Hyderabad's food scene is famous the world over for biryani and haleem, but the city keeps quieter classics too, the kind that show up on rainy afternoons when only something hot and spicy feels right. Sutariyan is exactly that dish, a mutton and wheat-strip stew that rarely gets mentioned outside Hyderabadi homes but earns its place at the table every monsoon season. Built around a spicy mutton gravy and strips of wheat dough locally called sutariyan, this one-pot meal delivers both flavour and nourishment in a single bowl, and the method behind it is far simpler than the finished dish suggests.
What Goes Into the Pot
For the mutton base, cooks need mutton pieces, ginger-garlic paste, whole garam masala and finely chopped onion as the foundation, along with turmeric, coriander powder, red chilli powder, salt, chopped tomatoes, tamarind juice, curry leaves, green chillies and mint leaves, plus oil for cooking. The wheat strips need nothing more elaborate than wheat flour, salt, a little oil and some dry flour for dusting while rolling. A spoonful of desi ghee is kept aside for the final touch when the dish is plated.
Cooking the Mutton Gravy
The process starts with heating oil in a pressure cooker, then adding the whole spices and chopped onion and frying until they turn a deep golden brown. Ginger-garlic paste and the mutton pieces go in next and are cooked through until well browned. Turmeric, coriander powder, red chilli powder and salt to taste are stirred in and allowed to blend into the meat before chopped tomatoes and a glass of water are added. The cooker lid goes on and the mutton is left to cook for four to five whistles, enough for the meat to turn completely tender. Once tender, the mutton is transferred into a larger, open vessel, where tamarind juice, curry leaves and extra water as needed are added before the whole mix is brought back to a boil on high heat.
Rolling and Cutting the Wheat Strips
While the gravy simmers, wheat flour is kneaded with a little salt and oil into a soft dough much like everyday roti dough. A large portion of this dough is rolled out into a thin sheet, which is then cut, using a knife or cutter, into diamond-shaped pieces resembling kaju katli. These cut strips are dusted lightly with dry flour so they do not stick to one another before cooking.
Finishing and Serving the Sutariyan
The wheat strips are dropped straight into the boiling mutton broth and left to cook for five to six minutes. Garam masala, finely chopped green chillies and a handful of fresh mint are sprinkled in afterward, and the pot is left on a low flame for another ten to twelve minutes until the sutariyan strips turn completely soft. The finished dish is then plated and topped with a spoonful of pure desi ghee just before serving, ready to be eaten hot.
