Bhoger mangsho | Niramish pathar mangsho | Mutton curry without onion and garlic

Bhoger mangsho aka niramish mangsho is a magnificent mutton curry without onion and garlic which is often prepared in Bengali rituals with the sacrificed goat or lamb meat. This unique mutton curry is always prepared on special occasions, like on Navami aka the 9th day of Durga puja and offered to goddess Durga and in Kali puja festival and offered to goddess Kali. In this preparation, goat meat is cooked with ginger, hing, yogurt and some specific spices. Nowadays, animal sacrifice is banned and instead, symbolic sacrifice is done by cutting big pumpkin, ash gourd or some other vegetable.

About the recipe
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Bhoger Mangsho (step wise photos)
Recipe Card

The name niramish mangsho is enough to drag anybody’s attention. Niramish means vegetarian and mangsho means meat. The meaning of the dish is vegetarian meat curry. Anyways meat can never be vegetarian. The animal which is sacrificed to the goddess is cooked as bhog for Maa Kali without using onion-garlic and offered to the goddess. So, they consider the dish as niramish. But it is definitely an oxymoron. In my opinion, Bengalis always find some way to eat non-veg food during festivals.

Niramish pathar mangsho is always the centre of attraction of Kali puja bhog. As it is cooked without using onion and garlic, many people may think that the curry can have a raw smell. But believe me, bhoger mangsho tastes amazing and if you don’t tell it is prepared without onion-garlic then hardly anybody can understand.

There is a big Kali puja celebrated every year in Amavasya of the Bengali Kartika month in my father’s ancestor’s house. But sacrificing any animal to the goddess is strictly prohibited in that puja. They always cut a big pumpkin in front of Maa Kali as a symbol of sacrifice. For this reason, it is a strict rule in our family to eat vegetarian food during the Kali puja festival. On my father’s side, eating meat on Kali puja is prohibited.

So, our close ones always used to give Kali pujar bhoger prosad the next day because they knew our family rituals. Since my childhood, I always used to eagerly wait for the next day of kali puja to eat the bhoger prasad. Every time it engages me with its irresistible taste, unbeatable flavour and amazing texture. I have thousands of good memories of this traditional Kali puja food and whenever I talk about it, I always feel nostalgic.

I always used to wonder how the mutton curry tasted so delicious and different from regular homemade curries. Many people believe that the taste of bhoger mangsho can’t be recreated at home or any other place except temples or puja mandaps because it is prepared for Maa Kali and is offered to her first. And it is due to God’s blessings that the bhog tastes supreme. But later when I grew up, I came to know that the procedure of cooking niramish pathar mangsho is completely different from homemade mutton curry.

I prepared the niramish mangsho for the first time during the Durga puja festival for a get-together. Initially, my husband was in doubt about how the mutton curry was going to taste without onion and garlic. But later he and all the guests just loved the preparation. Now it has become almost compulsory to prepare niramish pathar mangsho at least once a year. Honestly, it is a full-proof recipe which will never let you down.

According to me, mutton curry without onion and garlic is a simple and easy recipe. You just need some preparations and an ample amount of time to cook it properly. All the ingredients required to prepare the bhoger mangsho are easily available in any Bengali kitchen pantry. The best part of the dish is that you don’t need to drop your tears to cut onions for the recipe.

Bhoger mangsho with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instruction’ section of the recipe. I have included all the tips and tricks below to help you to meet perfection during the time of preparing the recipe. If you follow each step of my recipe precisely then it would surely give a throwback to your nostalgia.

