Shinwari Mutton Handi Recipe (Yadgar Shinwari Style, ½ kg)
Mutton handi at Yadgar Shinwari is a creamy, peppery handi built on tomatoes, a mix of black and white pepper, a spoon of dried coconut powder, yogurt and cream. We filmed it at Yadgar Shinwari Restaurant on Rashid Minhas Road in Karachi, opposite Nueplex Cinema, where the cook makes it half a kilo at a time and the video shows every spice amount on screen.
Serves: 2–3 people (½ kg mutton) | Prep: 10 min | Cook: about 1 hour 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy | Best for: family dinners, dawats
Heat level: Medium, mostly from pepper
Watch the Mutton Handi Video
The full video plays inside the recipe card below. To jump straight to one step, open it on YouTube:
What Makes Yadgar Shinwari Mutton Handi Different
Mutton boiled first, then the masala. The mutton cooks in oil, salt and hot water until the water dries and the meat is soft. Only then do the tomatoes go in.
Whole tomatoes, peeled in the pan. Whole tomatoes steam for 10 to 12 minutes, the skins are pulled off and the flesh is mashed into a smooth gravy.
Dried coconut powder. A teaspoon of khopra powder with black and white pepper gives this handi its nutty, rich taste. It is the ingredient most home recipes miss.
Yogurt and cream to finish. A quarter cup of yogurt and 6 to 8 tbsp of cream on a low flame make it smooth and creamy.
Ingredient Notes
- Dried coconut powder: sold as khopra or desiccated coconut. Grind it fine if it is flaky.
- Cream: the cook says any brand works and there is no hard rule on the amount.
- Heat: for a spicier handi, add a little more red chilli, as the cook suggests.
Mutton Handi Ingredients for ½ kg and 1 kg
| Ingredient | ½ kg muttonserves 2–3 (video) | 1 kg muttonserves 4–5 |
|---|---|---|
| Mutton | ||
| Mutton, bone-in karahi cut | ½ kg | 1 kg |
| Cooking oil | ½ cup | 1 cup |
| Salt | 1 tsp | 2 tsp |
| Hot water | 4–5 glasses | 6–8 glasses |
| Gravy | ||
| Tomatoes, medium, whole | 3–4 | 6–8 |
| Ginger garlic paste | ½ tbsp | 1 tbsp |
| Hot water | 1 glass | 1½ glasses |
| Spices (on-screen amounts) | ||
| Green chillies, medium | 3 | 6 |
| Coriander seeds, crushed | ½ tsp | 1 tsp |
| Cumin seeds, crushed | ½ tsp | 1 tsp |
| Black pepper | 1 tsp | 2 tsp |
| Dried coconut powder (khopra) | 1 tsp | 2 tsp |
| White pepper | 1 tsp | 2 tsp |
| Turmeric | ¼ tsp | ½ tsp |
| Red chilli powder | ½ tsp | 1 tsp |
| Finish | ||
| Yogurt | ¼ cup | ½ cup |
| Cream | 6–8 tbsp | 12–16 tbsp |
The ½ kg column is exactly what the video shows on screen and says in the voiceover. We doubled it for 1 kg.
Step-by-Step: How Yadgar Shinwari Mutton Handi Is Made
1. Cook the mutton with oil, salt and water
Put the mutton in a karahi or handi with the oil and salt. Add the hot water, cover and cook for 45 to 50 minutes until the water dries and the mutton is tender.
2. Add the tomatoes and ginger garlic
Add the whole tomatoes, ginger garlic paste and a glass of hot water. Cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Peel and mash the tomatoes
Pull off the soft tomato skins and mash the tomatoes into the gravy.
4. Add the spices and fry
Add the green chillies, crushed coriander and cumin, black pepper, coconut powder, white pepper, turmeric and red chilli. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes so the spices cook into the mutton.
5. Add yogurt, then cream
Add the yogurt and mix. Lower the flame, add the cream and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring.
The Complete Mutton Handi Recipe
Yadgar Shinwari Mutton Handi
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the mutton with oil, salt and hot water, covered, for 45 to 50 minutes until the water dries.
- Add the tomatoes, ginger garlic paste and a glass of hot water. Cover for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove the tomato skins and mash the tomatoes.
- Add all the spices and fry for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the yogurt, then the cream on a low flame, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
Video
Mutton Handi Problems and How to Fix Them
- Cream split: the flame was too high. Always add cream on a low flame.
- Mutton still hard: add a little more hot water, cover and cook longer before the tomatoes go in.
- Grainy gravy: the tomato skins were left in. Peel them off before mashing.
Serving Mutton Handi
Serve hot with naan or roti. Leftovers keep for 2 days in the fridge; reheat gently so the cream does not split.
Mutton Handi FAQs
What is the secret ingredient in Shinwari mutton handi?
In this recipe, dried coconut powder (1 tsp for ½ kg) along with black and white pepper.
How long does the mutton take to cook?
45 to 50 minutes covered with hot water, as in the video.
Can I make chicken handi the same way?
Yes. Use less water and cook the chicken for about 20 minutes before adding the tomatoes.
Where is Yadgar Shinwari?
On Rashid Minhas Road, Karachi, opposite Nueplex Cinema and Askari 4.
More Shinwari Recipes
- White Mutton Karahi: creamy white karahi from Malik Agha.
- Sulemani Mutton Karahi: peppery karahi from Khyber Shinwari.
- Mutton Rosh: namkeen gosht from Gul Shinwari.
