good for skin and hair. It also helps beat stress and depression.
- Its low sodium and high potassium content help control blood pressure and prevent kidney disease and stroke.
- Mutton is a rich source of minerals and hence delays aging and strengthens immunity.
- Folate in goat meat helps brain development in children.
- It contains niacin which promotes energy metabolism
- It reduces the risk of birth defects in pregnant women.
- B Vitamins in goat meat help burn fat.
Now let’s look at how to make mutton masala:
Ingredients
(You can find the exact measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this page.)
Like most forms of red meat, mutton also has a strong flavor. You need to complement it with simple, but bold-flavored spices. The spice mix used for goat masala is called mutton masala powder.
Making your own homemade mutton masala powder is very easy. It also helps you control the spice level and ingredients to suit your taste. You can also add different spices at different stages of cooking for maximum flavor, as I’ve done in this recipe.
- Mutton or goat meat: Choose young mutton, which will be lighter (pinkish) in color. You can use boneless or bone-in mutton. If you’re buying bone-in mutton, ensure that you get it chopped into bite-sized pieces from your butcher. It can be hard for you to cut through the mutton bones.
- Mutton masala spices: Chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric, cumin, garam masala, and pepper.
- Other ingredients: Bay leaf, onions, tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste. You can use grated ginger and garlic instead of ginger-garlic paste.
- Garnish: Roasted curry leaves and coriander leaves.
How To Clean Mutton For Curry
Trim the fat from the mutton pieces and rinse a couple of times.
For the last rinse, add about 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder to the water and wash. Since turmeric is a natural disinfectant, this is an easy and effective way to clean not only goat meat but any form of meat. Turmeric also takes away the raw “meaty” smell from the mutton, even before you start cooking.
How To Make Mutton Masala In A Pressure Cooker: step by step
There are just 2 steps to cook this easy goat masala curry:
Step 1: Pressure-cook Mutton With Spices And Aromatics
- Toss mutton with the spices: chili, coriander, turmeric, cumin powder and salt in a pressure cooker.
- Add finely chopped onions, tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste. Mix everything together.
- I did not add water since the moisture in the rinsed mutton is enough to cook the gravy. (Mutton also leaves a lot of moisture while cooking.) If your mutton pieces are absolutely dry, feel free to add ¼ cup of water.
- Cook in a pressure cooker for about 40 to 45 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
Step 2: Saute The Mutton Gravy
- Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and roast curry leaves until they turn aromatic and crisp. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan. Add a bay leaf and stir.
- Add the contents of the cooker along with pepper and garam masala to the pan. Stir intermittently for about 15 to 20 minutes until the gravy thickens and browns.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and roasted curry leaves.
Voila! The flavorful pressure cooker mutton curry is ready with pieces of meat so tender that the soft flesh falls apart from the bones. Enjoy your mutton masala curry on a bed of steaming hot rice or with dosa/roti.
How To Cook Mutton Curry In An Instant Pot
Follow the same cooking instructions, using “normal” mode on the “meat” setting (that is 35 minutes at high pressure). Allow the pressure to release naturally. You can remove the cooked mutton, rinse and use the pot on “saute” mode for the rest of the cooking.
Recipe Tips
Cooking time depends on the type and quality of the mutton. Young goat meat cooks faster. If you’re not sure, it is okay to pressure-cook for about 45 minutes. Overcooked mutton still tastes good, except that it disintegrates into the curry and looks like minced mutton curry!
Cooking time also depends on whether you’re using boneless or bone-in mutton pieces. Allow 40 minutes for boneless bite-sized pieces and 45 minutes for bone-in.
Adding pepper and garam masala toward the end of cooking gives a deeper flavor to the curry.
Scaling: This recipe can be multiplied to serve more people. Add 10 minutes more to the pressure-cooking time if doubling, 20 for triple the servings and so on.
Make ahead option
Since this mutton masala recipe does not use coconut or dairy, it is perfect as a make-ahead option.
It keeps well for about 4 days (maybe more, I’ve only tried storing it for a maximum of 4 days) in the refrigerator, or for about 2 months when frozen. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Storing Leftovers
Leftover mutton gravy can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Store in an airtight container (so it doesn’t absorb the smell from other foods in the fridge) and reheat as and when required.
What To Serve With Goat Masala
Serve this mutton masala curry with steaming boiled white or brown rice. It also tastes great with chapati or naan.
You can also serve goat masala with mildly flavored rice like jeera pulao or Indian lemon rice with brown rice which goes amazingly well with the spicy curry. Try the toasted coconut cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.
If you’re looking for easy side dishes that go well with rice and mutton masala, make tandoori cauliflower or microwave vendakkai fry.
Common Questions About Pressure Cooker Mutton Curry
Which part of mutton is best for curry?
Almost any cut of goat can be used for this curry, but bone-in thighs or shoulders are the most flavorful cuts of goat meat. The bones add to the flavor of the curry. But if you can’t get them, you can settle for the boneless cuts as a second option.
How do you know when the mutton is cooked?
Perfectly cooked mutton is very soft and almost falls apart, but still intact. When you press the mutton piece with a ladle, it should easily give in without much resistance.
Why is my mutton chewy?