• Always marinate the goat meat for at least 2 hours and most preferably for overnight for better flavour, taste and texture.
• Always use homemade fresh ginger paste for the recipe rather than readymade ones for a more intense flavour.
• Always cook niramish mangsho in mustard oil and ghee. It will give you a better taste and flavour.
• Caramelize the sugar before adding the whole spices to get the beautiful colour of the gravy.
• Make a paste of ground spices with some water before adding to the curry. It will give you the touch of bata moshola.
• The addition of hing aka asafoetida in mutton curry without onion and garlic is a must. Don’t skip it.
• Don’t skip the whole spices. It induces a nice aroma into the oil.
• Use a minimal amount of water to cook the recipe.
• Be patient and slow-cook the mutton till tender and juicy. Stir in between at regular intervals.
• Use Bengali garam masala rather than readymade Punjabi garam masala to get the authentic Bengali flavour of the dish.
• Add Ghee at the end of cooking to enhance the taste and flavour of the bhoger mangsho.

Red meat: Traditional and classic bhoger mangsho is prepared with goat meat but can be replaced with lamb too. Red meat takes longer to get cooked, so I don’t suggest chicken for the recipe. The taste and texture of red meat cannot be substituted with chicken.

Yogurt: It is one of the essential components to marinate the mutton. It helps the mutton pieces to get tender and gives a creamy texture to the gravy.

Spice paste: I have prepared a special masala paste for the unique mutton curry using ginger, nutmeg, mace and white peppercorns.

Hing aka asafoetida: For the mutton curry without using onion and garlic, it’s a must to add hing. Don’t skip it. I have soaked the hing in water for some time before cooking.

Whole spices: Add whole spices like bay leaf, dry red chillies, cloves, cinnamon stick, and green cardamom into the oil for tempering. These spices induce a nice aroma into the oil. So, try not to skip any of these whole spices.

Ground spices: Other than whole spices, I have used ground spices turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder, and Bengali garam masala powder for the recipe. All the spices help to develop a nice flavour and taste to the dish.

Mustard oil: Always use mustard oil to cook the recipe like any other traditional Bengali food. It enhances the taste and flavour of the mutton curry.

Ghee: For cooking the mutton curry, always add some ghee to the mustard oil. For the finishing touch, ghee aka clarified butter is added at the end of cooking. It vastly enhances the taste and flavour of the dish.

Sugar: Sugar is used to caramelize and get the beautiful colour of the gravy.

Salt: It is compulsorily added to give a savoury taste to the mutton curry.

Water: Water is added to cook the mutton curry and to adjust the consistency of the gravy.

To prepare the bhoger mangsho, first, wash the mutton pieces nicely and keep them in a large mixing bowl. I have used fresh goat meat for the recipe.

To marinate the mutton add yogurt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, mustard oil and salt, one by one into the mixing bowl. Mix everything evenly so that each piece gets coated with the masala paste. Then cover the bowl with cling film or a plate and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Overnight marination is preferable for the best result.

Take a jar of a grinder and add peeled ginger cubes, some white or black peppercorns, nutmeg, and mace into it. Close the lid of the jar, pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside. Add a little water if required.

Take a small bowl and add some hing aka asafoetida into it. Add a little water and soak it for some time.

Peel the small-sized potatoes and wash them. You can cut the potatoes into halves if you use medium-sized potatoes. Add salt, turmeric powder and mix it nicely to coat each potato piece. Keep it aside.

Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 2 tablespoons of mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.

Add the marinated potato chunks into the pan and then fry them evenly over medium to medium-high flame for 8-10 minutes till crisp and golden brown. Then keep them aside on a separate plate.

Add some ghee to the pan and wait until it melts. Add some sugar into the pan and cook it over medium flame until it gets caramelized. This step is important to get beautiful brown-coloured gravy.

Now add the whole spices – 1 bay leaf, 2 dry red chillies, 8 cloves, 4-inch cinnamon stick broken pieces, 6 cardamoms and let them crackle.

Add the soaked hing into the pan and cook it over medium flame for a minute.

Then add the ginger masala paste into the pan and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for 4-5 minutes until the raw smell goes away and the masala releases oil.

In the meantime, take a bowl and add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder and some water to it. Make a paste of the spices and add it to the pan. Cook it on low flame for another couple of minutes until the masala releases oil.

Now add the marinated mutton pieces into the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on high flame for 15-20 minutes. The refrigerated marinated mutton pieces are cold. So, we need to put the flame in high at this stage. Cook it until the mutton pieces release water.

