Kosha Mangsho is one of the finest culinary creations Bengali cuisine has to offer. Rich and bold in flavour, this dish truly embodies the art of slow cooking and roasting – aptly described by the term ‘kosha’. It’s a delicacy that was reserved for special occasions in my home, as it is indulgent and requires immense effort and patience to prepare. Over time, Kosha Mangsho became synonymous, to me, with moments of true celebration.
As a probashi Bangali—a Bengali raised outside Bengal, in Mumbai—preserving recipes like these has always been important. This particular recipe is my grandmother’s, refined over the years with tweaks from my mother and me. Unfortunately, I never got to taste the version made by my dimma (grandmother) as she had stopped cooking and consuming non-vegetarian food long before I was born. But the flavour and aroma of this dish, as we make it today, feel reminiscent of hers—a tribute to her legacy in our family kitchen.
Kosha Mangsho
Ingredients
For the Marination:
- Mutton: 700 grams
- Onions: Paste of 1
- Red spice paste:
- Coriander seeds: 1 tbsp
- Cumin seeds: 1 tbsp
- Dry red chillies: 7 (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, then ground to a paste; use the entire paste)
- Ginger-Garlic paste: 2 tbsp
- Curd: ½ cup
- Mustard oil: 2 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Turmeric powder: 2 tsp
For the Kosha:
- Mustard oil: ¼ cup
- Badi elaichi (Black cardamom): 1
- Green cardamoms: 4
- Bay leaves (halved): 3
- Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
- Dry red chillies: 3
- Cinnamon sticks: 2 small
- Onions: 4, thinly sliced
- Fried garlic and green chilli paste (fry 8 garlic cloves and grind with 4 green chillies): 1–2 tbsp
- Salt to taste
- Sugar: 1 tsp
- Water: 2 cups
- Garam masala (gorom moshla): 2 tsp
- Ghee: 1 tbsp
Method:
- Marination:
- Marinate the mutton with all the ingredients listed under marination. Leave it to rest for 8 hours (preferably overnight).
- Cooking the Kosha:
- Heat mustard oil in a kadhai (wok). Once the oil is hot, add the whole spices (black cardamom, green cardamoms, bay leaves, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, and cinnamon sticks). Allow them to splutter.
- Add the sliced onions and sauté until golden brown.
- Roasting the Mutton:
- Add the marinated mutton to the wok. Roast the mutton slowly, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook.
- As the mixture begins to dry, add water in batches from the measured 2 cups. Each time the water evaporates, add more. Continue the process of slow roasting until the mutton is fully cooked and turns dark brown.
- Throughout this process, adjust the salt as required and add sugar to balance the flavours.
- Final touches:
- The dish is ready when the oil separates and the gravy thickens to a rich consistency, indicating it is properly kosha.
- Add the garam masala (gorom moshla) and ghee. Mix well, then cover the wok and turn off the heat. Let it rest for 2 minutes.
- Serving suggestion:
- Serve hot with steamed rice or basanti pulao.
Watch this recipe here – Kosha Mangsho
Sanjana Das is an ex-PR consultant turned food content creator who began her journey in 2020. After leaving her career in public relations to take a break and explore her own path, cooking became a therapeutic and cathartic escape during a chaotic time.
Encouraged by her family, friends, and her favourite movie Ratatouille, Sanjana started sharing her culinary creations online. Since then, she has been dedicated to creating content that she herself would enjoy – content that brings a sense of calm to her audience, reminiscent of the solace she found in cooking when she first began.
Today, Sanjana strives to combine creativity and authenticity, celebrating food through recipes and stories that resonate with people from all walks of life.
Translations and detailed descriptions are provided to give a better understanding of the story to people from different cultural backgrounds across the globe.