Photo: stu_spivack · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Westbengal · Dinner

Kosha Mangsho

Mutton slow-cooked in a dark, intensely reduced onion-spice masala with mustard oil over 2–3 hours — the definitive Bengali dish, the standard against which all other Bengali cooking is judged.

🧺 Ingredients

• Mutton (bone-in shoulder/neck): 800g, cut in 60g pieces
• Onion: 400g, finely sliced
• Yogurt: 200g, whisked
• Ginger paste: 2 tbsp
• Garlic paste: 1½ tbsp
• Tomato: 150g, chopped
• Turmeric: 2 tsp
• Red chilli powder: 2 tsp
• Coriander powder: 2 tsp
• Cumin powder: 1 tsp
• Garam masala: 1 tsp + 1 tsp for finish
• Mustard oil: 6 tbsp (90ml)
• Salt: 2 tsp
• Sugar: 1 tsp
• Bay leaf: 2
• Whole garam masala: cardamom 5, clove 5, cinnamon 2-inch, black cardamom 2
• The 3-hour cook is not optional — it transforms tough mutton into silk
• Reheat well: Kosha Mangsho improves dramatically after 24 hours

👩‍🍳 How to make Kosha Mangsho

1. Mix mutton with yogurt, half the ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp chilli, 1 tsp salt.
2. Refrigerate.
3. Heat oil until smoking; add bay leaf and whole garam masala.
4. Add onions; fry slowly, stirring every 2–3 min, until very dark reddish-brown — almost burnt but not.
5. This takes 20 min minimum.
6. Add remaining ginger-garlic pastes; fry 3 min.
7. Add tomato; cook 5 min until dry.
8. Add remaining chilli, coriander, cumin powders; bhuna with splashes of water until oil pools — 5 min.
9. Add marinated mutton; sear on high heat 5 min, then reduce to medium.
10. Cook without water, stirring every 2 min, scraping the bottom constantly.
11. The mutton will release and reabsorb its own juices — this is the kosha process.
12. Add only 100ml hot water; cover tightly.
13. Cook on lowest heat, checking every 20 min and adding splashes of water only if sticking.
14. After 90 min, mutton should be very tender and masala very dark and thick.
15. Add sugar, remaining salt, garam masala.
16. Cook uncovered 10 min to dry slightly.

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