Mutton 65 | Mutton Fry | Mutton Pakoda

Here is an easy to make, super tasty and crispy starter for non-veg and fried food lovers. You can either serve it as a starter or even as sides. Drizzle some lemon juice over the fried pieces and serve with some onion slices and serve to enjoy the perfect starter. Without prior cooking mutton, should not be fried directly, it will make the pieces hard and rubbery and sometimes even under-cooked. So unlike chicken and prawn, mutton or beef must be cooked first and then fried. This is the basic trick or tip which will give you soft and succulent fried pieces. I have earlier posted Beef 65, Prawn 65 and Bread 65; click on the names to get those recipes.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 2 people
Total Preparation Time - 30 minutes 

1. Mutton - 250 grams 
2. Gram flour / Kadalai maavu - 3 tablespoons
3. Corn flour - 2 tablespoons 
4. Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon 
5. Red chilli powder - 3/4 tablespoon 
6. Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
7. Fennel powder / Sombu podi - 1/2 teaspoon (Optional)
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon 
9. Lemon juice - From half of a lemon
10. Salt - As required 
11. Oil - For deep frying 

PREPARATION METHOD

• Wash mutton well in water, chop into bite size pieces. Wash again and drain excess water.
• Place mutton pieces in a pressure cooker and pour water until it gets immersed well and there is some water above the mutton pieces. Add turmeric powder, salt and stir. Close the lid and pressure cook for 12 to 15 minutes on low flame. 
• After the aforementioned time remove the cooker from flame and set aside until the pressure drops. Then open the lid and take the mutton pieces alone. (Use the excess water as soup or as stock water for any gravy preparations. For a simple soup, just add some cumin powder, pepper powder, coriander leaves and serve) 
• Now make a thick batter with the following ingredients. 

(For Batter)

Gram flour / Kadalai maavu - 3 tablespoons

 Corn flour - 2 tablespoons 

Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon 

Red chilli powder - 3/4 tablespoon 

Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon

Fennel powder / Sombu podi - 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon 

Lemon juice - From half of a lemon

Salt - As required 

(The batter should not be runny nor too thick, it must have dosa batter consistency) 

• Now place a frying pan on flame and pour enough oil into it for frying the mutton pieces. 
• After the oil becomes hot dip the mutton pieces into the batter coat it well with the batter on all sides and gently slide it into the hot oil. 
• Fry until the pieces turn crisp and red. (Mutton pieces are already cooked, so we need only the batter to get cooked so fry on medium flame, do not fry for longer time, it will make the pieces hard and rubbery) 
• Remove from flame, drizzle lemon juice if you wish and serve!!

TIP 1: The oil should have the correct temperature for frying. It should not be smoking hot; when you drop a small piece of batter into hot oil it should immediately float up and should not change color immediately, this is the correct temperature. If it does not come up then the oil is still not hot, if the piece comes up and browns too fast then it means that the oil is too hot. 

TIP 2: You can add some curry leaves to the batter this will give a nice aroma while frying the mutton pieces. 

Crispy and tasty Mutton 65 is now ready!! Serve as starter or sides!!