Laal maas
Non-vegetarian
लाल मांस · laal maans
Rajasthan's fiery red mutton curry: goat slow-cooked in ghee with a paste of soaked dried red chillies, garlic and yoghurt until the sauce is thick, glossy and deep red.
Laal maas is an Indian curry, ready in about 2 hours 10 minutes and made with goat meat, dried whole chillies and ghee. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 h 45 min
- Total
- 2 h 10 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Intermediate
- Calories
- 415
Method
Step 1
Drain the soaked chillies and blend them with the garlic (opens in a new tab) and a splash of fresh water to a smooth red paste.
Step 2
Mix the meat with the yoghurt (opens in a new tab), half the chilli paste, the turmeric (opens in a new tab) and the salt. Leave for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the onions (opens in a new tab).
- 5 min
Food safety: Marinate raw meat in the fridge if leaving it longer than 30 minutes, and wash hands and boards afterwards.
Step 3
Heat the ghee (opens in a new tab) in a heavy pot. Add the bay leaves (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab) and cloves (opens in a new tab), then the onions (opens in a new tab), and fry until deep golden brown.
- 12 min
- medium heat
- Dutch oven / casserole pot (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels Step 4
Add the ginger, the remaining chilli paste and the ground coriander (opens in a new tab) and fry, stirring, until the ghee (opens in a new tab) turns red and separates from the paste.
- 5 min
- medium heat
Step 5
Add the marinated meat and sear, stirring often, until the yoghurt (opens in a new tab) has cooked down and the meat looks glossy (bhuna).
- 15 min
- medium-high heat
How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels Step 6
Pour in the water, cover and cook on a low heat until the meat is very tender, stirring every 15 minutes and adding a splash of water if it catches.
- 65 min
- low heat
Food safety: Cook goat until tender and piping hot throughout.
Step 7
Uncover and reduce until the sauce clings to the meat with a layer of red ghee (opens in a new tab) on top. Scatter with coriander.
- 5 min
- medium heat
How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels
About this dish
- Origin
- Rajasthan, India · Well documentedTraditionally made with Mathania chillies from near Jodhpur.More food from India
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Main courses
- Cooking method
- Braised, Slow-cooked
- Taste
- spicy (chilli heat), rich, garlicky, smoky
- Diet
- No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-proteinWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Non-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious - Good for
- Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Festive & celebration
- Techniques
- Searing · Braising · Bhunao · Marinating · Reduction
Allergens
- Contains: Milkfrom yogurt, ghee
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
415 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 455 g · recipe makes 4
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 41%
- Carbohydrate 15%
- Fat 44%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 415 kcal | 91 kcal |
| Protein | 42.6 g | 9.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 15.6 g | 3.4 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 12.5 g | 2.7 g |
| Sugars | — | — |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 3.1 g | 0.7 g |
| Fat | 20.2 g | 4.4 g |
| Saturated fat | 10.8 g | 2.4 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 148 mg | 33 mg |
| Sodium | 1061 mg | 233 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 2.7 g | 0.6 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 1105 mg
- Calcium
- 143 mg
- Iron
- 6.8 mg
- Magnesium
- —
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 188 µg
- Vitamin C
- 8 mg
- Vitamin D
- —
- Vitamin B12
- 2.3 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 28 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
- Optional ingredients are not included: black cardamom, coriander leaves.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- For the traditional smoky finish (dhungar), set a small cup with a glowing piece of charcoal on the curry, pour a few drops of ghee on it and cover for 2 minutes.
Common mistakes
- Rushing the onion and masala frying — the colour and depth of laal maas come from slow frying in ghee.
- Leaving the chilli seeds in Mathania or other hot chillies when you want colour more than fire — shake most of them out after soaking.
Serve with
- Serve with bajra roti, plain parathas or steamed rice.
Storage
- Keeps 3 days refrigerated; freezes well for 3 months.
Reheating
- Reheat gently in a covered pan with a splash of water until piping hot.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Reviews & corrections
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