Mutton kosha recipe | Kosha mangsho | Bengali mutton kosha | How to make mutton kosha

Mutton kosha recipe aka kosha mangsho is a pure Bengali delicacy and is one of the most popular non-vegetarian dishes among Bengalis. Any Bengali restaurant’s menu card is incomplete without this classic delight. Mutton kosha is a rich, flavoured, spicy goat meat curry where tender and juicy goat meat pieces are coated with thick velvety dark brown gravy. In this preparation marinated, goat meat is slow cooked in its own juice with lots of onion, ginger-garlic and few specific spices using minimal amount of water. Bengali mutton kosha is mostly accompanied with basanti pulao or luchi (fried Bengali flat bread) on special occasions. But it tastes amazing even with steamed rice and rotis on regular days.

About the recipe
Tips and Suggestions
Frequently Asked Questions
How to make Kosha Mangsho (step wise photos)
Recipe Card

Kosha mangsho is an asset of rich and versatile Bengali cuisine. Kosha mangsho is a Bengali name and the name describes the recipe itself. The word ‘kosha’ comes from the Bengali word koshano. Koshano is a slow cooking technique using minimal amount of water. On the other hand, the word ‘mangsho’ refers ‘meat’. In short it is a slow cooked semi dry meat curry.

Kosha mangsho can be prepared both with mutton and chicken. But Bengalis have a special soft corner and craving for mutton since ages. For regular homestyle mangsher jhol, chicken is frequently cooked in every Bengali house due to health awareness. But whenever it’s about the classic delight most of the Bengalis prefer mutton over chicken for the kosha mangsho recipe.

Whenever I talk about kosha mangsho, it always makes me feel nostalgic. Whenever I think about the tempting bengali mutton curry, I always feel lucky to be a Bengali. During our childhood days, any holiday or Sunday would mean Mutton for lunch. Most of the times either it is kochi pathar jhol or it’s my all-time favourite Mutton kosha. As it takes time to cook mutton, so Bengalis mostly pick a holiday to cook it.

I still remember how my mom used to start the preparation for kosha mangsho since morning and used to slow cook it with handsome amount of time. The whole house used to smell divine right from the morning. We used to impatiently wait for lunch and get hungry earlier than normal lunch time. I know many of you have the same childhood story like me.

Honestly, though I am an expert in cooking in our house but when it’s about mutton recipes my husband always comes forward and rolls up his sleeves. He prepares myriad magnificent mutton curries and mutton kosha is one of his most special dishes. I always admire his slow cooked shiny dark brown coloured and extremely luscious kosha mangsho. In fact, I could not stop myself to devour up to my neck. Today’s mutton kosha recipe is among the ones that I learnt from my husband.

When I prepared the kosha mangsho recipe for the first time under my husband’s guidance for a get together, guests just loved the preparation. Honestly, it is a full proof recipe which will never let you down.

According to me, mutton kosha recipe aka kosha mangsho is a simple and easy recipe. You just need some preparations and enough time to cook it properly. All the ingredients required to prepare the Bengali mutton curry recipe are easily available in any Bengali kitchen pantry. The best part of the dish is that it tastes even better on the next day. So, you can cook it a day before celebration.

Mutton kosha 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 the 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 8 hours and most preferably for overnight for better flavour, taste and texture.
• Always use homemade fresh ginger-garlic paste for the recipe rather than readymade ones for more intense flavour.
• Use thin sliced onion for the recipe. Onion paste or diced onion won’t give you the perfect texture.
• Always cook kosha mangsho in mustard oil. It will give you better taste and flavour.
• Make a paste of ground spices with some water before adding into the curry. It will give you the touch of bata moshola.
• Don’t skip the whole spices. It induces a nice aroma into the oil.
• Black cardamom helps to obtain dark shaded mutton kosha gravy with extraordinary flavour.
• Use minimal amount of water to cook the recipe.
• Be patient and slow cook the mutton till tender and juicy. Stir in between in 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 kosha mangsho.

It is tough to answer just by saying a word yes or no. It can be prepared in pressure cooker, but the taste and flavour won’t be the same which comes from slow cooking. So, I recommend not to use pressure cooker for the classic recipe.

Mutton kosha aka kosha mangsho is a rich flavoured and utterly scrumptious recipe which can get fitted very easily with myriad sides. According to me, it is one of the most versatile mutton curry recipes. But still the most popular hook up of mutton kosha is with Bengali mishti pulao aka basanti pulao and Bengali fried puffed bread luchi. But it also tastes amazing with plain rice, roti, paratha etc.