Chewy mutton means that it is undercooked. Luckily for this curry recipe, it is easy to fix: just cook it some more. If the mutton is chewy and the gravy is too dry after pressure cooking, add ¼ cup of boiling water (if the curry has enough liquid, like roughly about ¼ cup, there’s no need to add water) and pressure cook again. After it reaches high pressure, cook on low flame for 5 to 10 minutes depending on how tough the mutton is.
How do I make mutton tender fast?
The best way to make mutton tender fast (without marinating) is to chop the mutton into bite-sized pieces and pressure cook with spices and water, so the flavors get infused into the mutton pieces. Then saute with more spices and simmer the curry with more water if required, until you get the desired thickness.
Love Thai curries? You might want to try keto Thai chicken curry using homemade green curry paste.
Looking for more easy curry recipes? Try these…
Easy Mangalore Fish Curry With Coconut Milk
Easy Kerala Parippu Curry (Kerala Dal Curry)
7 Ingredient Kerala Fish Curry With Coconut
Kerala Egg Roast (Nadan Mutta Roast)
Printable Curry Paste Recipe
Grab a printable copy of the curry paste that helps home cooks like you cook different curries in 30 minutes or less:
Easy Mutton Masala Recipe
Equipment
- Pressure cooker or instant pot
- Wok or pan
Ingredients
- 700 grams/25 oz bone-in mutton or 500 grams/18 oz boneless chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 2 tomatoes finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1½ tablespoons sunflower oil/olive oil or oil of choice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- a handful of coriander leaves
Instructions
- Trim the fat and rinse the mutton. Chop into bite-size pieces. (notes 1 & 2)700 grams/25 oz bone-in mutton or 500 grams/18 oz boneless
- Place the mutton pieces in a pressure cooker and toss them with the spices:1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt
- Add and toss:2 onions, 2 tomatoes, 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- Lock the lid and pressure cook until it reaches high pressure. After the first whistle, cook on medium heat for 40 to 45 minutes (note 5). Turn off the flame and allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Meanwhile, heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan. Roast a handful of curry leaves until they turn aromatic and crisp. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in the same pan. Add a bay leaf and transfer the contents from the pressure cooker to the pan.
- Add:1½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon garam masala
- Stir intermittently for about 15 to 20 minutes until the gravy thickens and browns.
- By now the pieces of meat will be so soft that the bones will almost fall apart. Transfer mutton masala to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and roasted curry leaves.
- Serve with steaming hot rice, dosa or roti.
Notes
- If you’re using bone-in mutton, get it chopped into bite-sized pieces from your butcher, cutting through the bones of the mutton can be quite a struggle.
- When you are cleaning the mutton, wash a couple of times with plain water, and for the last rinse, add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric to the water to disinfect and remove the raw smell from the meat.
- Ensure that the meat is at room temperature when you start cooking.
- I did not add water to the pressure cooker since the moisture in the rinsed mutton is enough to cook the gravy. (Mutton also leaves a lot of moisture while cooking.) If your mutton pieces are absolutely dry, feel free to add ¼ cup of water.
- The cooking time highly depends on the quality of the meat and size of the mutton pieces. The meat of a younger goat cooks faster– you can make out from the color of the meat, it has more of a pinkish tint.
- Test the mutton for doneness: After pressure-cooking, the mutton should be soft and give in if you apply slight pressure. If you find the mutton is tough, pressure cook again, allowing 10 minutes after the first whistle. (Remember to add a little hot water, say ¼ cup if the gravy has dried up.) Let the pressure release naturally.
- Cooking mutton masala in an instant pot: Follow the same cooking instructions, using “normal” mode on the “meat” setting (that is 35 minutes at high pressure). Allow the pressure to release naturally. You can remove the cooked mutton, rinse and use the pot on “saute” mode for the rest of the cooking.
- Serving suggestions: Best served with plain boiled rice, flavored rice or naan/roti.
- Make-ahead option: Since this goat masala has no dairy or coconut cream, it keeps well in the refrigerator for 4 days (or more) and 2 months in the freezer. Ensure that you store in an airtight container.
★★★★★Did you try this recipe? Please give a star rating in the comments below ★★★★★
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Caution
As we all know, red meat has some drawbacks and mutton is no exception.
- Consuming large portions of mutton regularly might lead to weight gain and obesity; portion control is key while consuming red meat, especially.
- If not cooked right, mutton may cause digestion problems or food poisoning.
- Those with heart problems should avoid red meat.
This post has been updated with new photos to serve you better. The recipe is the same awesome one!
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Hi, your recipe says to add raw onions and tomato and cook with mutton in water. Doesn’t the rawness of onion affect the flavour?
Hi Poornima, thanks for stopping by!
When you add onions with spices to the mutton and cook, it will only improve the flavor. You will saute the whole gravy in oil later on. So you get a nice aroma and not the flavor of raw onions.
I hope that answers your question. Please let me know how it turned out for you 🙂
I made this goat curry for the first time using a pressure cooker and it was absolutely delicious, the meat was so succulent. Can’t praise this recipe enough. I’m going to be trying more of your recipes in future.
Thanks, Veronica! I’m glad the recipe turned out great for you!
Thanks For Sharing this Amazing Recipe. My Family Loved It. I will be sharing this Recipe with my Friends. Hope They will like it.
Happy to hear that, thank you!
Looks tasty 🙂
Thankyou!
I’m definitely going to ask my mom about finding some goat meat now! 😀
The unique taste will definitely make this meat your favourite!