Rezala

Name: Rezala
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Westbengal)
Ingredients: Mutton: 700g, bone-in, cut in pieces; Full-fat yogurt: 250g, whisked; Onion paste: 150g (from 2 medium onions); Ginger paste: 1½ tsp; Garlic paste: 1 tsp; White pepper: 1 tsp; Green cardamom: 6, crushed; Mace (javitri): ½ tsp; Kewra water: 1 tsp; Rose water: 1 tsp; Ghee: 3 tbsp; Oil: 2 tbsp; Salt: 1½ tsp; Sugar: 1 tsp; Saffron: a pinch, soaked in 3 tbsp warm milk; Green chillies: 4, slit; Fried onion (birista): 3 tbsp, for garnish; No tomato, no dark spices — Rezala is white in colour; keep it that way; Whisked yogurt prevents splitting; add slowly at low heat; Kewra and rose water define the Nawabi character — don't substitute; Mutton ribs and shoulder work best; avoid lean cuts

🍗 Non-veg🌾 Gluten-free📊 Medium

Mutton cooked in a silky, white yogurt-coconut-cream gravy with subtle Mughal spices — the elegant, restrained counterpoint to Kosha Mangsho's intensity.

⏱️20 minPrep

🔥60 minCook

🕒80 minTotal

🍽️4Serves

🧺 Ingredients

👩‍🍳 How to make Rezala

Mix mutton with yogurt, onion paste, ginger-garlic pastes, white pepper, salt.
Rest 2 hours.
In ghee and oil, bloom cardamom and mace.
Add marinated mutton; cook on medium heat, stirring often, 20 min until mutton absorbs yogurt and releases its own oil.
Add 100ml water; cover and cook 20 more min until tender.
Add sugar, saffron milk, kewra water, rose water, green chillies.
Simmer 5 min.
The gravy should be creamy-white and gently aromatic.
Top with birista.
Serve with naan or roomali roti.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 440 kcal | 38g | 12g | 27g | 1g | Rezala is the flagship dish of Kolkata's old Muslim restaurant tradition — restaurants like Shiraz Golden Restaurant on Park Street and Aminia have served it since the 1940s. Its origins lie in Mughal court cooking adapted by the nawabs of Murshidabad. The white, delicate gravy contrasts dramatically with the bold red curries of the region and is always served at Muslim weddings and Eid celebrations. ---

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