Yes, you can try lamb instead of goat meat following the same recipe and other ingredients.

Mutton kosha is prepared with goat meat which is red meat and we all know red meat takes longer to get cook. Chicken kosha can be prepared using this recipe, but it will get cooked much earlier than red meat. So, you need to keep your eyes into it.

Echor aka green jackfruit is the best option for the vegetarian version of it. Cauliflower or soya chunks can also be used for the vegetarian version.

Red meat: Traditional and classic kosha 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.

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 kosha.

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.

Whole spices: Add whole spices like bay leaf, dry red chillies, cloves, cinnamon stick, green cardamom, black 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, Bengali garam masala powder for the recipe. All the spices help to develop nice flavour and taste to the dish.

Ghee: 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 & Salt: For the taste of the dish.

Other ingredients: Like any other mutton recipe, addition of onion, garlic, ginger and tomato is compulsory to get rich, flavoured and delicious curry.

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

For the marination of the mutton pieces, prepare the masala. For the masala, take a jar of a grinder and add onion chunks into it. Add either chopped or paste of ginger-garlic into it. Then close the lid of the jar and pulse it to a smooth paste. Add yogurt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt, one by one into the jar and again close its lid. Pulse it for another few seconds to prepare the masala.

Add the masala paste over the mutton pieces and pour some mustard oil on it. Mix everything evenly so that each piece gets coated with the masala paste. Then cover the bowl with cling film or with a plate and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Overnight marination is preferable for the best result.

Next day, for the preparation of kosha mangsho, thinly slice the onions and keep them aside.

Take a jar of a grinder and add peeled garlic cloves, ginger cubes and green chillies into it. Close the lid of the jar and pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.

Then add tomato chunks into a jar of a grinder and close the lid. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.

Now put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot. Generally, most of the traditional Bengali food is cooked in Mustard oil. It gives an outstanding flavour to the dish.

After this, temper the whole spices – bay leaf, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon stick and dry red chillies and let them crackle. The amalgamation of these whole spices with mustard oil creates an epic flavour which is the secret of many Bengali recipes.

Then add the onion slices into the pan and cook them over medium flame for 2 minutes and then add sugar to caramelize the onions. Cover the pan and cook it in medium high flame for 12-15 minutes till soft and light golden in colour. Stir in regular intervals.

Then add the ginger-garlic-green chilli paste into the pan and mix it nicely. Cook it in medium flame for another 5-6 minutes until the raw smell disappears and the masala releases oil.

Then add the tomato paste into the pan and cook it in medium flame for another 5-6 minutes until the masala gets cooked thoroughly and releases oil.

On the other hand, take a bowl and add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder into it. Add some water and mix it thoroughly to make a smooth paste of it. Add the paste into the pan and mix it thoroughly. Cook it in medium flame for 5 minutes. Keep stirring on regular intervals.

Then add the marinated mutton pieces into the pan and mix it nicely with the masala. Cover the pan and cook it in 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.

Whip the yogurt thoroughly and add into 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 in regular intervals. Don’t forget to scrap the sides and bottom of the pan. It takes around 20-25 minutes to dry up the water of the mutton and release oil.

Add salt into the pan and mix it well. Now it’s time to do koshano, I mean slow cooking part of the recipe. Put the flame in medium and then add 1 cup hot water at a time into the pan and give a nice stir. Add green chillies into the pan. Cover the pan and cook it until the water gets evaporated. Then again, add 1 cup of hot water at a time and continue the slow cooking. In this way, I have used 3 cups or 750 ml 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 in medium 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 meats take longer to completely get cooked. So, keep your eye into it.

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

Many traditional Bengali Recipes have already been shared in my previous posts. You can check few of them like

Doi Ilish
Echor chingri
Chanar Dalna
Aloo Posto

..And Many more…

1 cup = 250 ml

• 1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste
• ¼ cup Yogurt
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ½ to 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon Mustard oil

• 1-inch Ginger, diced
• 12-14 large cloves of Garlic
• 2-3 green Chillies
• 1 tablespoon Water

• 2 teaspoon Coriander powder
• 1 & ½ teaspoons Cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• 2 tablespoons Water

