Mutton Egg Fry Recipe

Trim and season

Trim excess fat from the mutton and cut into small bite-sized pieces if not already done. Toss the mutton with 1 tsp salt and the turmeric (1 tsp). Let sit 10 minutes while you prepare other ingredients.

Pressure cook mutton

Place the seasoned mutton in a pressure cooker or heavy pot with 1 cup water. Add 1/2 tsp of the black pepper and one bay leaf. Cook until tender: in a pressure cooker, 15-20 minutes (4–5 whistles) depending on meat; in a pot, simmer covered for 1–1.5 hours until fork-tender. Drain and reserve the cooking liquid (strain and set aside 1/2 cup).

Combine spice mix

In a small bowl combine red chili powder (1 tsp), coriander powder (2 tsp), remaining black pepper (1/2–1 tsp if desired), and garam masala (1 tsp). This spice mix will be added during the sauté to coat the mutton.

Sauté whole spices and onions

Heat oil (4 tbs) in a wide skillet or heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, remaining bay leaf, cardamom pods (slightly crushed) and cinnamon stick. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown and caramelized, about 12–15 minutes. Reduce heat if browning too fast.

Add ginger, garlic and chilies

Add grated ginger (1 tbs), minced garlic (1 tbs) and slit green chilies (2). Cook 1–2 minutes until raw aroma goes away.

Cook tomatoes and spices

Add the chopped tomato (1 cup) and the prepared spice mix. Cook until tomatoes break down and oil begins to separate from the masala, about 6–8 minutes. If mixture is too dry, add 2–3 tbs of reserved mutton cooking liquid to deglaze.

Add cooked mutton

Add the cooked mutton pieces to the pan and stir to coat with the masala. Pour in up to 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid (or water) to create a slightly saucy gravy. Simmer on medium-low 8–10 minutes so the mutton absorbs the spices. Taste and adjust salt.

Finish with coriander & lemon

Stir in chopped fresh coriander (2 tbs) and lemon juice (1 tbs). Keep the mutton gravy hot on low heat and adjust consistency: for a dryer fry, cook an additional 3–5 minutes to reduce gravy; for more sauce, add a splash more reserved liquid.

Prepare eggs

Heat a separate nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add butter (1 tbs) if using. Crack eggs individually into the pan to make fried eggs sunny-side up or over-easy according to preference. Season each egg lightly with salt and black pepper. Cook until whites are set and yolks at desired doneness (about 3–4 minutes for sunny-side).

Assemble and serve

Either place the fried eggs on top of the hot mutton gravy in the skillet (one or two per serving) and cover for 30 seconds to warm, or arrange the mutton on a serving plate and top with fried eggs. Garnish with remaining chopped coriander (1 tbs) and an optional sprinkle of extra black pepper. Serve immediately with rice, flatbread, or roti.