One of the reasons I wrote my cookbook was to preserve some of our family recipes. Recipes, that I believe would otherwise be lost. Sadly, we have lost many great cooks in our family and along with them some great family recipes and traditions.
I am like a proud peacock when I discover my son, nieces and nephews along with random strangers using the Tropical Vegetarian cookbook. There is such comfort in knowing the culinary legacy of my forefathers will carry on.
Recently my niece Raina moved interstate for work. Living away from home, craving homecooked comfort food one Sunday afternoon, she decided she just had to cook corned mutton. Just like her mum did!! Now those of you who are from Fiji will understand the relationship between us Fijians and corned mutton. Just say corned mutton and see peoples face light up. It has such a comforting taste. In fact, the taste of corned mutton curry from my childhood still lingers on my tastebuds.
So there Raina was, determined to recreate the comfort of her mums cooking….
I hope you try this much loved recipe, its heart warming and satisfying in a way only the combination of spices, potatoes and corned mutton can be! Keep a look out for more corned mutton recipes, coming soon.
Corned Mutton, Lutput
Ingredients
- 1 x 340 g tin corned mutton
- 4 medium sized potatoes
- 2 tbsp oil
- ¼ tspn cumin seeds
- ¼ tspn black mustard seeds
- ½ small brown onion
- ½ sprig curry leaves, plucked
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 inch piece ginger
- 2-3 chillies
- 1 tspn masala (curry powder)
- 1/2 tspn turmeric
- 1 cup hot water
- Salt to taste
- 3-4 sprigs coriander, chopped
Instructions
- Open the can mutton and remove the meat. Place on a plate and microwave for a minute, until the fat melts. Set aside on another plate lined with paper towels to absorb the extra fat.
- Wash, peel and cut potatoes into 1inch cubes.
- Peel and crush ginger, garlic and chillies to a paste.
- Peel and thinly slice onion.
- On medium heat, add oil in a frying pan. When oil is hot add mustard and cumin seeds; fry until fragrant and sizzling.
- Add sliced onions and saute until just soft and translucent. Add garlic,ginger chilli paste, curry leaves and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
- Next add the potatoes, turmeric and masala; stir well and cook covered for 2-3 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Add salt to taste, hot water, stir well and cook covered for about 8 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
- Finally add drained corned mutton. Stir well and heat through for 5mins.
- Garnish with coriander and serve with roti.