Add salt to the pan and mix it well. Then cook it in high flame until the water gets evaporated and oil starts to get released from the curry. Stir in between at regular intervals. Don’t forget to scrape the sides and bottom of the pan. It takes around 20-25 minutes to dry up the water of the mutton and release oil.

Now it’s time to do koshano, I mean the slow cooking part of the recipe. Put the flame in medium or medium-low and then add 1 cup hot water at a time into the pan and give a nice stir. Cover the pan and cook it until the water has evaporated. Then again, add 1 cup of hot water at a time and continue the slow cooking until the water evaporates.

Around 1 hour after cooking the mutton, add the fried potatoes and mix it well.

Add 1 more cup of hot water and in this way, I have used 3 cups or 750 ml of hot water during the whole process of slow cooking. You can adjust the amount of water according to your desired consistency of the gravy. Cook it on low flame until the mutton pieces get tender and juicy. Stir frequently on regular intervals or else the gravy will stick to the bottom of the pan.

For me, it takes around 70-75 minutes to cook the mutton till tender and juicy. Remember the duration of cooking may vary due to the quality of meat. Few mature red meat takes longer to completely get cooked. So, keep your eye on it.

At the final stage of cooking, add Bengali garam masala powder (a ground spice mixture which contains an equal portion of cardamom, cinnamon and cloves) and ghee (clarified butter), one by one into the pan. These two ingredients flavour up the niramish pathar mangsho and take the dish to a different level. Cook it on low flame for another 2-3 minutes and switch off the flame. Your bhoger mangsho is ready to serve.

Many Kali puja recipes have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check a few of them like

Bhoger khichuri
Bhoger labra
Luchi recipe
Kumror chokka

..And Many more…

1 cup = 250 ml

• 1 kg Mutton with fat, medium pieces
• 250 grams Yogurt, well beaten
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon Mustard oil

• 2 inches Ginger, diced
• ¼ Nutmeg (Jayfal)
• ¼ Mace (Javitri)
• 8-10 white Peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon Water

• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon Garam masala powder
• 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon black Pepper powder
• 2 tablespoons Water

• 6-7 Potatoes, small sized
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder

• 1 teaspoon Hing aka asafoetida
• 1 tablespoon Water

• 1-2 Bay leaves (Tejpatta)
• 2 dry red Chillies (Sukhilalmirch)
• 6 green Cardamoms (Choti elaichi)
• 8 Cloves (Laung)
• 4 inches Cinnamon stick (Dalchini), broken
• 1 teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala powder
• 1 tablespoon Ghee (Clarified butter)
• 2 teaspoons Sugar
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons Mustard oil for cooking
• 3 cups of Water

