Cycling uphill is a completely different adventure than traveling on flat terrain. Just a few hours away from the flat ground of Jammu airport is the stunning Music Valley-Patnitop region, which is out of this world. Riding in the Himalayan foothills might have made for some killer Instagram posts, but let me tell you, it was a workout for my legs! After a long day, I returned to my cozy weekend getaway, Skyview by Empyrean, with a heavy appetite. Luckily, the culinary team had a delicious surprise waiting for me.
Not far from Udhampur, the Sangeet Valley boasts of its own culinary gems. While Jammu often overshadows the more famous cuisines of Kashmir, one dish is making headlines: the sour meat of the Dogra community. Due to the increasing interest in regional cuisines in our post-pandemic world, this unique dish has gained quite a fan base—especially on cool mountain days. And as I joined in, the view from Banana Leaf restaurant at Skyview by Empyrean became a perfect backdrop.
According to the culinary team (see recipe), it is the signature hot charcoal smoking technique that gives this dish a unique flavour. But sourdough is more than just smoky goodness. This recipe has two extraordinary steps – finishing it with amchoor powder and pomegranate seeds and garnishing it with fresh coriander and green chillies – that create an explosion of flavor with every bite.
The secret to making this dish delicious is to cook those tender mutton pieces with hot coals soaked in desi ghee. This happens both during and after cooking. This dish consists of a mixture of ground and whole spices, red onion, special Kashmiri masala and mutton cooked in mustard oil. outcome? Meat so tender it melts in your mouth! While you can pair it with rice or roti, in the Jammu region, it is often served with Dogri Gheur, a traditional welcome dish for brides or special guests. Don’t be fooled by the seemingly complicated smoking process; Making sour meat is surprisingly easy and is totally worth the effort because of its delicious blend of spicy and smoky flavors.
sour meat recipe How to make sour meat
Recipe Courtesy – Skyview by Empyrean
Material
- Mutton: 500 grams
- Onion (fried): 250 grams
- Ginger Garlic Paste: 15 grams
- Turmeric powder: 5 grams
- Kasuri Methi: 20 grams
- Red chilli powder: 5 grams
- Green chilli: 4 nos.
- salt to taste
- Mango powder: 10 grams
- Fennel seed powder: 15 grams
- Mustard oil: 60 ml
- charcoal for smoking
for garam masala
- Cumin: 15 grams
- Coriander seeds: 10 grams
- Black cardamom: 2 nos.
- Green cardamom: 2 nos.
- Clove: 5 nos.
- Cinnamon Stick: 2 sticks
How to make sour meat
- – Add cumin and coriander in the pan and fry.
- To make fresh garam masala powder, grind the roasted seeds with black and green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
- Marinate the mutton with ginger garlic paste, salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, dry mango powder, garam masala, mustard oil and curd; Keep aside for an hour.
- Heat mustard oil in a heavy-bottomed pan till it smokes, add cardamom, cinnamon and cloves, then fry. Add onions and marinated mutton, followed by remaining spices and lemon juice; Cook a little.
- Add water and let the mutton cook until it becomes soft.
- Once the meat is cooked, add dry mango powder and fennel powder to it.
- Heat the coals until red, place it in a small bowl and place it on top of the meat in the pan/cooker.
- – Pour some desi ghee or mustard oil on hot coals and cover the pan with a lid for 1 minute.
- Garnish with coriander, fried onions and green chillies and serve with boiled rice or roti.
