The BEST Mutton Kulambu Recipe (in Pressure Cooker) | Recipe for Mutton Gravy

Last updated on June 18th, 2025 at 06:39 am

Mutton kulambu recipe - this curry is full of flavor and really simple. It goes perfectly with freshly cooked rice or dosas or idlis! You can make this in a saucepan or a pressure cooker. Try it this weekend for a homely yet fulfilling lunch.

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Hey there!

I'm a fan of the Harry Potter series; the books and the movies. I grew up with the series; as in the characters in the movies were the same age as I was. You'll know what I mean if you're a 90s' kid. Just as the series came to an end, Game of Thrones started. Honestly, I assumed that my days of watching kiddy movies/shows were over.

And then, Stranger things happened. You must be wondering what's all this. I gotta warn you, I love TV shows. I'll probably talk about it again and again, brace yourself if you plan to come back. So Stranger things, what is up with it? Actually, it's like 10 levels of fiction and the main casts are kids. Maybe it's the 80s setting or the Fringe-like plot that makes me a fan.

Anyway, I finally got some time to watch it when Lil A went to visit her grandparents yesterday afternoon. With a simple yet fulfilling lunch with rice, south indian recipe for mutton gravy / mutton kulambu recipe and fried fish on my plate, I sat down to watch the first episode. Yay!

Mutton Kulambu Recipe:

I'm not gonna call this the best gravy there is. There's no one gravy that fits under the tag mutton gravy recipe. Every household probably does it differently and equally amazing. This south indian mutton curry was passed on to me from my mother in law; originally from her mother-in-law, i.e. my husband's grandma.

With simple spices and ingredients, this mutton kulambu recipe is uh-mazingly mind-blowing. It goes really well with rice, dosas, and idlis. Especially for when you aren't in a mood for Briyani and time-consuming dishes. A perfect mutton gravy or mutton Briyani starts with the perfect mutton; tender lamb is almost always preferred. We usually prefer pieces larger than bite-sized ones.

Are you wondering why I am hyper about this recipe? Well, I'll tell ya! This south indian mutton curry uses caramelized pearl onions for its masala paste; it adds a hint of sweetness and gives thickness to this south Indian mutton curry. Coconut is usually added to the onions while making the paste. That being said, you need a good food processor to really grind the coconut into a smooth paste. If not, and if you're bothered by coconut bits (tiny bits); go for coconut milk.

Personally I always go with a bit of shredded coconut added along with the shallots plus a good amout of coconut milk; which gives a really sweet flavour as in like a base note. All of this comes together in a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot. It is easy and makes clean-up later all the while yielding a well cooked, tender and flavoured mutton!

How to make this?

This gravy basically involves cooking mutton in the paste and then adding coconut milk. Extracting coconut milk is an extra step but if you use canned milk, the time reduces by half. Although, I highly recommend extracting your own coconut milk; it is fresh, flavorful and it doesn't have any of those added thickeners.

For the paste:

Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, add fennel seeds and poppy seeds. As they begin to splutter, add the pearl onions/ shallots and lower the flame. Sauté it until it is caramelized with edges starting to brown. It is important to lower the flame as high flame browns the onions quickly but it doesn't really cook the onions through. Once caramelized, let it cool down completely. Transfer it to a food processor; add chilli powder and coriander powder and grind it till smooth.

Coconut milk:

If you choose to extract coconut milk, shred one coconut. A young coconut gives a good amount of milk and a good meal. You can dry the coconut meal under the sun for a day and use it for baking. This gravy needs about 180g of coconut; add it to a food processor. Along with 200ml of water.

Grind it till the coconut shreds break down to a coarse paste. Transfer the coconut paste to a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Gather the edges of the cloth and squeeze out the milk, as much as possible. Pass it through a fine strainer once again to remove any coconut meal left. You should get approximately 220ml of coconut milk. When rested, the fat rises to the top leaving the water at the bottom, which is not an issue.

The gravy:

Add oil to a pressure cooker. Once it's hot enough, tip the cinnamon and cloves; wait till the cloves swell up. Add sprigs of curry leaves. Next, add the chopped onions. Sauté it till the onions are translucent.

Spoon in the ginger garlic paste. When the paste begins to stick to the bottom, add the tomatoes and salt. Wait till the tomatoes are mushy and softened. Transfer the washed mutton to the cooker, add a bit of turmeric. Then add the masala paste and saute it for a minute. Finally, pour some water, and some coriander leaves. Close the lid of the cooker. After 3-4 whistles, switch off the flame.

Once the pressure is gone, open the pressure cooker and add the coconut milk. Check salt and spiciness; add more salt if required. For hotness, add ground black pepper. Let the gravy boil for 10 minutes. Finally, sprinkle some more coriander leaves as you remove it from flame. Serve this south indian mutton curry/ mutton kulambu hot with rice!

Recipe adapted from: This is a family recipe.

Notes:

• If you are in a hurry or you don't have coconut, you can always use store-bought coconut milk or coconut milk powder.
• However, if you do have fresh or frozen shredded coconut, you can add it to the onions while making the paste. This way, you don't have to add coconut milk.
• After you're done serving it, store it in the refrigerator for later use. This gravy can also be frozen for up to a week.

FUN TIP: (Recipe variation)

Pull out less-bony pieces from the gravy. Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onions, lotta curry leaves, dried chillies, and the mutton pieces with a little bit of the gravy. Add ground black pepper and saute till it is almost dry. Quick and totally easy, flavorful mutton stir fry is ready!

Made this? Got doubts? Let me know what you think in the comments below!