My tryst with both these recipes was born out of the need to suddenly send content for the newspaper I worked at. Apart from the fact that I ran around like a headless chicken for a bit, the need of the hour was to find something suitably festive and grand for a special food feature. So out came the bit of meat lazing in the fridge, and instead of the usual rice, I decided to swelter in the burning summer heat and make something bread-like. I also did not want to go with the usual Bengali fare, because let’s face it, who doesn’t know how to make Kosha Mangsho and Pulao? I also wanted a rather simple dish to whip up, because hello…deadlines! So there it was, the prospect of sending recipes to my editor and the prospect of trying a new dish for lunch. And thus, I decided to try these very authentic Rajasthani delicacies – JUNGLEE MAAS .
Born in the royal kitchens of Rajasthan, Junglee Maas was apparently a favourite of the Maharaj of Sailana. Why ‘Junglee’ Maas though? Because this dish was cooked with meat caught during shikaars. Game meat such as wild boar, deer, etc, were most often used to cook up a rustic dish right within the jungles. And since it wasn’t possible to carry a whole slew of ingredients, this was cooked with only basics.. A load of ghee, and tons of dried red chilies, some salt, and meat. The meat was slow-cooked on fire for a few hours with occasional splashes of water, until tender, succulent, and full of flavour. The process of cooking the meat also ensured that it remained free of spoilage during long jungle treks. Common variations include the addition of different spices and condiments.
Recipe for Junglee Maas
Ingredients:
- 500 g mutton
- 1/2 cup desi ghee (or mix oil and ghee but I strongly suggest ghee
- 1 tsp coarsely crushed coriander seeds.
- 10 pcs Mathania dried chilies (or use half the number of Kashmiri red chilies)
- 2-6 cups of water
- Salt to taste
Method:
1. Heat a thick-bottomed kadhai and add half of the ghee to it
2. Once the ghee is hot, add in the mutton pieces
3. Sauté on a medium flame for 15 to 20 minutes
4. Add in the dry red chilies and crushed coriander and give it a nice mix
5. Add in water and bring to a boil
6. Add the salt, cover the kadhai and allow mutton to cook
7. Every 15-20 minutes, remove the lid and give it a stir. Then add some water if needed, and add half a spoon of ghee.
8. Continue to cover and cook until mutton is tender and fully cooked.
9. Check salt and see if you need to adjust.
10. Cover and rest for 30 mins before serving hot with naan, roti or any type of flatbread. Note: Do not add ginger, garlic, tomatoes, or spice powders. You can flash fry some garlic in ghee and add before serving. Do not garnish with coriander leaves!
By Trisha Rudra
Trisha Rudra is a part-time writer and full-time owner of Trisha’s Kitchen Alchemy, a home based confectionery, bakery and food business, specialising in premium products that are healthy, delicious and most importantly, free of preservatives and chemicals.
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