It is almost impossible to resist a plateful of freshly made Chettinad mutton chops, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and spiced to perfection. That is precisely why Yummefy has brought you this authentic Chettinad mutton chops recipe with an unforgettable taste from Karaikudi, the heart of Chettinad. Inspired by the original mutton chops recipe inside the kitchen of The Bangala, a heritage hotel in Karaikudi, our restaurant style chettinad mutton chops have been adapted to suit contemporary cooking methods.
Chettinad fare is a sought-after cuisine across the globe and many blissfully relish its unique and special recipes that are quite different from other cuisines. The Bangala’s restaurant has been rated as one of the best Indian restaurants by many well-known travel and food journals. This mutton chops recipe is a part of the iconic book, ‘The Bangala Table: Flavors and Recipes from Chettinad’ by Sumeet Nair and Meenakshi Meyyappan, which beautifully chronicles Chettinad recipes and the traditional methods used to produce them, complete with the traditional utensils used to cook a bona fide multi-course Chettinad meal spread on a banana leaf. Some of the recipes in the book, like the best mutton chops recipe, have been adapted to suit the contemporary cooking methods, therefore these Chettinad mutton chops are incredibly easy to cook.
The Chettiars moved from the coastal areas to the arid lands of Tamil Nadu in ancient times due to natural calamities like floods. They maintained mercantile relations with South East Asian countries like Burma, Cambodia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. This is the reason why you can establish distinct coastal and Asian influences on Chettinad cuisine.
One word - Divine! These crispy fried chops are succulent and juicy from the inside. The pressure cooking of the meat with spices and freshly ground garlic and ginger, not only tenderizes the meat but also amply flavours it with a savoury base. The mutton chop is naturally marbled with fat which makes it tender and succulent while the cooking of natural sugars in the meat renders it a slightly sweet and rustic taste. You might wonder how minimal usage of modest spices can transform a dish? But contrary to the belief that a Chettinad dish has got to be full of chillies and cause your mouth to burn, Chettinad mutton chops have a well-balanced flavour which is not too spicy with the spices bringing out the flavour of the meat, accentuating it.
Given the flavour bomb that these Chettinad mutton chops are, the recipe is really simple to make at home.
All that you need to make sure this mutton chops recipe works for you is to use the freshest mutton and ingredients available. If you like meaty chops, then ask your butcher to prepare three chops on a single bone instead of two bones. Alternatively, you can convert this into a lamb chops recipe by using lamb chops instead of mutton.
In our Chettinad mutton chops recipe, the mutton chops are cooked in a pressure cooker over high heat with chilli powder, ginger, garlic, turmeric, salt, and water. After reaching full pressure (the 1st whistle), the heat is reduced to simmer and cook the chops for 10 minutes. In case you do not have a pressure cooker handy, the mutton chops can be simmered in a tightly covered saucepan for 20 minutes.
As a final step in our mutton chops recipe, the chops are dipped in beaten egg and shallow fried in hot oil in small batches in a pan. The frying is done on high flame to make sure a crisp, frilly coating is acquired without allowing the chops to absorb excess oil. You may want to dab the chops on a kitchen paper towel to absorb the residue oil.
The best Chettinad mutton chops with luscious meat falling off the bone, yet crunchy on the outside make for a superb main course, a great evening snack or even a satisfying appetizer. Traditionally Chettiars would serve it as a part of a lavish meal on a banana leaf along with mixed vegetable kootu, coconut rice, sweet mango pachadi, among many other dishes to balance the meal. If you are looking at a fusion pairing with wine, then the mutton chops will match well with any red wine blends like Pinot Noir, as traditionally red wine can be paired with red meat. This mutton chops recipe does not require any garnishing because it is good all by itself.
These ambrosial mutton chops are definitely worthy of you trying them before any regular mutton chops recipe; after all these are inspired by the authentic Chettinad mutton chops recipe offered by The Bangala in Chettinad.
This unbelievably easy mutton chops recipe leaves you with no excuse to give it a miss. So, place your mutton chops in the pressure cooker and let the spices make the magic happen while you relax. Just cool them, dunk them in egg and fry them. Relish your restaurant style Chettinad mutton chops hot, straight out of the pan.
Try our quick and easy Chettinad Mutton Chops recipe with a step by step tutorial video, ingredients, and simple cooking method.
Or see all our Mutton Recipes right here!