• 3 large Onions, thin sliced
• 2 Tomatoes for paste
• 4-5 whole green Chillies, for the gravy
• ¼ cup Yogurt, whipped
• 3 Bay leaves (Tejpatta)
• 2 dry red Chillies (Sukhi lal mirch)
• 1 black Cardamom (Badi elaichi)
• 6-8 green Cardamoms (Hari elaichi)
• 6-8 Cloves (Laung)
• 2 inches Cinnamon stick (Dalchini)
• 1 teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala powder
• 1 teaspoon Ghee (Clarified butter)
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• Salt to taste
• 5 tablespoons Mustard oil for cooking
• 3 cups of hot Water

1. Wash the mutton pieces nicely and keep it in a large mixing bowl. I have used fresh goat meat for the recipe.
2. To prepare the marination masala, take a jar of a grinder and add chunks of 2 onions into it. Add either 1 tablespoon chopped or paste of ginger-garlic into it. Then close the lid of the jar and pulse it to a smooth paste.
3. Add ¼ cup yogurt, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder and 1 teaspoon salt, one by one into the jar and close its lid again. Pulse it for another few seconds to prepare the masala.
4. Add the masala paste over the mutton pieces and pour 1 tablespoon mustard oil on it. Mix everything evenly so that each piece gets coated with the masala paste. Then cover the bowl with cling film or with a plate and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Overnight marination is preferable for the best result.
5. Take a jar of a grinder and add peeled 12-14 large garlic cloves, 1-inch diced ginger, 2-3 green chillies and 1 tablespoon of water into it. Close the lid of the jar and pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
6. Add 2 diced tomatoes into a jar of a grinder and close the lid. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
7. Now put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add ¼ cup mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
8. Add 3 bay leaf, 6-8 cloves, 6-8 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 2 inches cinnamon stick and 3 dry red chillies into the pan and let them crackle.
9. Add the thin onion slices into the pan and cook them over medium flame for 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon sugar to caramelize the onion. Cover the pan and cook it in medium high flame for 12-15 minutes till soft and light golden. Stir in regular intervals.
10. Add the ginger-garlic-green chilli paste (Step 5) into the pan and mix it nicely. Cook it in medium flame for another 5-6 minutes until raw smell disappears and the masala releases oil.
11. Add the tomato paste (Step 6) into the pan and cook it in medium flame for another 5-6 minutes until the masala gets cooked thoroughly and releases oil.
12. On the other hand, take a bowl and add 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1½ cumin powder and 2 teaspoons coriander powder into it. Add 2 tablespoons of water and mix it thoroughly to make a smooth paste of it.
13. Add the paste into the pan and mix it thoroughly. Cook it in medium flame for 5 minutes. Stir in between on regular intervals.
14. Now add the marinated mutton pieces (Step 4) into the pan and mix it nicely with the masala. Cover the pan and cook it in high flame for 20 minutes until the mutton pieces release water.
    Note: The refrigerated marinated mutton pieces are cold. So, we need to put the flame in high at this stage.
15. Whip ¼ cup yogurt thoroughly and add into the pan and mix it well.
16. Add salt into the pan and mix it well. Then cook it in high flame until the water gets evaporated completely and starts releasing oil from the curry. It takes around 20-25 minutes to dry up the water of the mutton and starts to release oil. Stir in between in regular intervals. Don’t forget to scrap the sides and bottom of the pan.
17. Now put the flame in medium and then add 1 cup hot water at a time into the pan and give a nice stir. Add green chillies into the pan. Cover the pan and cook it until the water gets evaporated. Then again add 1 more cup of hot water and continue slow cooking. In this way, I have used 3 cups or 750 ml hot water during the whole process of koshano, I mean slow cooking.
    Note: You can adjust the amount of water according to your desired consistency of the gravy.
18. Cook it 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.
    Note: Remember the duration of cooking may vary due to the quality of meat. Few mature red meats take longer to completely get cooked. So, keep your eye into it.
19. At the final stage of cooking, add 1 teaspoon bengali garam masala powder, 1 teaspoon ghee (Clarified butter) into the pan and give a nice stir.
20. Cook it in low flame for another 2-3 minutes and switch of the flame. Your kosha mangsho is ready to serve.

Transfer the mutton kosha 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 or luchi and enjoy Bengali delicacy.

