Chatpata Mutton Chops BBQ Recipe (Dua Restaurant Style, Karachi)
Chatpata mutton chops at Dua Restaurant get their tang from lemon juice and vinegar and their punch from a long list of spices, three ready masalas and chicken powder. Everything is mixed into a thick paste with oil and a little yogurt, rubbed into rib chops and grilled over coals. We filmed it at Dua Restaurant in Karachi, and every amount below is read from the labels shown on screen in the video.
Serves: 4 per 1 kg chops (our estimate) | Prep: 20 min + marinating | Grill: about 15–20 min (our estimate)
Difficulty: Medium | Best for: Bakra Eid, BBQ nights and dawats
Heat level: Hot and tangy
Watch the Mutton Chops BBQ Video
The full video plays inside the recipe card below. To jump straight to one step, open it on YouTube:
What Makes Dua’s Chatpata Chops Different
A lemon and vinegar base. 10 tbsp lemon juice and 8 tbsp vinegar go into the bowl first, and every spice is stirred into this sour base. That is where the “chatpata” tang comes from.
Three ready masalas at once. Tandoori masala, garam masala and 50 g karahi masala all go in, backed up by chicken powder, black pepper, fennel and carom seeds.
Coriander twice, plus fenugreek. 8 tbsp coriander seed powder goes in with the spices, then another 5 tbsp of coriander seeds mixed with fenugreek leaf powder (kasuri methi) for aroma.
Oil and only 100 g yogurt. The yogurt comes last and in a small amount, so the marinade stays a thick paste that clings to the bone instead of a runny coating.
Mutton Chops BBQ Ingredients
Use mutton rib chops, cut singly with the bone, as the butcher does at the start of the video. Chicken powder is chicken stock powder, and fenugreek leaf powder is crushed kasuri methi.
| Ingredient | Dua masala batchas labelled in the video | For 1 kg chopsour suggestion (about ¼) |
|---|---|---|
| Sour base | ||
| Lemon juice | 10 tbsp | 2½ tbsp |
| Vinegar | 8 tbsp | 2 tbsp |
| Salt (label shows only the amount; it looks like salt) | 2½ tbsp | about 2 tsp, to taste |
| Colour and heat | ||
| Turmeric powder | 3 tbsp | 2¼ tsp |
| Tandoori masala | 8 tbsp | 2 tbsp |
| Red chilli powder | 8 tbsp | 2 tbsp |
| Masalas and spice powders | ||
| Garam masala | 5 tbsp | 1¼ tbsp |
| Karahi masala | 50 g | about 12 g (1½ tbsp) |
| Fennel seeds (saunf) | 5 tbsp | 1¼ tbsp |
| Chicken powder | 5 tbsp | 1¼ tbsp |
| Black pepper | 5 tbsp | 1¼ tbsp |
| Carom seeds (ajwain) | 2 tbsp | ½ tbsp |
| Coriander seed powder | 8 tbsp | 2 tbsp |
| Green chilli paste | 1 tbsp | ¾ tsp |
| Coriander seeds + fenugreek leaf powder | 5 tbsp | 1¼ tbsp |
| To bind | ||
| Cooking oil | shown, amount not labelled | 2–3 tbsp* |
| Yogurt | 100 g | about 25 g (1½ tbsp) |
| Meat and garnish | ||
| Mutton rib chops | weight not stated | 1 kg |
| Lettuce, tomato, onion, green chilli, fresh coriander | for the plate | as you like |
The batch column is exactly what the on-screen labels show. The video does not state how many chops this batch covers, how much oil is used, or how long the chops marinate and grill, so the 1 kg column (about a quarter of the batch) and anything marked * are our suggestions. One label shows only “2.5 Table Spoon” without a name; from the video it appears to be salt.
Step-by-Step: How Dua Makes Chatpata Mutton Chops
1. Start with lemon juice and vinegar
Pour the lemon juice and vinegar into a large bowl and add the salt.
