Goat Brain Fry | Moolai Varuval

This is a simple to prepare yet tasty brain masala commonly called the brain fry / Moolai varuval. Here mutton brain is delicately cooked with spice powders and the crushed fennel seeds adds an excellent flavor to the dish. My mom often prepares brain podimas to accompany mutton curry or chicken curry on Sundays as it is my most favorite dish. Maternal grandma used to cook brain that way and so I have been tasting it for ages, she prepares it just like egg podimas or burji, the dish is not a spicy preparation but still makes a great side-dish with rice. Sometimes I like to spice up mutton brain and prepare this recipe that I have discussed today. This is my way of preparation and this one is my favorite too, this is not spicy but still has good flavors in it. The spice powders added combines well to make such a brilliant tasting and flavored side-dish, you can accompany it with rice along with rasam and with meat curries like mutton or chicken curry. Sometimes instead of preparing brain these ways, we also tend to cook it whole along with the curry, it tastes great that way too. Check out my Mutton head curry to know how to add brain into curries. Therefore, you can either make curries or sides with mutton brain or even podimas; I will be discussing some of the above mentioned recipes in my upcoming posts. Now lets see how to make this easy to make yet tasty brain fry. Brain gets cooked really quick, just a few tips and tricks of how to cook a brain perfectly is enough to make a perfect tasting brain fry. Don't forget to check the tips section at the bottom to get a clear idea of how to cook brain, if in case you are a beginner in it. 

 

INGREDIENTS

Serves 1 to 2 people as sides
Total Preparation Time - 5 minutes

1. Goat Brain - 1
2. Chopped onion - 1 spoon  (shallots or big onions; I used big onions)
3. Chopped tomato - 1 spoon 
4. Pepper powder - 1/4 spoon 
5. Red chilli powder - 1/4 spoon
6. Cumin powder - 1/4 spoon
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 spoon
8. Fennel seeds / Sombu - 1/4 spoon 
9. Curry leaves - Few 
10. Salt - As per taste
11. Oil - 2 spoons 

      

PREPARATION METHOD

• Wash brain well in water. Handle it very gently and use it on the day of purchase itself. Chop with a sharp knife gently into 8 small cubes and set aside.  (Do not leave aside for long)

• Crush fennel seeds using a mixer grinder or a stone pestle and mortar and set aside. 
• Now place a pan on flame and pour 2 spoons of oil into it. 

• Now saute the crushed fennel seeds on low flame. Do not burn it.
• Then add the curry leaves and saute for a few seconds. 

• Add chopped onions, tomato and saute. 
• Add turmeric powder and salt and saute until the onions turn translucent an tomatoes seem soft. 
• Now add pepper powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder and saute for a minute. 
• Add a a few spoons of water and stir the masala well. Check for salt and add if needed. 

• Now gently place the mutton brain pieces one by one and toss gently, so that it gets adhered to the masala. Do not stir too much, it may break the brain pieces. 
• Gently turn the brain pieces using a flat spoon and cook for 3 minutes on low flame or until the red strand on the brain disappear and the color of brain turns from pale pink to white. 

• Toss gently (or use a flat spoon and gently flip sides) until all the masala gets adhered well, then remove from flame. 
• Serve!! 

TIP 1: Mutton brain gets cooked in just 2 to 3 minutes and so never cook them for long. Also the best way to identify if the brain has cooked in and out is to see if the pinkish strands disappear, and the brain changes color from pink to white inside. 

TIP 2: Adding more oil (4 spoons instead of 2 spoons) while preparation makes it taste good and even enhances the look, but its upto your choice. 

Super flavorful and tasty brain fry is now ready serve with rice, rasam, mutton or chicken curry!!