Kashmiri Style Shab Deg Recipe-Mutton Kofta and Turnip Curry

Shab Deg is a traditional Kashmiri Kofta Curry dish cooked with Turnips in a heavy bottomed deg/handi/vessel on charcoal fire. This recipe is a forgotten meat recipe from Kashmir which lost its authenticity with time. Traditionally Shab Deg was cooked with a slow cooking method where a large deg was kept on fire with all ingredients on it and was left to cook overnight. Typically served with rice, naan or sheermal, this dish is rich in every manner and not advisable for the faint hearts.  Course : Lunch Ingridients : 5 Turnips 1 tablespoon Poppy seeds 2 tablespoons Whole Almonds (Badam) , blanched and peeled For koftas 500 grams Mutton , minced 1-1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder 2 teaspoons Ginger Garlic Paste 2 tablespoons Gram flour (besan) , roasted 1/4 tablespoons Whole Almonds (Badam) , paste 1/4 tablespoons Poppy seeds , paste 2 tablespoons Coriander (Dhania) Leaves , finely chopped Salt , as needed For gravy  500 grams Mutton 1-1/2 teaspoon Fennel Powder 1 cup Curd (Dahi / Yogurt) 1/2 cup Fresh cream 2 tablespoons Ginger Garlic Paste 1/2 cup Onions , thinly sliced and fried 2 teaspoons Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder (Dhania) 1/2 teaspoon Garam masala powder 1 teaspoon Ajwain (Carom seeds) 5 Cloves (Laung) 4 Cardamom (Elaichi) Pods/Seeds Saffron strands , a pinch 1/2 cup Milk For Wheat Flour dough, to seal the deg (vessel) 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour Water , as required Instructions To begin making the Shab Deg recipe, firstly slowly add water into the whole wheat flour and make a tight dough. This dough is to seal the vessel. Once it is ready, keep it aside.Collect all the ingredients on your counter and do the preparations mentioned like, grind Almond and Poppy to make a paste and keep aside.Peel and wash the turnips, cut into half or four quadrants and keep aside. Soak saffron in milk and keep in fridge to get more intense colour. Take a large mixing bowl and combine all the ingredients required for making kofta and mix well to make a dough.Pinch a lemon sized ball from the dough, roll it and shape into kofta and keep aside. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel known as DEG and fry the turnips till they are golden in colour. Collect them and keep aside.In the remaining ghee add caraways seeds, cardamom and cloves and wait till they crackle.Add mutton and fry for atleast 5 minutes. Now add ginger garlic paste and saute for another couple of minutes.Season it with chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Mix well and add whisked curd/yogurt. Keep stirring till curd incorporates with the spices well.Add garam masala powder and some water, give a quick stir and simmer the gas. Cover the lid and let it cook on low flame till one hour.Add water (preferably warm) and fried onions. Mix and add turnips and meat balls.Check salt again and adjust if needed. Cover the deg with a lid that fits well and seal the sides with dough.Let the deg be on very low flame for another 2 hours. Once the curry is done, break the seal carefully and open the lid.Stir in the saffron milk and garnish with some finely chopped coriander or kasuri methi and drizzle some cream/malai all over.Serve Shab Deg along with Jeera Rice or Naan, Boondi Raita and a plate of Onion salad.