A Rajputana Recipe for Junglee Maas
Tarini Singh shares a hunting recipe from her family. It contains only five ingredients, and was once only cooked by noble families across Rajasthan.
Back in the day when the chiefs (The Maharajas or the Thakurs) went hunting, they could not carry a lot of supplies with them. The rasodars (as the chefs or khansamas), who were part of the expedition, would only carry dry ingredients. It is likely what led to the recipe of Junglee Maas, which was made with game like deer, wild hare or a boar.
My fondest memory of devouring this dish is from a monsoon-afternoon picnic as a 10-year-old in the Todgarh Raoli Wildlife Sanctuary (a forest area in the Aravalli Range between Jodhpur and Udaipur). We sat near a river stream in full flow, skipping stones, spotting wildlife, and soaking in the lush jungle surrounding us. Meanwhile, the men prepared the site and firewood for cooking, while the ladies handled the mise en place and other preparations.
I belong to a noble family of Marwar, Rajasthan. My grandmother’s and my mother's cooking influenced and shaped my childhood. My mother, Gitanjali Kumari of Auwa, is an avid cook who believes that traditional recipes should be preserved, shared and given their due as they speak volumes about our culture, traditions and being.
This is a hunting recipe with only five ingredients, meaning each one of them plays an important role. The use of Mathania Mirch — the whole dry red chilies from the Marwar region of Rajasthan — gives this dish a bright red colour and its distinct tangy flavour. The dish tastes best when cooked on a chulha. As it is rich and spicy, its best enjoyed in winters.
GITANJALI KUMARI’S RECIPE FOR JUNGLEE MAAS
Ingredients
1 kg mutton, washed and dried
250 gm ghee (no other form of fat)
100 gm dry red chilies (whole and deseeded)
25 gm salt
20 gm crushed garlic (optional)
Jug of lukewarm water.
A handi to cook and a Spatula (karchi) to stir.
Method
There are two ways to make it.
Method 1: In a vessel, marinate the meat with ghee, chilies and salt. Put the marinated meat in the handi and on low flame.
Keep stirring in intervals so that the meat does not stick to the bottom of the handi.
Since there is no addition of liquid/pureed ingredients the meat gets cooked in its own juices. You can add a bit of lukewarm water if the meat starts to stick and get too dry.
Let the meat get a bhunao which is when you will notice that all your spices seem cooked and the fat has started to separate.
Let it simmer for a few minutes until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
Method 2: Heat a little amount of ghee in the handi.
Add your dry red chilies and garlic (if you are using) into the hot fat and let them sizzle to release the flavours.
Add the mutton to this and the salt and let it cook in its own juices until you get the bhunao.
Keep stirring in intervals so that the meat does not stick to the bottom of the handi.
You can add a little bit of lukewarm water if the meat starts to stick and get too dry.
Let it simmer for a few minutes until the fat separates and meat is tender and falling off the bone.
Note: This recipe can be made using chicken, pork or venison as well.
As a professional chef and hospitality entrepreneur, Tarini Singh is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the food and rich cultural heritage of Rajasthan. She runs a farm dining space called Sire Bagh in Jodhpur.
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