Easy recipe: Mutton shoulder Mandi

Sprinkle with raisins, garnish with boiled eggs and fried onions, and enjoy your meal! (Photo: Gemini)

What you will need:

1kg mutton shoulder (pressure-cooked for 30 minutes)

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic ginger paste

1 teaspoon paprika

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

1 cup basmati rice

2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon yellow food colour

100g raisins

4 boiled eggs for garnish

2 onions fried for garnish

Grease proof pepper or foil

What to do:

Cook the rice in salted water over medium heat until fluffy and the water evaporates. Mix the yellow food colour with a tablespoon of water, sprinkle it over the rice, cook for 3 more minutes, then fluff the rice.

Place the pre-cooked mutton shoulder on a baking tray and season with salt, black pepper, garlic-ginger paste, hot sauce, lemon juice, and vinegar. Massage the marinade evenly into the mutton.

Remove the mutton from the baking tray and set it aside. Pour the rice into the same tray so it absorbs the mutton marinade and flavours. Place a piece of greaseproof paper over the rice, then place the mutton on top, ensuring the rice is fully covered to prevent direct heat.

Prick the greaseproof paper with a knife so the roasting juices can seep into the rice and enhance its flavour. Place the lemon pieces beside the mutton, then bake at 200°C for about 1 hour, or until the mutton is browned. Turn the mutton after 40 minutes to ensure a golden crust on both sides.

Once the mutton is cooked, remove it and discard the greaseproof paper. Fluff up the rice, which is now full of flavour from the juices of the mutton, and serve it alongside the mutton on a platter. Sprinkle with raisins, garnish with boiled eggs and fried onions, and enjoy your meal!