Rachel Bheemaiah is a yoga instructor by profession and at present teaches power yoga at Akshar Yoga Institute at HSR Layout in Bangalore. Married to BiddandaBheemaiah, and the mother of twin toddler boys, Rachel has strong roots in Coorg. She shares a recipe for a nourishing mutton stew made Kodava style.

Says Rachel: “I often prepare this recipe at home for my dear family members who gorge on the chunks of mutton and sip its luscious gravy! It’s easy to prepare, and is perfect served for lunch or dinner.”

 Yerchi Stew (Mutton Stew)

 Ingredients:

 ½ kg mutton cut into medium – sized pieces (with bones)

¼ tsp turmeric powder

½ tspchilli powder

Juice of ½ lime

1tbsp ghee

½ cup sliced onion

5 green chilis, slit

½ tsp ginger, sliced thin

6 cloves of garlic, crushed

½ tsp crushed pepper

3 1”pieces cinnamon

6 cloves

2 green cardamom

2 sprigs curry leaves

3 potatoes, boiled and cut into cubes

½ cup thick coconut milk

2 cups thin coconut milk

1 tbsp maida (refined flour)

Salt to taste

Method:

Marinate the meat with a little salt, turmeric and chilli powder for 2 to 3hours.

Pressure cook the meat for 20 minutes on medium fire.

In a deep pan or kadai, pour the thin coconut milk, all the spices, onion, ginger, garlic, green chillis, curry leaves, and lastly, the meat. Cook on low heat until mutton is tender.

Make a thin paste of the maida with a little water or coconut milk.

When the meat is cooked, add the maida paste to the kadai and cook till gravy is thick.

 Add cooked potatoes and the ghee.Simmer.

 Finally, add the thick coconut milk and remove from the fire.

Add lime juice.

Serve hot along with paputtu or noolputtu.