Vidarbha Tambda Rassa

Vidarbha red mutton broth — tambda (red) rassa is the fiery, thin, brick-red companion to the white pandhra rassa, both typically served together at Vidarbha feasts. Unlike the thick Saoji curry, the tambda rassa is a brothy, pourable mutton soup made by simmering mutton bones in a base of freshly ground dried red chilli paste, onion, garlic, ginger, and Kolhapuri-influenced spices (dried red chilli, coriander, and dagad phool) in a minimal amount of fat until thin and powerfully flavoured — more soup than gravy. The fat from the mutton bones rises to the surface and carries the red chilli oil. Poured over plain rice or drunk from a cup alongside the main curry. The Vidarbha tambda rassa is spicier and thinner than the Kolhapuri tambda rassa; it represents the Nagpur dhaba tradition of serving both a thick curry and a soup-like rassa at every meat meal.