Mutton Stew

Name: Mutton Stew
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Kerala Cuisine
Ingredients: 1 kg diced mutton or lamb shoulder; ½ teaspoon turmeric powder; ¾ teaspoon fine salt; 3 tablespoons coconut oil; 2 medium onions, thinly sliced; 3 green chillies, slit; 2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger; 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic; 2 sprigs curry leaves, divided; 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds; ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon garam masala; 500 ml full-fat coconut milk, divided; 250 ml water; 1 tablespoon coconut oil; 2 tablespoons chopped coriander

About Mutton Stew

Mutton Stew is a gentle Kerala-style curry made with tender mutton, potato, coconut milk and mild aromatic spices. It is lighter in colour and character than a roasted-coconut mutton curry, with the focus placed on soft spice, coconut richness and the natural flavour of the meat.

The dish is often associated with appam and idiyappam, though it is also served with bread, pathiri or rice. Whole spices, ginger, green chilli, curry leaves and coconut milk create a fragrant gravy that should feel rounded and comforting rather than hot or heavily reduced.

A good Mutton Stew depends on the meat becoming properly tender before the final coconut milk is added. The finished curry should remain pale, smooth and gently aromatic, with the potato helping give the gravy body without making it heavy.

Cooking Mutton Stew Outside Its Home Region

For home cooks, South Indian caterers and restaurant kitchens outside Kerala, including across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, North America, Australia and New Zealand, the main challenge is choosing a mutton cut that becomes tender without making the stew too rich or dark.

For home cooks, goat shoulder, neck or leg pieces work well when cooked slowly until tender. Pressure cooking can be useful for tougher cuts, but the coconut milk should be added only after the meat has softened. Full-fat coconut milk gives the best texture, while dried curry leaves are widely available through South Asian grocery shops and work well in the base or finishing stage.

For professional kitchens, the best approach is to cook the mutton until tender first, then finish the stew with potato and coconut milk closer to service. This gives better control over the meat texture and prevents the coconut milk from thickening too much during holding.

A good Mutton Stew should be mild, aromatic and creamy, with tender meat and a light coconut gravy that works naturally with appam or other soft breads.

Mutton Stew

CoChilli pro

Servings

4 servings

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes

Cuisine

Kerala Cuisine

Ingredients

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1 kg diced mutton or lamb shoulder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
¾ teaspoon fine salt

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3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 green chillies, slit
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 sprigs curry leaves, divided
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garam masala

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500 ml full-fat coconut milk, divided
250 ml water
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons chopped coriander

Directions

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Mix the mutton with turmeric and salt. Rest for 15 minutes while preparing the sauce.

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Heat coconut oil. Cook onions, green chillies and one sprig curry leaves until soft and pale golden.
Add ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Add fennel, turmeric and black pepper with a splash of water. Cook for 1 minute.

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Add the mutton and turn through the aromatics.
Add water and 300 ml coconut milk. Cover and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes or until cooked through.
Stir in remaining coconut milk, garam masala, curry leaves and coconut oil. Simmer on low heat for 2 minutes and finish with coriander.

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A More Practical Route to Mutton Stew

Mutton Stew is valued for its light, comforting broth and tender mutton, which need time to come together without making the sauce too rich or thick. Building that gentle flavour foundation from scratch can take patient cooking. For a more practical route to this comforting stew style, explore the CoChilli Pro product used for this dish below.