Food: Rajan’s Lal Maas Recipe

Born and brought up in Delhi, Mr Rajan Bedi, though a businessman by profession is a bon vivant by passion.

His training began early, inhaling the fragrances of a Punjabi kitchen, ruled over by his mother. Under her tutelage, he learnt about the secret ingredients and recipes of his forefathers, who were sons of the soil with farmlands in the border village of Dera Baba Nanak. He, with firm roots to his ancestry, has remained essentially grateful to the farming community. 

Member of  ICF, Indian Culinary Forum and Chefs Association of Garhwal, he recently had the honour of participating in the World Heritage Cuisine Summit & Food Festival at Qila Gobindgarh Amritsar. It was a matter of great pride to be sharing the platform with chefs from forty countries. Rajan travels extensively in search of lost recipes. Visiting professional as well as home chefs in his pursuit of culinary gems.

Cooking and creating new dishes is an art form, which Rajan loves to dabble in. 

This is Rajan Bedi’s Recipe for red meat or better known as Lal maas…

Required Ingredients

1.  Mutton preferably leg with shanks           1 1/2 kg
2.  Onions                                                            4 large, finely chopped
3.  Red Mathania Mirch Paste                         6-8 tbsps
4. Garlic paste                                                    3-4 tbsps.
5.  Yoghurt                                                              1 cup about 250 gms
6.  Desi Ghee                                                        6-8 tbsps
7.  Bay Leaves                                                      4 leaves
8.  Green Cardamoms                                        4-6 pieces
9. Black Cardamoms                                         3 pieces
10. Cinnamon                                                        1½-2 inch stick
11. Cumin seeds                                                    1 tsp
12. Kachri powder                                                2-3 tbsp
13.  Broken dry chillies                                         5-6 pieces 
14.  Garlic                                                                6 cloves (sliced)
15. Red Chillies crushed                                      6-7
16. Coriander Powder                                          2 tbsp
17. Salt to taste

Preparation

1.  The red chilli paste – Pick some nice big whole dry red chillies (preferably Mathania ). Soak the chillies for 3-4 hours. Grind the chillies with some water in which they were soaked into a smooth red chilli paste.
2. In a bowl, add the lamb, red chilli paste, garlic, yoghurt and some salt to taste. Make sure all the mutton is well coated with the marinade. If you have the time, you could leave it overnight. I marinated the meat for a little over 2 hours. 
3.  Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed handi or kadhai. The ghee is key to giving your Laal Maas that very majestic texture, so don’t skip it. Desi ghee is what I used and it works wonders.
4. Once the ghee is hot enough, add bay leaves, black cardamom, green cardamom, broken red chillies, cinnamon, cumin seeds and the slices of garlic. Fry these spices well for a minute or so. Don’t let them burn though.
5. Add onions in next and sauté them very well till they turn light golden brown.
6. Tip the lamb in next and let the meat fry with the marinade and the onion and spices. 
7.  While the lamb is frying, you can swirl a few dry red chillies with no water in your mixie or use Kashmiri Mirch powder as it gives the rich colour to the dish 
8.  Add the coriander powder and the crushed red chillies and kachri powder in next and sauté the meat very well for another 15 minutes or so.
9.  Next, add around 2-3  cups of water, salt to taste and cover the handi. Let the meat simmer in the spices for a good two to three hours or till the meat is done. The simmering on low heat ensures that you have meat that absolutely melts in the mouth.
10. Traditionally this dish is not garnished at all. The beautiful red colour of the chillies gives the dish a mysterious aura. As shown in Rajan’s delicious picture.

Rajan Bedi from Rajan's Rasoi

food enthusiast, he unwinds after a tough day at work by cooking gourmet meals for his family and friends. An active member of many food groups on social media, his reviews as well as his recipes are enjoyed by many avid and loyal followers. His recipes have also been published and feted in publications such as Sattva, Travel Magazine and Spritz. To take his passion a step ahead Rajan has created a platform for professional and home chefs, through his venture, Courtyard By Virasat. Connect with Rajan on instagram to know more about his food experiences and recipes.