2. Add turmeric, tandoori masala and red chilli
Add the turmeric, then the tandoori masala and red chilli powder. Do not mix yet; the spices sit on top of the liquid until everything is in.
3. Add the masalas and spice powders
Add the garam masala, karahi masala, fennel seeds, chicken powder, black pepper, carom seeds, coriander seed powder and green chilli paste, one after another.
4. Add oil, coriander-fenugreek and yogurt
Pour in cooking oil, add the coriander seeds and fenugreek leaf powder, and mix everything into a thick red paste. Then add a little more oil and the yogurt and mix again.
5. Rub the marinade into the chops
Spread the marinade over the chops and rub it in well with your hands so every piece is coated right to the bone. The video does not show a resting time; we suggest 2 to 4 hours in the fridge.
6. Grill in a rack over the coals
Lay the chops in a hinged grill rack and close it. Grill over hot coals, turning the rack often, until the edges char and the meat is cooked through to the bone.
7. Plate and garnish
Slide the chops onto a paper-lined plate with lettuce and tomato. Finish with fresh coriander, green chilli and onion.
The Complete Mutton Chops BBQ Recipe
Chatpata Mutton Chops BBQ (Dua Restaurant Style)
Ingredients
Method
- Put the lemon juice and vinegar in a large bowl and add the salt.
- Add the turmeric, tandoori masala and red chilli powder.
- Add the garam masala, karahi masala, fennel seeds, chicken powder, black pepper, carom seeds, coriander seed powder and green chilli paste.
- Add cooking oil and the coriander seed and fenugreek powder and mix into a thick paste. Add the yogurt and mix again.
- Rub the marinade well into the mutton chops. Marinate for 2 to 4 hours in the fridge (our suggestion).
- Arrange the chops in a hinged grill rack and grill over hot coals, turning often, until charred at the edges and cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes (our estimate).
- Serve on a paper-lined plate with lettuce, tomato, onion, green chilli and fresh coriander.
Video
Notes
Mutton Chops Problems and How to Fix Them
- Too sour or mushy: lemon and vinegar are strong. Keep marinating to a few hours; for an overnight marinade, cut the vinegar by half (our tip).
- Too salty: chicken powder, karahi masala and tandoori masala all contain salt. Add the salt last and taste a little of the marinade first.
- Burnt outside, raw at the bone: the coals are too hot or too close. Raise the rack or let the coals settle, and turn more often.
- Marinade sliding off: pat the chops dry before marinating and keep the paste thick; add the yogurt only at the end.
Serving Chatpata Mutton Chops
Dua serves the chops on a paper-lined plate with lettuce, tomato, onion, green chilli and fresh coriander. They go well with naan or Dua-style poori paratha, mint raita and green chutney. Leftover chops keep in the fridge for 2 days; reheat them in a hot pan (our guidance).
Mutton Chops BBQ FAQs
What does “chatpata” mean in this recipe?
Tangy and spicy. Here the tang comes from lemon juice and vinegar, and the heat from red chilli, black pepper and green chilli paste.
How long should mutton chops marinate?
The video does not say. Our suggestion is 2 to 4 hours in the fridge. Because the marinade is quite acidic, do not leave it much longer unless you reduce the vinegar.
Is the masala enough for 1 kg of chops?
The on-screen batch is restaurant size, and the video does not say how many chops it covers. For 1 kg at home, use about a quarter, as in our table above.
Can I grill without a hinged rack?
Yes. Grill the chops directly on the grate and turn each one with tongs, or cook them under a hot oven grill, turning once (our suggestion). The rack simply makes turning a whole batch easier.
Where is Dua Restaurant?
Dua Restaurant is a well-known BBQ restaurant in Karachi with several branches, including one in Clifton near Bilawal House Chowrangi. Search “Dua Restaurant” on Google Maps for the nearest branch.
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