Why this recipe works
Laal (red) maas gets its colour and heat from Mathania chillies, prized for deep red with fierce heat. Yogurt both tenderises the mutton and carries the spice, and the dish is traditionally finished with dhungar, a live coal set in the pot to lend a smoky aroma. Lots of garlic and ghee complete it.
Ingredients
Method
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1
Marinate the mutton in yogurt and soaked, ground chillies.
Why yogurt: its acid and enzymes tenderise the mutton and help the deep-red chilli cling to the meat.
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2
Slow-cook in ghee with onion, garlic and whole spices until the mutton is tender.
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3
Reduce to a fiery, glossy red gravy.
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4
For dhungar, rest a hot coal in a bowl in the pot, drizzle ghee, and cover to catch the smoke.
Why smoke it: the charcoal smoke (dhungar) infuses a subtle barbecue aroma, a traditional flourish that deepens the dish.
An honest word
Laal maas is a fearsome, festive treat: protein-rich from the mutton, but the ghee and chilli are generous, making it an occasional feast rather than everyday food. To temper it, use lean mutton, skim the fat, keep the ghee to what the dish needs, and pitch the chilli to your tolerance, authentic laal maas is very hot. With rice or bajra roti, it is unforgettable.