Mutton Dak Bungalow is prepared with an aromatic blend of specific spices. Another striking feature of this dish is the use of potatoes in the thick mutton gravy.
In Bengali, ‘Dak’ means mail and ‘Bungalow’ used to mean government buildings along the main roads. The dish got its funny name from the fact that it used to be prepared in dak bungalows.
The dish is spicy and flavourful but not very hot. Here are the simple steps to follow to make this recipe.
Key Takeaways:
- Mutton Dak Bungalow is a flavorful dish made with a blend of specific spices and potatoes in a thick mutton gravy.
- The dish is not very hot but has a subtle sweetness from onions.
- Dak Bungalows were government buildings and resting places for travelers during the colonial times, and the dish is named after them.
- The recipe includes marinating the mutton, frying potatoes and eggs, and cooking the mutton with spices until tender.
- Mutton Dak Bungalow can be served with accompaniments like paratha, steamed rice, pulao, or bread to enhance the meal. It is spicy, savory, tangy, and fragrant, appealing to meat lovers.
The Ingredients:
- Mutton: 500 gms (cut and cleaned)
- Curd: 2 tablespoons (Properly Whisked)
- Ginger-Garlic Paste: 1-inch ginger and 2 Big Size Garlic Cloves
- Potatoes: 5 (Properly Peeled and Washed)
- Eggs: 4 Boiled
- Onions: 3 (Sliced)
- Turmeric: 1 tablespoon
- Red Chilli Powder: 1 tablespoon
- Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder: 1 tablespoon
- Mustard Oil: 3 tablespoons
- Salt to Taste
Whole Spices:
- Dry Chillies: 2
- Cinnamon: 1 Stick
- Green Cardamoms: 6
- Black Cardamom: 1
- Cloves: 4
- Bay Leaf: 1
- Black Pepper: 15-18
- Whole Coriander Seeds: 1 spoon
- Whole Cumin Seeds: ½ tablespoon
- Nutmeg
- Mace
How to Cook Mutton Dak Bungalow (Step by Step Images)?
1. Add curd, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, 2tbl tablespoons of mustard oil and salt to the mutton.
2. Mix everything, cover the marinated mutton, and leave it for half an hour. Proper marination is important so that flavours of spices penetrate mutton pieces.
3. Dry roast the whole spices and grind them to make a fine and distinctly flavourful blend.
4. Put a cooking pan on the gas stove to heat up.
5. Add oil to the pan and fry the whole potatoes. Make sure the potatoes are forked at different places so that salt easily gets into them.
6. After the potatoes turn red on both sides, take them out of the pan.
7. Now fry the boiled eggs in oil and take them out in a pan.
8. Pour more oil (if needed) into the pan.
9. As soon as the oil is heated up, add onion and fry it until it gets brown.
10. Add marinated mutton to the pan.
11. Mix well in the pan and place a lid on the pan. Make sure to cook the dish on a high flame.
12. After a few minutes, remove the lid and add 1 tablespoon of roasted spices.
13. Mix well and place the lid once again. You don’t need to add water at this stage as marinated mutton will release enough water.
14. Wait for 10-15 minutes and remove the lid. Mutton has already started releasing oil and gravy is getting thick, which means it’s time to turn off the oven.
15. Transfer the mutton into a pressure cooker and pour hot water (as per your requirement) into the cooker.
16. Pressure cook the mutton until meat is enough tender (2-3 whistles).
17. Open the pressure cooker carefully and let the steam go out completely.
18. Add fried potatoes, stir well and cook for a few minutes (3 whistles).
19. Turn off the flame. Carefully open the lid.
20. Retransfer the Button Dak Bungalow to the cooking pan.
21. After the gravy comes to a boil, add fried boiled eggs and give a good stir. Place the lid and let it cook for 5 minutes.
22. Remove the lid and add roasted spices for final flavor and stir.
23. Mutton Dak Bungalow is ready. Serve it with steamed rice, pulao, paratha, luchi, naan, roti, or bread.
Recipe Card
Mutton Dak Bungalow
Ingredients
- 500 grams Mutton (cut and cleaned properly)
- 2 tablespoons Curd
- 5 pieces Potatoes (peeled and cleaned properly)
- 4 pieces Eggs (boiled)
- 3 pieces Onions (sliced thinly)
- 1 tablespoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 tablespoon Red Chili Powder
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
- 3 tablespoon Mustard Oil
- Salt to Taste
Whole Spices:
- 2 pieces Dry Chilies
- 1 piece Cinnamon
- 6 pieces Green Cardamom
- 1 piece Black Cardamom
- 4 pieces Cloves
- 1 piece Bay Leaf
- 15 pieces Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Whole Coriander Seeds
- ½ tablespoon Whole Cumin Seeds
- ¼ piece Nutmeg
- ¼ piece Mace
For Paste:
- 1 inch Ginger
- 2 pieces Garlic
Instructions
- Add curd, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, 2tbl tablespoons of mustard oil and salt to the mutton.
- Mix everything, cover the marinated mutton, and leave it for half an hour. Proper marination is important so that flavours of spices penetrate mutton pieces.
- Dry roast the whole spices and grind them to make a fine and distinctly flavourful blend.
- Put a cooking pan on the gas stove to heat up.
- Add oil to the pan and fry the whole potatoes. Make sure the potatoes are forked at different places so that salt easily gets into them.
- After the potatoes turn red on both sides, take them out of the pan.
- Now fry the boiled eggs in oil and take them out in a pan.
- Pour more oil (if needed) into the pan.
- As soon as the oil is heated up, add onion and fry it until it gets brown.
- Add marinated mutton to the pan.
- Mix well in the pan and place a lid on the pan. Make sure to cook the dish on a high flame.
- After a few minutes, remove the lid and add 1 tablespoon of roasted spices.
- Mix well and place the lid once again. You don’t need to add water at this stage as marinated mutton will release enough water.
- Wait for 10-15 minutes and remove the lid. Mutton has already started releasing oil and gravy is getting thick, which means it’s time to turn off the oven.
- Transfer the mutton into a pressure cooker and pour hot water (as per your requirement) into the cooker.
- Pressure cook the mutton until meat is enough tender (2-3 whistles).
- Open the pressure cooker carefully and let the steam go out completely.
- Add fried potatoes, stir well and cook for a few minutes (3 whistles).
- Turn off the flame. Carefully open the lid.
- Retransfer the Button Dak Bungalow to the cooking pan.
- After the gravy comes to a boil, add fried boiled eggs and give a good stir. Place the lid and let it cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add roasted spices for final flavor and stir.
- Mutton Dak Bungalow is ready. Serve it with steamed rice, pulao, paratha, luchi, naan, roti, or bread.