1. Wash the mutton pieces nicely and keep them in a large mixing bowl. I have used fresh goat meat for the recipe.
2. To marinate the mutton add 250 grams of yogurt, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 tablespoon mustard oil and ½ tablespoon salt, one by one into the mixing bowl. Mix everything evenly so that each piece gets coated with the masala paste.
3. Cover the bowl with cling film or a plate and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Overnight marination is preferable for the best result.
4. Take a jar of a grinder and add peeled ginger cubes, 8-10 white or black peppercorns, ¼ nutmeg, and ¼ mace. Close the lid of the jar, pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside. Add a little water if required. I have used 1 tablespoon of water for the paste.
5. Take a small bowl and add 1 teaspoon hing aka asafoetida into it. Add 1 tablespoon water and soak it for some time.
6. Peel 6-7 small-sized potatoes and wash them. You can cut the potatoes into halves if you use medium-sized potatoes. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and mix it nicely to coat each potato piece. Keep it aside.
7. Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 2 tablespoons of mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
8. Add the marinated potato chunks into the pan and then fry them evenly over medium to medium-high flame for 8-10 minutes till crisp and golden brown. Then keep them aside on a separate plate.
9. Add ½ tablespoon ghee into the pan and wait until it melts.
10. Add 2 teaspoons sugar into the pan and cook it over medium flame until it gets caramelized. This step is important to get beautiful brown-coloured gravy.
11. Now add the whole spices – 1 bay leaf, 2 dry red chillies, 8 cloves, 4-inch cinnamon stick broken pieces, 6 cardamoms and let them crackle.
12. Add the soaked hing (Step 5) into the pan and cook it over medium flame for a minute.
13. Add the ginger masala paste into the pan and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for 4-5 minutes until the raw smell goes away and the masala releases oil.
14. In the meantime, take a bowl and add 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper powder and 2 tablespoons water into it.
15. Make a paste of the spices and add it to the pan. Cook it on low flame for another couple of minutes until the masala releases oil.
16. Now add the marinated mutton pieces (Step 3) into the pan and mix it well.
17. Cover the pan and cook it on high flame for 15-20 minutes. The refrigerated marinated mutton pieces are cold. So, we need to put the flame in high at this stage. Cook it until the mutton pieces release water.
18. Add salt to the pan and mix it well. Then cook it on high flame until the water gets evaporated and oil starts to get released from the curry. Stir in between at regular intervals. Don’t forget to scrape the sides and bottom of the pan. It takes around 20-25 minutes to dry up the water of the mutton and release oil.
19. Now it’s time to do koshano, I mean the slow cooking part of the recipe. Put the flame in medium or medium-low and then add 1 cup hot water at a time into the pan and give a nice stir. Cover the pan and cook it until the water has evaporated. Then again, add 1 cup of hot water at a time and continue the slow cooking until the water evaporates.
20. Around 1 hour after cooking the mutton, add the fried potatoes and mix it well.
21. Add 1 more cup of hot water and in this way, I have used 3 cups or 750 ml of hot water during the whole process of slow cooking. You can adjust the amount of water according to your desired consistency of the gravy. Cook it on low flame until the mutton pieces get tender and juicy. Stir frequently on regular intervals or else the gravy will stick to the bottom of the pan. Note: For me, it takes around 70-75 minutes to cook the mutton till tender and juicy. Remember the duration of cooking may vary due to the quality of meat. Some mature red meat takes longer to completely get cooked. So, keep your eye on it.
22. At the final stage of cooking, add 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder (a ground spice mixture which contains an equal portion of cardamom, cinnamon and cloves) and ½ tablespoon ghee (clarified butter), one by one into the pan. These two ingredients flavour up the niramish pathar mangsho and take the dish to a different level.
23. Cook it on low flame for another 2-3 minutes and switch off the flame. Your bhoger mangsho is ready to serve.

Transfer the bhoger mangsho into a serving bowl or on a serving plate. Serve hot or warm to enjoy the best taste. Relish the authentic Bengali recipe with Basanti pulao, plain rice or luchi and enjoy Bengali delicacy.

Bhoger mangsho | Niramish pathar mangsho | Mutton curry without onion and garlic

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: NA calories NA fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Pin

Print

Ingredients

1 cup = 250 ml

To marinate the mutton

• 1 kg Mutton with fat, medium pieces
• 250 grams Yogurt, well beaten
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon Mustard oil

For the ginger paste

• 2 inches Ginger, diced
• ¼ Nutmeg (Jayfal)
• ¼ Mace (Javitri)
• 8-10 white Peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon Water

For the spice paste

• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon Garam masala powder
• 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon black Pepper powder
• 2 tablespoons Water

For the potatoes

• 6-7 Potatoes, small sized
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder

For the hing water

• 1 teaspoon Hing aka asafoetida
• 1 tablespoon Water

Other ingredients for the niramish mangsho

• 1-2 Bay leaves (Tejpatta)
• 2 dry red Chillies (Sukhilalmirch)
• 6 green Cardamoms (Choti elaichi)
• 8 Cloves (Laung)
• 4 inches Cinnamon stick (Dalchini), broken
• 1 teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala powder
• 1 tablespoon Ghee (Clarified butter)
• 2 teaspoons Sugar
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons Mustard oil for cooking
• 3 cups of Water

