Chettinad Uppu Kari
Salted preserved meat — a traditional Chettinad preservation method where mutton or buffalo meat is heavily salted and sun-dried for days, then rehydrated and cooked dry with Chettinad spices. The drying intensifies the meat's flavour into something almost concentrated, with a distinctive chewy texture distinct from fresh meat preparations.
Cuisines
Chettinad
Best for
Lunch
Dinner
Recipe
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 55 min
2-3 servings
Ingredients
| 300 grams | mutton, cut into small pieces |
| 2 tablespoons | oil |
| 1 teaspoon | fennel seeds |
| 1 teaspoon | cumin seeds |
| 1 teaspoon | black peppercorns |
| 1 stick | cinnamon |
| 3 | cloves |
| 2 | dried red chilies |
| 2 | green chilies, slit |
| 1 cup | shallots, finely chopped |
| 1 teaspoon | ginger-garlic paste |
| 1 teaspoon | turmeric powder |
| 1 teaspoon | coriander powder |
| 1 teaspoon | red chili powder |
| 1 | tomato, chopped |
| — | salt to taste |
| 2 tablespoons | coriander leaves, chopped |
Instructions
- 1 Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
- 2 Add fennel seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, and dried red chilies. Sauté until aromatic.
- 3 Add the green chilies and shallots. Sauté until the shallots turn golden brown.
- 4 Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute until the raw smell disappears.
- 5 Add the mutton pieces and sauté until they are browned on all sides.
- 6 Mix in the turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, and salt.
- 7 Add the chopped tomato and cook until it becomes soft and blends with the spices.
- 8 Cover the pan and cook on low heat until the mutton is tender, stirring occasionally. This should take about 25-30 minutes.
- 9 Once the mutton is cooked, uncover the pan and increase the heat to let any excess moisture evaporate.
- 10 Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
Tips
For a more intense flavor, marinate the mutton with turmeric and salt for 30 minutes before cooking.