Kerala Mutton Curry with Coconut Milk
Tender mutton slow-cooked with roasted coriander, black pepper, fennel, shallots and curry leaves, finished in creamy coconut milk. Peppery, fragrant and warming.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Toast and grind the spices
In a small dry pan over low-medium heat, toast the coriander seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds and dried chilies for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Let them cool slightly, then grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder or mortar.
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 4 dried red chilies
✅ Done when: spices smell fragrant and are a shade darker, not burnt
Cook the mutton
Put the mutton in a medium pot with the turmeric, half of the ground spice mix, the salt and the water. Cover and simmer on low heat for 45-60 minutes until tender, or cook for 5 whistles in a pressure cooker.
- 800g mutton or lamb
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- half of the spice powder ground spice mix from step 1
- 1 tsp salt
- 400ml water
✅ Done when: meat is fork-tender and easily comes off the bone
Make the sauce base
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Combine with coconut milk
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Toast and grind the spices
In a small dry pan over low-medium heat, toast the coriander seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds and dried chilies for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Let them cool slightly, then grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder or mortar.
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 4 dried red chilies
✅ Done when: spices smell fragrant and are a shade darker, not burnt
Cook the mutton
Put the mutton in a medium pot with the turmeric, half of the ground spice mix, the salt and the water. Cover and simmer on low heat for 45-60 minutes until tender, or cook for 5 whistles in a pressure cooker.
- 800g mutton or lamb
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- half of the spice powder ground spice mix from step 1
- 1 tsp salt
- 400ml water
✅ Done when: meat is fork-tender and easily comes off the bone
Make the sauce base
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Combine with coconut milk
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Kerala's Malabar coast has been the centre of the world's black pepper trade for over two thousand years, drawing Roman, Arab, Chinese and later European traders.
Its meat curries, especially those of the Syrian Christian and Muslim communities, combine that pepper with coconut milk, shallots and curry leaves.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Peppery heat balanced with creamy coconut makes this one of South India's most comforting meat curries.
💡 Fun Fact
Black pepper was once so valuable it was called 'black gold' and used as currency.
Kerala
9.93°N, 76.27°E
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