Mutton Liver Fry

  This recipe could be referred to as my father’s signature dish! He often made it for us kids when we were younger, to make us put on weight. Me and my sis and bro, were so thin that people used to ask mom and dad whether we were not properly fed. They just tried everything to make us put on some weight but nothing really worked! Anyways, this is one absolutely  spicy and delicious dish we  loved. The main ingredients in this dish are shallots and pepper which gives a very unique taste to the fry. If you have never tasted a mutton liver fry before, now is the time. It is that tasty.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

 

1. Mutton liver – 1/2 kg
2. Shallots – 10 + 7
3. Garlic – 10 small cloves
4. Ginger – 1.5 inch
5. Green chilies – 5
6. Whole pepper corns – 2.5 tsp
7. Fennel seeds / perum jeerakam – 1/2 tsp
8. Garam masala powder – 1 tsp (Find the recipe for home-made garam masala below.)
9. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
10. Chilly powder – 2 tsp
11. Coriander powder – 2.5 tsp
12. Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
13. Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
14. Dry red chilly – 1
15. Coconut oil – 1 tbsp
16. Salt – To taste

Method

 

1. Put the mutton liver pieces in a vessel of water in which about 1 – 2 tbsp vinegar is added, for half an hour. Wash them well in 4 – 5 rounds of water.

2. Crush the whole pepper corns along with fennel seeds in the small jar of a blender. Now add the shallots, garlic, ginger and green chilies. Crush well and keep aside.

3. Heat coconut oil in a cheena chatti or any deep heavy-bottomed pan. Splutter mustard seeds and fry the dry red chilies. Add  5 – 7 sliced shallots and some curry leaves. Stir until shallots change color. Now add the crushed mixture mentioned in step 2. Saute until they turn light brown. Add the spice powders 8 – 11 and stir until the oil separates over low heat. Now add about 1/4 – 1/2 cup water and enough salt. Bring to a boil and add the mutton liver pieces. Bring down the heat and cook covered for about 15 minutes. Open the lid.  Stir fry at medium heat until the preparation gets dry and the liver is well-coated with the masala. Do not overcook as the liver will get hard. Add a few curry leaves and 1/2 tsp freshly crushed pepper powder. Mix well and switch off. Keep aside for 15 minutes and serve with porotta / rice / kappa puzhukku / chapatis etc.

Recipe for Garam masala (Yield – Around 3  tbsp)

1. Fennel Seeds (Perumjeerakam)-  2.5 tbsp
2. Cloves (Grambu)- 10 – 12
3. Cinnamon stick (Karuvapatta) – 1  inch, broken
4. Cardamom (Elaikka) – 4
5. Star anise (Thakkolam) –  1 small

Dry roast all the ingredients lightly in a panover low heat for 1 minute. When they cool down, grind to a fine powder in a coffee grinder or spice grinder. Store in an airtight container.( Dry-roasting is optional. You can grind these spices directly, they will  be flavorful even if you do not dry roast them.)

Tips:

Mutton liver can be replaced with chicken liver but it wont eb as tasty as mutton preparation.