Instructions

1. Wash the mutton pieces nicely and keep them in a large mixing bowl. I have used fresh goat meat for the recipe.
2. To marinate the mutton add 250 grams of yogurt, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 tablespoon mustard oil and ½ tablespoon salt, one by one into the mixing bowl. Mix everything evenly so that each piece gets coated with the masala paste.
3. Cover the bowl with cling film or a plate and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Overnight marination is preferable for the best result.
4. Take a jar of a grinder and add peeled ginger cubes, 8-10 white or black peppercorns, ¼ nutmeg, and ¼ mace. Close the lid of the jar, pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside. Add a little water if required. I have used 1 tablespoon of water for the paste.
5. Take a small bowl and add 1 teaspoon hing aka asafoetida into it. Add 1 tablespoon water and soak it for some time.
6. Peel 6-7 small-sized potatoes and wash them. You can cut the potatoes into halves if you use medium-sized Add ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and mix it nicely to coat each potato piece. Keep it aside.
7. Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 2 tablespoons of mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
8. Add the marinated potato chunks into the pan and then fry them evenly over medium to medium-high flame for 8-10 minutes till crisp and golden brown. Then keep them aside on a separate plate.
9. Add ½ tablespoon ghee into the pan and wait until it melts.
10. Add 2 teaspoons sugar into the pan and cook it over medium flame until it gets caramelized. This step is important to get beautiful brown-coloured
11. Now add the whole spices - 1 bay leaf, 2 dry red chillies, 8 cloves, 4-inch cinnamon stick broken pieces, 6 cardamoms and let them crackle.
12. Add the soaked hing (Step 5) into the pan and cook it over medium flame for a minute.
13. Add the ginger masala paste into the pan and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for 4-5 minutes until the raw smell goes away and the masala releases oil.
14. In the meantime, take a bowl and add 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper powder and 2 tablespoons water into it.
15. Make a paste of the spices and add it to the pan. Cook it on low flame for another couple of minutes until the masala releases oil.
16. Now add the marinated mutton pieces (Step 3) into the pan and mix it well.
17. Cover the pan and cook it on high flame for 15-20 minutes. The refrigerated marinated mutton pieces are cold. So, we need to put the flame in high at this stage. Cook it until the mutton pieces release water.
18. Add salt to the pan and mix it well. Then cook it on high flame until the water gets evaporated and oil starts to get released from the curry. Stir in between at regular intervals. Don’t forget to scrape the sides and bottom of the pan. It takes around 20-25 minutes to dry up the water of the mutton and release oil.
19. Now it’s time to do koshano, I mean the slow cooking part of the recipe. Put the flame in medium or medium-low and then add 1 cup hot water at a time into the pan and give a nice stir. Cover the pan and cook it until the water has Then again, add 1 cup of hot water at a time and continue the slow cooking until the water evaporates.
20. Around 1 hour after cooking the mutton, add the fried potatoes and mix it well.
21. Add 1 more cup of hot water and in this way, I have used 3 cups or 750 ml of hot water during the whole process of slow cooking. You can adjust the amount of water according to your desired consistency of the gravy. Cook it on low flame until the mutton pieces get tender and juicy. Stir frequently on regular intervals or else the gravy will stick to the bottom of the pan. Note: For me, it takes around 70-75 minutes to cook the mutton till tender and juicy. Remember the duration of cooking may vary due to the quality of meat. Some mature red meat takes longer to completely get cooked. So, keep your eye on it.
22. At the final stage of cooking, add 1 teaspoon Bengali garam masala powder (a ground spice mixture which contains an equal portion of cardamom, cinnamon and cloves) and ½ tablespoon ghee (clarified butter), one by one into the pan. These two ingredients flavour up the niramish pathar mangsho and take the dish to a different level.
23. Cook it on low flame for another 2-3 minutes and switch off the flame. Your bhoger mangsho is ready to serve.