Goat Head Curry with Bottle Masala
An authentic East Indian recipe made with tender meat, aromatic spices, bottle masala and homemade masala paste.
Ingredients
- 1 medium goat head cut into pieces
- 1½ cups water
- Whole spices cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
For the Curry
- 1½ tbsp Bottle Masala
- ½ tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder optional
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- Juice of 1/2 sour lime
- Coriander leaves for garnish
- Salt to taste
- 4 tbsp oil
For the Masala Paste (to be roasted)
- 2 medium onions sliced
- 3 green chillies slit
- 1 whole pod garlic or 7 to 8 cloves
- 1-inch ginger
- 1 medium tomato sliced
- A small bunch of coriander leaves
- 1 tsp oil for roasting
Instructions
- Clean the goat head thoroughly. Place it in a pressure cooker along with the whole spices, turmeric powder, salt, and 1.5 cups of water.Pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles or until the meat is tender.
- Pick up the meat, strain the stock to get rid of the fine bones. Reserve the stock for later use.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a frying pan. Add the sliced onions and sauté until light golden brown. Add the green chillies, garlic, ginger, and sliced tomato.Continue roasting until the tomatoes soften and the ingredients become aromatic. Allow the mixture to cool and then transfer to a mixer jar along with the coriander leaves and blend into a smooth paste.
- Heat the remaining oil in a large pot. Add the prepared masala paste and sauté well. Add the Bottle Masala and Kashmiri chilli powder and continue frying until the oil begins to separate from the masala. Now, add the cooked goat head pieces and mix well so the meat is coated with the masala. Pour in the reserved stock and mix. Cover and simmer to allow the flavours to blend.
- Add the garam masala powder and the juice of half a lemon. Mix gently and cook for another minute. Finally, garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.
Notes
- Homemade Bottle Masala gives the most authentic flavour.
- Do not discard the stock after pressure cooking as it adds tremendous flavour to the curry.
- Adjust the chilli powder according to your spice preference.
- A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens the flavours beautifully.