Spicy, tangy and meat-laden — this curry is exactly what you need, this winter season.
When it comes to Christmas celebrations in Goa, one sees a lot of Portuguese influence in the dishes made by the Goan Catholics. Meaty chorizos (spicy pork sausages), Pork vindaloo ( a spicy curry), Feijoada (spicy meat stew) are some of the many items enjoyed during the festive season. Yep, the Goans sure do love their spice!
There’s one dish that cannot be missed for Christmas, however: the spicy and tangy, meat-laden Sorpotel.
Sorpotel is usually made with a variety of pork meat and offal. But in this Sorpotel recipe, we’re offering a mutton-based alternative to the dish, made with boneless pieces of lamb and mutton liver. Get great deals on all your meaty requirements this season with Licious! Check out our X’Mas Specials for up to 20% off on special cuts of fresh meats & seafood and ready-to-cook treats such as Roasted Leg of Lamb, Whole Chicken with Skin, Goan Prawn Curry etc.
What is Sorpotel?
Sorpotel or sarapatel literally translates to confusion or mishmash, referring to the variety of meats used in the dish. It originated in Brazil during the 13th century and was made by the African slaves who lived there. The Portuguese enjoyed this rich and filling curry, especially because of the large amount of vinegar that was used in it, allowing for the curry to remain unspoiled for a few days, helpful during sea travels. They also liked the matured flavours of the meat, which comes as the curry gets older.
In India, the Sorpotel dish was adopted by the Goan Christians and the Northeast Indians. The Portuguese use wine vinegar in their Sorpotel, but wine wasn’t prevalent in India during the 1500s. So vinegar was made out of fermenting coconut toddy, the local alcoholic beverage. Since toddy vinegar isn’t a common ingredient, we have used wine vinegar in this recipe instead.
Tips to make an easy, delicious Sorpotel
- Sorpotel specifically involves the use of offal, such as tail, intestines etc. (we have used our cleaned and cut Mutton Liver in this recipe). This provides a unique, earthy taste to the dish and is what makes it so popular. However, if you aren’t keen on cooking with offal, skip the step which involves the liver; it will still be a delicious, meaty curry.
Do not use chicken liver as the meat is too tender and will fall apart.
- If you are unable to use red wine vinegar, you can use apple cider or balsamic vinegar instead.
- Cook this curry 1-2 days prior to when you want to serve it. This allows the meat to soak up the spicy curry and mature, allowing you to enjoy the Sorpotel in the best way possible.
- Skip prepping the meat and order from Licious! Our Boneless Lamb Cut contains the most tender pieces of meat cut from the leg of the lambs. For other cuts of mutton, explore our range of bone-in and boneless pieces!
Lamb Sorpotel
Ingredients
- 500 g Licious Lamb Boneless Cut
- 250 g Mutton Liver
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 4-5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 12 Red Bedgi Chillies
- 7 large Red Kashmiri Chillies
- 1- inch piece of ginger
- 10 cloves of Garlic
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder Haldi
- 14 black peppercorns Kali Mirch
- 7 cloves Lavang
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Cumin seeds Jeera
- 1- inch piece of cinnamon Dalchini
- 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate Imli
Instructions
- Boil lamb pieces and liver in salt and water until tender.
- While the meats are cooking, add all the masala ingredients in a blender and grind to a paste.
- Once the meats are cooked, drain on kitchen towels and keep the stock aside for later.
- Heat oil in a pan. Fry the lamb and liver pieces until golden brown and set them aside.
- Saute finely chopped onion in the leftover oil until golden brown.
- Add the masala paste and saute for a few minutes.
- Add salt, tamarind and the stock. Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the fried lamb and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add brown sugar and green chillies and serve with Pao or Sannas.