Chettinad Uppu Kari

Name: Chettinad Uppu Kari
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 2-3 servings
Cuisine: Chettinad
Ingredients: 300 grams Mutton, cut into small pieces; 2 tablespoons oil; 1 teaspoon Fennel Seed; 1 teaspoon Cumin, seeds; 1 teaspoon Black Peppercorn; 1 stick cinnamon; 3 Clove; 2 Red Chili, dried; 2 Green Chili, slit; 1 cup Shallot, 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 Cilantro, chopped

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

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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 Seed
	1 teaspoon	Cumin , seeds
	1 teaspoon	Black Peppercorn
	1 stick	Cinnamon
	3	Clove
	2	Red Chili , dried
	2	Green Chili , slit
	1 cup	Shallot , 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	Cilantro , 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.