Nuwara Eliya mutton curry

Sometimes, a curry is a story, a piece of history, and so much more than a beautiful dish. To appreciate this curry, we need to understand Nuwara Eliya.

Nuwara Eliya is about 1500 meters above sea level, and on the slopes of the mountains. It is cool, it has a thick forest densely populated by elephants, and it is beautiful. It was part of the Kandian Kingdom and was later discovered by the English, who turned it into a hill station retreat for the elite. In the 1850s, it was a thriving small town often referred to as “Little Britain”. This region was home to the beautiful hill elephants, which were shot to extinction. But that is a sad story for another time.

Then came tea. James Taylor introduced tea to the region in the mid-19th century, following the coffee blight, as a second cash crop. Forests were mowed down for what are now the emerald green carpets of tea. But the British planters struggled with local labour. The solution was bringing down Tamils from South India to work the fields.

With the Tamils came their cuisine, the bold and spicy spice mixes, the curries and a few ingredients.

The British found the curry too spicy for their palate, so they made milder versions with fewer chillies. And this curry had arrived in Sri Lanka.

Chef Shanaka was waiting for us outside, over a huge burner and the ingredients. The chef cooked the curry in an earthen “hatti“, adding ingredients in sequence. We discussed the dish, cooking techniques and more while he stirred the curry, the aromas wafting into the air. The curry got ready and was served hot and steaming. We tasted pieces of meat, soft and tender, the spices bold and the chillies popping on your palate.

Today, the Tamils are an integral part of the region. Their cuisine is distinct and has been adopted locally. Compared to the rest of Sri Lanka, the Tamil-influenced cuisine is bolder and spicier; it uses dill seeds, which are not too familiar elsewhere, and does not usually use coconut milk, as is so predominant in Sri Lankan cuisine.

Most dishes here have a deep, layered history. Understanding its history lets me understand the nuances of the dish, its intricate profile. This dish is like the nation: nuanced, borne of history and woven into the fabric that binds it all into a beautiful tapestry.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon whole dill seed

10 cloves garlic, minced

2 onions, thinly sliced

20 curry leaves

6-inch pandanus leaves, torn into 3 pieces

4 inches of cinnamon  bark, broken in half

4 tablespoons curry powder

1 tablespoon chilli powder, or to taste

1 tablespoon turmeric

2 tomatoes cubed

2 teaspoons pepper

Salt, to taste

1-2 green chillies, thinly sliced

1 kg bone-in mutton, cubed

2 cups water

20 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons coconut oil

Tamil-style curry powder:

100 grams of coriander seed

20 grams of cumin seed

5 grams dill seeds

20 grams of cashew nuts

Roast all the spices individually until they are aromatic and a shade darker. Cool completely. Grind to a fine powder. Store in a dry jar.

Heat the oil in the “hatti” until it is smoking. Add the mustard seeds and fry until they pop, about 5 seconds. Add the dill seeds, garlic and onions in quick succession and fry until the onions are caramelised to a deep golden colour, about 4 minutes.

Add the curry leaves, pandanus leaves, cinnamon, curry powder, chilli powder and turmeric and give the ingredients a quick stir, taking care not to burn the powders.

Add the tomatoes, pepper, salt, and green chillies, and cook for 7-8 minutes on a medium flame until the tomatoes have broken down and you have a sauce. Add a touch of water if needed to keep the mix wet.

Add the meat and cook until the meat is sealed on all sides. Add the water and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Make sure you always have enough water in the pot so the curry does not stick to the bottom and burn.

Test the meat for softness and the sauce for salt and spice. The final curry should be very thick, with the sauce clinging to the meat and the oils bubbling around it.

While the curry is simmering, heat the oil in a small pot and fry the garlic cloves until soft and browned. Remove and drain on paper towels.

To serve, heat the curry and garnish with he fried garlic. Serve with rice.