Mutton Kunna Chinioti (Joint Meat)

Mutton Kunna Chinioti Gosht is cooked in a clay pot below ground level. This round-based clay pot is called Kunna in Punjabi. A specialty of Chiniot, a small city in the province of Punjab, Mutton Kunna Chinioti Gosht is authentically cooked with very few masalas, but since the 80s, when the popularity of this ethnic cuisine spread to other parts of Pakistan, the dish now hosts a variety of masalas. Kunna is also more commonly referred to as Mutka Gosht. The more distinct element of Mutton Kunna is its unique aroma, owing to the method of cooking it. The pot in which this mutton curry is cooked in brings out an earthy scent and texture, different from all other curries.

The slow cooking method of this Chinioti specialty is similar to that of Nihari and cooking it on low heat is essential for the melt-in-the-mouth texture of the meat. Since Muttton Kunna is a purely mutton dish, the ideal cut for it is the hindquarter (goat leg meat). Mutton Kunna Chinioti Gosht is cooked for four to six hours, and is most delectable when cooked with goat meat, though now with the commercialisation of the dish, chicken and beef Kunna has also become popular.

The method to cook Mutton Kunna has survived and remains somewhat similar to the early days. At the time, the lid of the clay kunna (large rounded earthen pot) was sealed shut with a clay lid to maintain maximum steam. It was actually cooked below ground level to maintain utmost heat at a low simmering temperature. Chachaa daig provides the yummiest Mutton kunna at your doorstep on one call.