MUTTON CURRY PATHARE PRABHU STYLE

Pathare Prabhu Community prefer mutton……. Mutton, in India, is generally referred to goat meat……. Prabhi Sambhar Masala gives this mutton dish a robust and delicious flavour.

INGREDIENTS : 1/2 kg mutton, 4 medium potatoes, 6 onions, 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 1/2 tbsp garlic paste, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 10 black peppercorns, 4 cloves, 1″ cinnamon stick, 3-4 green cardamoms, 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds, 8- 10 dried red Kashmiri chillies, 1/2 dried coconut, 1-2 tsp Prabhi Sambhar Masala, 1 tbsp ghee, salt to taste, 2 tbsp oil.

DIRECTIONS : Wash chopped mutton……. Keep aside…… Peel the potatoes and chop into two pieces…… Finely chop four onions…… Grate the dried coconut……. Roast two whole onions directly on the gas burner…….
Spice paste : Heat 1 tsp oil……Add peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms, coriander seeds and red chillies ……. Sauté till fragrant……. Cool…… Grind to a paste with chopped roasted onions………
Sauté grated dry coconut…… Cool…….. Grind.

Heat remaining oil…… Sauté chopped onion till golden brown…… Add ginger and garlic paste……. Sauté……. Add mutton…..
Add ground spice paste, coconut paste, Prabhi Sambhar Masala, turmeric powder and salt……. Sauté till the mutton is well coated…….. Add potatoes and 1 cup water……. Cover and cook till mutton is done and the gravy is thick…….. Add ghee…… Stir…… Serve hot with steamed rice or chapattis.

NOTE : One can use unpeeled baby potatoes…… Chillies and black pepper can be adjusted according to taste….. Can use fresh grated coconut instead of dried coconut…… Can garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

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PRABHI SAMBHAR MASALA

Central to the Pathare Prabhu Cuisine is the Prabhi Sambhar Masala…….. This aromatic spice mixture enhances the taste of dishes when added…… Each family of this community have their own traditional recipe of this masala which is generally a closely guarded secret.

Prabhi Sambhar Masala can be made easily at home.

INGREDIENTS : 2 tbsp Chana Dal (Bengal split gram), 2 tbsp Wheat, 1 1/2 tbsp Cumin, 8 tbsp Coriander, 1/2 tsp Fenugreek, 1 1/2 tbsp Black mustard, 1 pinch Asafoetida powder, 1 tsp Turmeric powder, 1 tsp black peppercorns, 15-20 Red chillies.

DIRECTIONS : Excluding asafoetida powder and turmeric powder, dry roast all the remaining ingredients…….. Cool……… Now add asafoetida and turmeric powders…….. Grind the spice mixture to a fine powder……. Prabhi Sambhar Masala is ready……… Store in an air tight container.

NOTE : One can increase or decrease red chillies according to taste……. If Kashmiri red chillies are used , colour will be very good without being too hot.

PATHARE PRABHU CUISINE

Known as the builders of modern Mumbai, Pathare Prabhus are also known for their special cuisine…… While migrating through Rajasthan, Gujarat, Deccan, Pathare Prabhus picked up different nuances of the cuisines of these states and made it their own……. Smt.Laxmibai Dhurandhar wrote the first Marathi Cookbook called Gruhinimitra in 1910.

Pathare Prabhu cuisine, in many ways, is like the cuisine of the Konkan Region……. Due to the proximity to the sea coast, Prabhus love seafood like White pomfrets, Black pomfrets, Rawas, Ghol, large prawns, lobsters, etc…… At the core of this cuisine is their masala, Prabhi Sambhar Masala, which is a mix of various spices in definite proportions.

Except for certain occasions, the Prabhus love to have non vegetarian food throughput the year……. In earlier days, when game was allowed, their menu included pigeons, partridges, quails, rabbits and venison…….. Being lovers of non vegetarian food, the Prabhus took many traditional Maharashtrian recipes and made it their own by adding mutton, prawns, etc. to them……. Like they stuffed minced prawns in Alu chi wadi (Steamed rolled colacasia leaves), added prawns to Upma, stuffed Karanji (generally sweet) with minced mutton, etc……. They even added prawns/ Ghol fish/ dried prawns/ dried bombil (Bombay duck)/ meat to traditional Gujarati Undhiyo ( a vegetable dish made with potatoes, aubergine and seasonal vegetables) and made it their own calling it Ghada (earlier cooked in earthen pots buried under sand).

Pathare Prabhus also developed several items that are unique…… They made Pav (their version of sour dough bread) at home which goes very well with Aamras (mango purée)……. Kelebombil, fried Bombay ducks stuffed with mashed ripe bananas, is rather unique……. Prabhus picked up baking techniques from the British……… Karandi (prawn) pie is very similar to Shepherd’s pie, but with spicy prawn filling…….. Usually coconut is not used much in this cuisine…….. Grated coconut and coconut milk are used only in certain items….. Dried fruits are liberally used in their desserts.

Thus Pathare Prabhu Cuisine is an unique influenced cuisine of Maharashtra…….. Traditional with modern outlook.