The Authentic Laal Maas Recipe & Everything About Its History & Origin

Laal Maas is a dish replete with myths.

But we will get to the myths as we approach the recipe.

Historically Significant, Yet Fading Into Oblivion
Laal Maas traditionally uses goat meat. Feel free to use lamb meat.

It is important to understand the evolution of this dish, before the real dish fades into oblivion. I say “real” because most restaurants serve the unoriginal version of the dish, leaving a wrong impression in the mind of the customer.

Rajasthani Laal Maas History & Evolution

It is certain that Junglee Maas led to the birth of Laal Maas. Both these dishes were invented by the khansamas who cooked at the kitchen of the Mewars of Rajasthan.

The Royal Junglee Maas

Each king during the era had at least 10 khansamas whose sole job was to experiment and deliver new food to the king every day. For example, the breakfast would consist of at least 10 dishes and 5-6 of them had to be different from the previous day.

This brought out the best in each khansama and during wild hunting sprees, the king would take along only the best khansamas to feed the entourage during the journey which started early morning only to return around noon or evening.

The kill would be sent to the hunting kitchen which was a temporary set up to clean, cook and feed the royal hunting party.

The rule was strict – there should be no smell from the hunt when the royal party reach the feeding station just metres away from the temporary kitchen. This included smell of blood, feathers and raw meat.

Later on this was modified and the khansama or chef would marinade the meat (wild boars, deer, etc.) with garlic and yogurt and a handful of chilies.

This was then roasted on open flame and served.

This is how Junglee Maas was cooked.

Evolution of the Royal Laal Maas

This roast of the game meat using the same ingredients and style of cooking was rather boring.

And that led to many kings instructing their chefs to innovate. The instruction was to create a dish that had succulent meat, was hot and had a sweet after taste.

The first few iterations of the dish did not please the king as that curry failed to mask the odor of the game meat. The chefs soon realized that this can be achieved through chilies.

As per Madhulika Dash in an Indian Express article – “First the pieces were rubbed with spices and a bit of chilli. Then these were cooked with ghee to attain a chewy yet sweet flavour. And finally doused in a paste of chillies, ghee, garlic, spices and yogurt and slow cooked for about another 40 minutes to an hour” depending upon the desired consistency of the gravy.

Since water was rationed in Rajasthan at that point, the dish was dry and later developed semi-solid consistency.

A few sources also cite a competition that led to the final Laal Maas recipe. It was won by the House Of Mewar. And that is how this dish remained with the menfolk of Mewar.

It is seen both as a survival food as well as a celebratory dish that can bring people together.

Mathania Chilli – The Differentiating Factor

What makes the Laal Maas unique is its red color obtained through the use of mathania chilli.

This chilli gets its name from the place it is grown in – Mathania village of Jodhpur district in Rajasthan.

What makes the mathania mirch stand out is its extreme red color when ground and added to a dish. This chilli isn’t hot in nature and is used in combination with hotter red chilies commonly available to impart heat to the dish.

Technically speaking, chilies have sugar in them and cooking chilies for a long duration helps in releasing this very sugar. Perhaps this is why the dish has a hint of sweet aftertaste.

These chillis are not generally available in your neighborhood stores. Thankfully, there are a number of options present on e-commerce sites which I have listed below.

Note that on the internet you would find a lot of brands claiming to sell original Mathania red chilis. Be careful!

Important Points on Laal Maas – Breaking the Myths

I was appalled whenever I ordered this dish in a restaurant. Dissecting it was easy. They have a tomato-onion paste ready, and once an order comes in, the chef adds in a pinch of red color to make the meat gravy look red.

Voila! Laal Maas is ready!

That’s not how the dish is originally cooked. I will break a few myths in this section.

No Tomatoes, No Cumin and Coriander Powders

Tomatoes are a strict no-no in this dish. The first time when this was done was in Punjab and the infection quickly caught up with the rest.