Mutton kosha recipe | Kosha mangsho | Bengali mutton kosha | How to make mutton kosha

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 2 Hours 45 Minutes 2 Hours 45 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
• 2 Onions
• 1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste
• ¼ cup Yogurt
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ½ to 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon Mustard oil

For the Ginger-garlic paste

• inch Ginger, diced
• 12-14 large cloves of Garlic
• 2-3 green Chillies
• 1 tablespoon Water

For the spice paste

• 2 teaspoon Coriander powder
• 1½ teaspoons Cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• 2 tablespoons Water

Other ingredients for the mutton kosha

• 3 large Onions, thin sliced
• 2 Tomatoes for paste
• 4-5 whole green Chillies, for the gravy
• ¼ cup Yogurt, whipped
• 3 Bay leaves (Tejpatta)
• 2 dry red Chillies (Sukhi lal mirch)
• 1 black Cardamom (Badi elaichi)
• 6-8 green Cardamoms (Hari elaichi)
• 6-8 Cloves (Laung)
• 2 inches Cinnamon stick (Dalchini)
• 1 teaspoon Bengali Garam Masala powder
• 1 teaspoon Ghee (Clarified butter)
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• Salt to taste
• 5 tablespoons Mustard oil for cooking
• 3 cups of hot Water

Instructions

1. Wash the mutton pieces nicely and keep it in a large mixing bowl. I have used fresh goat meat for the recipe.
2. To prepare the marination masala, take a jar of a grinder and add chunks of 2 onions into it. Add either 1 tablespoon chopped or paste of ginger-garlic into it. Then close the lid of the jar and pulse it to a smooth paste.
3. Add ¼ cup yogurt, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder and 1 teaspoon salt, one by one into the jar and close its lid again. Pulse it for another few seconds to prepare the masala.
4. Add the masala paste over the mutton pieces and pour 1 tablespoon mustard oil on it. Mix everything evenly so that each piece gets coated with the masala paste. Then cover the bowl with cling film or with a plate and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Overnight marination is preferable for the best result.
5. Take a jar of a grinder and add peeled 12-14 large garlic cloves, 1-inch diced ginger, 2-3 green chillies and 1 tablespoon of water into it. Close the lid of the jar and pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
6. Add 2 diced tomatoes into a jar of a grinder and close the lid. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
7. Now put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add ¼ cup mustard oil into the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
8. Add 3 bay leaf, 6-8 cloves, 6-8 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 2 inches cinnamon stick and 3 dry red chillies into the pan and let them crackle.
9. Add the thin onion slices into the pan and cook them over medium flame for 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon sugar to caramelize the onion. Cover the pan and cook it in medium high flame for 12-15 minutes till soft and light golden. Stir in regular intervals.
10. Add the ginger-garlic-green chilli paste (Step 5) into the pan and mix it nicely. Cook it in medium flame for another 5-6 minutes until raw smell disappears and the masala releases oil.
11. Add the tomato paste (Step 6) into the pan and cook it in medium flame for another 5-6 minutes until the masala gets cooked thoroughly and releases oil.
12. On the other hand, take a bowl and add 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1½ cumin powder and 2 teaspoons coriander powder into it. Add 2 tablespoons of water and mix it thoroughly to make a smooth paste of it.
13. Add the paste into the pan and mix it thoroughly. Cook it in medium flame for 5 minutes. Stir in between on regular intervals.
14. Now add the marinated mutton pieces (Step 4) into the pan and mix it nicely with the masala. Cover the pan and cook it in high flame for 20 minutes until the mutton pieces release water.

Note:  The refrigerated marinated mutton pieces are cold. So, we need to put the flame in high at this stage.

15. Whip ¼ cup yogurt thoroughly and add into the pan and mix it well.
16. Add salt into the pan and mix it well. Then cook it in high flame until the water gets evaporated completely and starts releasing oil from the curry. It takes around 20-25 minutes to dry up the water of the mutton and starts to release oil. Stir in between in regular intervals. Don’t forget to scrap the sides and bottom of the pan.
17. Now put the flame in medium and then add 1 cup hot water at a time into the pan and give a nice stir. Add green chillies into the pan. Cover the pan and cook it until the water gets evaporated. Then again add 1 more cup of hot water and continue slow cooking. In this way, I have used 3 cups or 750 ml hot water during the whole process of koshano, I mean slow cooking.

Note: You can adjust the amount of water according to your desired consistency of the gravy.

18. Cook it 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.

Note: Remember the duration of cooking may vary due to the quality of meat. Few mature red meats take longer to completely get cooked. So, keep your eye into it.

19. At the final stage of cooking, add 1 teaspoon bengali garam masala powder, 1 teaspoon ghee (Clarified butter) into the pan and give a nice stir.
20. Cook it in low flame for another 2-3 minutes and switch of the flame. Your kosha mangsho is ready to serve.