Harissa — Recipe

• Take a pressure cooker and add meat to it.
• Take a generous amount of water, more than you usually do, as the stock will be used later as well. Add to it, sliced onions and all the spices.

Tip: Add just a little salt. You can add more salt later , make sure it's the right amount. Subsequent stirring tends to increase salt. So be careful and only add a small amount .

• Cook on medium flame and cook for 2 whistles.
• Turn down the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Turn off the heat and keep as such till all the steam is released by the cooker.
• Open the cooker and with a spadle stir all the ingredients once to mix them well.
• Remove the bones from the flesh. Keep it aside for now.
• Filter the remaining stock and remove any of the visible spices like cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks.
• Take 1 cup of stock and add rice flour to it. Make a smooth paste.

You can either use the same cooker or take a more open mouthed utensil for the following steps. It is your choice, but a wider utensil will definitely help. Transfer the deboned mutton into the utensil/cooker and put it back on the flame.

• Add the rice flour paste (or cooked rice) to this mix.
• Follow with a glass of milk and one cup of oil.
• Cook it on the medium heat while stirring continuously for about 1 to 1.5 hours or till you get the required consistency. Add the remaining stock, slowly to this mix, while stirring all the time.This is an important step in the whole process. The smoothness of the harissa is determined here. So make sure you put some extra effort and stir really well for a long time. Normally the stirring is done with a long wooden spadle, locally known as choncha. The smoother the better .

Check the mixture for salt. Add more, to your taste if required. In case there is more salt in it, add little quantities of milk till it is neutralized while stirring.

• Once the oil starts leaving the sides of the cooker, your harissa is cooked and ready!

Traditionally, harissa is cooked the night before and eaten for breakfast the next morning. In the morning you can brew it with oil/dairy/butter and some chopped onion for enhancing its flavor. Alternatively, pre-cooked kebabs are also served as a garnish, although they are not necessary.

• Garnish it with the crispy onion fries or pran (shallots) and grab some hot naan or roti! Indulge in the heavenly deliciousness of a sizzling plate of harissa beating in taste, the chill of a cold winter morning.