Similarly, cumin and coriander powders are not used.

No Green Chilies and No Coriander Leaves

Green chilies are not used in the dish. The heat should always come from the combination of dry red chilies.

Also the only garnish used is a clove and ghee smoked on the coal. No coriander leaves please! It hurts the soul of the dish.

Chef Kunal Kapur sums it up
When the dish is made, a cup with a burning piece of charcoal infused with cloves and desi ghee is placed on top of the preparation and the utensil is sealed.

The smoke of the burning charcoal redolent of the aromas of desi ghee and cloves just elevates what was once the staple of hunting parties and is now a global celebrity.

Note that smoking the dish is optional as there exists another version that does not use the smoke.

Kashmir Chilies Are Not Traditionally Used

While you can still go ahead and use Kashmiri chilli in this dish, the final result would not match the color and flavor from the use of mathania mirch.

Also, do not use red color. The soul of the dish lies more in the flavor than in the color.

Chef Kunal Kapoor, also notes the following myths associated with the dish.

• Was originally made with wild boar or deer as it was a dish created by the hunters
• It has to be extremely spicy
• It is another version of roganjosh

The dish is opposite to that of a roganjosh, a Kashmiri specialty that is prepared incorrectly at most restaurants.

The roganjosh has an extremely light gravy with the rogan forming the upper layer of the gravy.

Unlike a roganjosh, the laal maas is a thick and semi dry curry.

Chilis & The Heat Factor – An Important Note

Traditionally, this dish has a good amount of heat from the use of mathania red chilis.

However, it is natural that you may not have a liking and tolerance for heat.

That does not mean that you do not get to savor the dish. In a world where dishes are being unnecessarily made complex by using a multitude of spices, the lal maas stands out.

So you must still try the dish minus the heat. Or by moderating the heat to suit your requirements.

• Use only mathania chili if you are fan of heat and spice
• Use only byadgi chili or kashmiri chili poweder if you can’t tolerate the heat or not a fan of heat
• Use a mix of mathania chili and byadgi chili/kashmiri chili if you want to achieve a heat score somewhere in the middle

Is Laal Maas Spicy?

Since the meat had an odor and ingredients were limited on hunting sprees, a lot of red mathania chilis were used to mask this smell. The vibrant aroma (enough to draw tears from your eyes) from these chilis make the laal maas a spicy dish.

However, you it is the vibrant red color of the dish that attracts you to try this recipe out, you may reduce the heat-inducing chilis and replace with byadgi/kashmiri chili. Both the Byadgi and Kashmiri chili variant have lesser heat.

Laal Maas Recipe Ingredients

You would need the following ingredients to cook the laal maas recipe.

• Mutton – Preferably lamb meat. Goat meat also works
• Mathania red chili – The non-negotiable ingredient. If you are unable to get your hands on it, use a mix of regular red chili powder and kashmiri/byadgi chili powder
• Mustard Oil
• Onion
• Curd
• Garlic
• Salt
• Water

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here is an attempt to answer some frequently asked questions on this dish.

What is Laal Maas Served With?

Laal Maas can be eaten with rice, roti and paratha.

Traditionally this dish is served with hand made roti from wheat and bajra.

What is the Difference Between Laal Maas and Mutton Rogan Josh?

There are several differences between laal maas and mutton rogan josh.

1. Laal Maas originated in Rajasthan and mutton rogan josh is from Kashmir
2. Laal Maas is mostly cooked out of game meat and may include lamb, goat and other animals; while mutton rogan josh uses only mutton
3. Mutton rogan josh can be cooked in two variants – the Hindu variant is cooked without onion and garlic; while the Muslim variant is cooked with onion and garlic. In a Laal Maas, onion and garlic is always used
4. Laal Maas is a survival dish, while mutton rogan josh is a celebratory dish
5. Mutton rogan josh is not as high on spice as the Laal Maas is

All said and done, jump on to the recipe!