Mutton Podimas

Ingredients

• quarter kilo mutton, minced or very finely chopped (மட்டன்)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 10 cloves garlic
• 1 cup grated coconut (தேங்காய் துருவல்)
• half a cup desiccated coconut powder (தேங்காய் பவுடர்)
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp poppy seeds (கசகசா)
• 3 green chillies
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• quarter tsp coriander powder
• half a tsp turmeric powder
• 4 tsp coconut oil
• 2-inch piece cinnamon (பட்டை)
• 6 cloves (கிராம்பு)
• 10 shallots, halved (சின்ன வெங்காயம்)
• half a tsp lemon juice
• a little coriander leaves
• as needed rock salt, curry leaves

Method

1. Pressure-cook the mutton with a little water and turmeric; drain and keep the stock.
2. Dry-roast fennel in a little oil, add poppy seeds briefly, and grind to a powder.
3. Mix the cooked mutton with the coconut powder, ground spice powder, chilli, coriander and turmeric powders and salt, sprinkling in some stock to combine.
4. Fry cinnamon and cloves in oil, then the onion, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves until golden.
5. Add the mutton mixture and fresh coconut and keep stirring until browned and crumbly.
6. Fry the shallots separately, fold them in with the lemon juice and garnish with coriander.

Adapted from பேலியோ ஆரோக்கிய சமையல் (Paleo Arokkiya Samaiyal) by Rtn Kannan Azhagirisamy, page 57. Method rewritten in our own words; ingredient quantities follow the book, with gram weights estimated for the nutrition figures. The book thanks the Arokkiya Unavugal (Healthy Foods) Facebook group and tamilpaleorecipes.com.