Gost Hara Masala ~ Weekend Lunch Non Veg Thali

Finally this Gost Hara Masala sees light, it's been in the draft for many months now. And since I had done a thali on that Sunday lunch, I might I might as well save it for the Indian Thali Mela. Many months ago, I landed in Ajoy's personal blog, where he shares his everyday life as restaurant owner of Nilgiri. With entertaining writing, he gives an insight into what goes into the back scene of running a restaurant.

Even though we decided we might not want to open up a restaurant, I always loved reading about it and hearing stories. So when I have time to read something, I surely land in his space. Unlike many restaurant folks, he actually shares the recipes of his restaurant menu, which is cool! So when I read this hara masala, I thought I must recreate it in my kitchen.

I adapted it to our liking and used mutton instead of chicken. Hubby dear liked it a lot. Though the youngest of the lot is very particular about the food colour. He is only used to seeing chicken or mutton in brown gravy, so this green colour didn't attract him and he refused to eat it.

I am sure Chinnu will get to love all the colours as he grows older.

With the climate not dropping down from the scorching heat, with a scarce supply of petrol, life seems so complicated. What happened to the quality of life, when even such basic amenities become hard to access. As a policy, we always conserve and never misuse natural resources. I have always been an advocate of the Go Green Concept. I am known to be stingy and rebuked for reusing an envelope till it got torn beyond recognition.

Hoping for things to get back to normalcy, here is a dish that you can enjoy.

Gost Hara Masala
Adapted from Nilgiris

Ingredients Needed:

For the Marinade:

Mutton - 250 gms
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Curds/ Yogurt - 1 & 1/2 tbsp

For Brown Onions

Oil - 2 tsp
Onions - 2 medium
Salt to taste

For the Spice Masala

Cinnamon - 1"
Whole black peppercorns - 10 nos
Green cardamom - 1
Coriander seeds 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

For Masala Paste

Green chilies - 2 long
Fresh coriander- handful
Fresh mint - handful
Cashew nuts - 5 -6
Turmeric powder a pinch

Double cream - 1 tbsp*

How to make the Gost Hara Masala

*Since I didn't have double cream, I replaced it with butter and milk