Gongura Mamsam

Sorrel mutton — bone-in mutton slow-cooked first in its own fat with fried onion, ginger-garlic paste, and a dry masala blend until nearly done, then fresh gongura leaves (either raw or previously tempered separately in sesame oil) added and the whole cooked together for another twenty minutes until the gongura leaves completely dissolve into the gravy and their sharp tartness penetrates the meat. The gongura both tenderises the mutton further through its natural acidity and lends its distinctive fermented-sour flavour to the gravy, turning it an olive-red colour. The Telangana version uses younger, more intensely sour gongura leaves than the Andhra version; the result is a tangier, more assertively flavoured dish. Considered the single most iconic preparation of Telangana's non-vegetarian cooking tradition.