Marag is a delicious soup served in almost every Hyderabadi wedding along with Roomali roti or Naan(breads).It is made with lamb shanks and lamb breasts which are slow cooked in huge pots over fire till the meat is tender,succulent and almost falls apart. Authentically, ghee and cream are added to Marag for a rich and fragrantly flavorful taste and slow cooked over charcoals (dum), but you can substitute ghee with vegetable oil and cream with milk if you want a healthier option. However, if you are making it for the first time, I suggest you follow the recipe exactly to get a taste of an epicurean delight. And of course, since cooking over charcoals is impractical at home, you can cook it in a pressure cooker or just slow cook it on low heat for a couple of hours till mutton is tender.
Marag (Lamb soup)
Ingredients:
- 500 g mutton with bone(lamb shanks and/or breast)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
- 2 big onions chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves/cilantro
- 6-8 green chilies according to taste, chopped fine
Marinate mutton with salt and 2 tbsp. ginger garlic paste for half an hour. Add the remaining ingredients.
Then chose one of the two options listed below:
- Put the meat along with other ingredients in a pressure cooker.Add enough water and cook till tender.
- Put the meat along with other ingredients in a large pot with enough water and cook over low heat till meat is tender. This could take a couple of hours depending on the quality of lamb.I always buy mutton from young lamb. It cooks faster and is tastier.
Second set of Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 tbsp. ghee or vegetable shortening
- 2 cloves
- 2 cardamom
- 2 one inch cinnamon sticks
- 1 big onion sliced fine and fried crisp
- 1/2 tsp. ginger garlic paste
- 1 tbsp. chopped coriander
- 1/4 tsp. Garam masala powder*
- 1/4 cup cream
In a deep and heavy bottom pan/vessel, heat the oil and ghee together. Lower the heat and add the spices one by one. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute till it turns aromatic.
Add the cooked meat along with its stock. Add fried onion,coriander leaves,garam masala powder. Add water if stock seems less. We are basically looking for approximately one liter (1000 ml)of soup. Cover and simmer till oil floats on surface and the soup looks shiny.
Now add cream and turn off the heat. Serve hot in individual soup bowls along with any bread available with you. The breads soak up the soup beautifully.
Garnish with crisp fried onions and a swirl of cream.
*Garam Masala powder is available in Indian stores. If you can’t get it just powder 2 cardamoms, 1 clove and 1 inch cinnamon stick.
Also Check out this yummy Hyderabadi dessert made with Apricots and a Hyderabadi fish curry:
Khubani ka Meetha-Apricot dessert
Hyderabad Fish curry and Lac bangles
Hyderabadi Bridal Dress:
The traditional bridal dress of Hyderabad is known as Khada dupatta.
‘It is an elaborate wedding ensemble comprising a kurta (tunic), chooridaar (extra-long slim pants that gather at the ankles), and a 6-yard dupatta(stole or veil).
Sometimes the kurta is worn with a long, lightweight sleeveless overcoat or a shorter koti, a bolero-like waistcoat. The brides wears a matching ghoonghat (veil) over the head.
The dupatta is usually made of net material and embroidered with zardozi work. The border of the dupatta has masala or a ribbon border with embroidered golden motifs.'(wikipedia.org)
Filed under: Hyderabadi, Indian, Mutton
