Tabak Mans ( Kashmiri lamb dish )

Ingredients :
Mutton or lamb pieces from leg or shoulder - 1/2 kg,
Curd - 115 gm ( beaten ),
Red chilli pwd - 1 tsp,
Corriander pwd - 2 tbsp,
Cumin pwd - 1 and 1/2 tsp,
Onion - 1 ( grated ),
Garlic and ginger paste - 2 tsp ,
Cloves  whole - 6,
Black cardamom  whole - 3,
Cinnamon stick - 1 ( 2 inch ),
Bay leaves - 2,
Oil - 2 tbsp and  ghee - 2 tbsp- ( use 4 tbsp of oil if you do not like ghee ),
Onion - 3 medium size - thinly and evenly sliced,
Salt to taste,
Green chilli -2- deseeded and chopped or you can just make a slit in the middle.
Saffron - a pinch diluted in warm water .

Water - 2 and 1/2 cup or  650 ml.

Method:
Take a deep pan and heat 2 and 1/2 cups of  water.
Take a bowl and mix mutton pieces, red chilli pwd, corriander pwd , cumin pwd, ginger garlic paste , ground or shredded onion , curd , cloves , big cardamom , cinnamon and bay leaves .

When water  is warm add the mutton mixture and let it come to boil.

As it starts to boil , lower the heat and put a lid on it .
let it cook for 20 or till meat is half cooked .
Let the mutton  cook  on simmer .
Take a kadhai and put 2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp ghee and fry the sliced onions to golden brown .

Close the gas and tilt the kadhai and with your spatula bring all the onions on one side .The extra oil will gather on one side . 
Take out the onions in a bowl and let it cool and then grind it in a grinder .

You can add little water to make a coarse paste .Keep aside .

The left over ghee or oil will be used to cook to tender the mutton.
When mutton is half cooked ( 20 minutes ) close gas .

Take a bowl and put a strainer on it and cover with a muslin or cheese cloth.
Pour  the mutton gravy with the pieces through the strainer  .

The strained liquid will pass through the strainer and collect in the bowl below and the mutton and whole spices will be  left on top.
Or
 If you have problem handling the hot pan, than pick out the pieces and keep in a plate and then drain the liquid through the cloth strainer .
Take another small bowl  and put 1/ cup of water and dip each mutton pieces to remove any  spice  on it .

The above water should be added to the strainer .
Once all the pieces have been removed squeeze out all the liquid so that maximum flavour is extracted . Since it is hot ,press with a spoon and as it cools down use your hands to take out all the juice.

Heat the kadahi in which onions were  fried.
Pour the strained liquid ,mutton, fried onion coarse paste and salt .
Be careful with the salt as the gravy is thin .

 When the gravy comes to boil , lower the gas and put a lid on it .
Let it cook for 20 to 25 minutes or till the mutton is tender .

Add saffron water  and green chilli .

Let it cook for few seconds .

Taste salt .
Tabak Mans is ready. But if you like it dry then let it simmer  till water dries up and only ghee or oil remain.
I like to have some gravy in my dish as it goes very well with roti.

This is a very light and delicious dish .