Mutton Vindaloo

Ha!!! Don't you get carried away by the Picture. Of the Aloo, that is.
Mutton Vindaloo has nothing to do with Aloo.
In fact Vindaloo is believed to be derived from the portuguese word, "Vinha d'Alho" since it was a dish cooked with lots of Wine Vinegar and Garlic. Of course, the Goans refined it down to the potato.. Ok I made that up.

But I love it with Aloo anyway. The vindaloo masala soaked aloo melting in the mouth is a delight. I could trade all the mutton in the world for the same.

The Manipuri's, or rather the Meeteis are no meat lovers, though the same cannot be said of the new generation Meeteis. And so, meat was never cooked in our homes, chicken included. And thus, eating meat or non-veg was always a big
affair. Eating out as a culture is not common, though eating OUT literally was very common. OUT as in OUTDOORS, Picnics, or feasts in a friends' roof (Like in Vaastav) or any open place... never in the kitchen. So the youths had get-togethers often in more liberal homes where cooking in the premise was allowed. The youths would contribute say 50 bucks each for the same. There is an anecdote of the miser who wanted to contribute potatoes and take his share of the cooked potatoes. Such is our love of the potato. There even is a song that compares a Women's Heart with the shapes of Clouds and potatoes' varied dishes. Nupigee Pukchel,Aloogee mathel

Ingredients:

1 kg Lamb/muttons,(ask butcher to give marrow filled bones for good gravy)
2 Tbs cider vinegar
3 tbs tamarind pulp
2 large onions
15-20 garlic cloves
1 inch finger of ginger
2 Tbs grated Coconut.
2 potatoes, cut in 1 inch cubes.
1 tsp each of jeera, Dhania, red Chilli powder, and black pepper.
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 paprika cut into 4s
Two rred chillis
Chinnamom, cloves and bayleaves.

Grind one onion with half the garlic, with a little water.
Add the vinegar, tamarind pulp, Jeera, Dhania, Red Chilli, Black Powder and make a fine paste.
Mix 3/4 of the paste with the Meat and marinate for 2-3 hours.
I buy the meat in the morning around 8:30 9:00 on weekends and marinate till Lunch cooking time. No 9-10 hrs marinate for me. I am not comfortable with keeping uncooked meat for long and I usually eat fresh Meat. Don't worry, it is just me. You may marinate even overnight Zeeej...

Chop the remaining Onion. Crush the ginger and garlic in a Mortar pestle.
In a Flat Bottom pan, heat 3 TBS peanut/groundnut oil (any Vegetable oil that suits you).
Add the bayleaves (2), a few cloves of clove, one piece of chinamom, two red chillis.
Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes.
Add ginger garlic, and saute till golden brown.
Add the remaining masala paste, and add litle water, and fry till oil separates from mixture.
Add the meat, salt to taste and stir well.

Stir and cook till oil and meat separates.
Add the potatoes, paprika and stir well.
Add the grated coconut, and add 2 cups of Hot water.
Let Shimmer in low heat till Potatoes are cooked.
Meat should also be tender by then, else cook till meat is tender.

Eat your Vindaloo with Rice..