Kaleji masala | Mutton liver curry | Mutton liver masala recipe - Rumki's Golden Spoon (2024)

Kaleji masala aka mutton liver curry is a spicy, delectable semi-dry curry overloaded with flavours where tender mutton liver pieces are coated with velvety spicy masala. Mutton liver masala recipe is renowned for its unique texture, irresistible taste and unbeatable flavour. In this preparation, mutton liver pieces are marinated with Indian spices, yogurt, ginger-garlic paste and then cooked with lots of onion, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and some spices. It can be relished as an appetizer or accompanied with naan, rotis or parathas and even rice items.

About the recipe
Health Benefits of Mutton Liver
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Mutton Liver curry (step wise photos)
Recipe Card

The name kaleji masala is a Hindi name where ‘kaleji’ means liver (lamb, goat or chicken) and ‘masala’ means spices. Basically, kaleji masala means liver pieces are cooked in spices to prepare a spicy curry whether it’s dry or gravy that is everyone’s own preference. It can be prepared with the liver of lamb, goat or chicken.

• Kaleji masala can be served as a non-veg appetizer before the main course.
• It can be served as a side with naan, paratha, puri, roti or phulka.
• It can be served with plain rice, pulao, biryani and even khichdi.
• It can be served with bun aka pav. Kaleji masala pav is popular street food.
• Different types of Kathi rolls or wraps can also be prepared with kaleji masala.

As I belong to a Bengali family, my mom used to prepare meter chorchori recipe which is a Bengali-style mutton liver curry, not kaleji masala recipe. Mete chorchori recipe is hugely popular among Bengalis and one of the frequently prepared dishes in every bong house. I have already shared mete chorchori in my blog. You can check the recipe.

Kaleji masala aka mutton liver curry is one of the popular Eid-ul-adha recipes. Though I don’t belong to a Muslim family, but since my nursery days, I am having this delight every year. All the thanks go to my best friend and her mom who used to prepare world’s best mutton liver curry.

Mutton liver curry is a very simple and easy-to-make recipe. All the ingredients required to prepare the dish are regularly used and easily available in any Indian kitchen pantry. The best part of the scrumptious recipe is that it gets prepared much quicker than a mutton curry. It could be a perfect side dish for any regular day or busy working days.

Mutton liver: The primary ingredient which provides a base to the curry recipe. I have used small pieces of liver for the recipe.

Mutton liver marination: Yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, cumin powder & coriander powder are used to marinate the mutton liver. These ingredients provide a basic taste to the kaleji and make it tender.

Onion & Ginger-Garlic: These are the most common ingredients used to give texture and flavour up the curry.

Tomatoes: I have used chopped tomatoes for the recipe. It gives a nice flavor, taste and texture to the dish.

Green chillies & coriander leaves: Green chillies add a heaty taste and coriander leaves add a refreshing aroma to the dish.

Yogurt: It adds a mild tangy taste to the gravy and enhances the flavour of the dish.

Whole spices: I have used cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, and black peppercorns for tempering. All the spices induce a nice flavour to the dish.

Kasuri methi aka dry fenugreek leaves: The addition of kasuri methi adds a nice earthy flavor to the dish.

Ground spices: For the ground spices, I have used turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder. Each spice is equally important for the perfect flavor and taste of the kaleji masala recipe.

Salt: The basic ingredient of any savory recipe which adds a salty taste to the dish. I dissolved the salt in the water before adding it to the curry and added the water at the final stage of cooking. In this way, the kaleji cooked soft.

Water: It is used to adjust the consistency of the gravy.

Oil: Any cooking oil can be used to prepare the curry. I have used olive oil, but you can also use flavourless oil like vegetable oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, etc.

In our childhood days, butchers used to give mutton livers along with meat or at a very low cost. But now a day’s, the mutton liver has become costly and very demanding due to its health benefits. We need to book in advance to get mutton liver.

• Mutton livers are full of minerals that are beneficial for our bodies.
• It is a great source of Vitamin A which is good for our eyes and skin.
• It is a good source of Iron too which helps in haemoglobin formation.

Kaleji masala recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. I have included all the tips and tricks below to make the recipe easier for you on the first attempt. If you follow my recipe precisely then you will get the perfectly cooked mutton liver masala recipe on your plate.

• Always cut the mutton liver into small or medium-small pieces. Big pieces may not absorb the flavour of masala up to the center and might smell a bit.
• Marinate the liver pieces aka kaleji with turmeric powder, chilli powder, black pepper powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, ginger-garlic paste, and yogurt for at least 30 minutes before cooking. It helps to reduce the smell of mutton liver.
• Don’t add salt at the initial stage of cooking or else the liver will turn hard and chewy.
• In a separate bowl, take water for the gravy and mix salt in it. After adding the water, don’t cook the mutton liver for longer, or else the liver will become hard.
• Add kasuri methi and garam masala powder at the final stage of cooking. It enhances the flavour of the dish. Don’t skip it.

To prepare the kaleji masala, first wash the kaleji (mutton liver) and cut them into small size pieces. Marinate them with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, ginger-garlic paste, and yogurt for at least 30 minutes before cooking. Cover the bowl and keep it aside. It helps to reduce the smell of mutton liver.

Wash and cut all the veggies- onion, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves and keep it ready to use.

Now, put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add oil into the pan. Once the oil is hot, add whole spices – bay leaf, black peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamoms and let them crackle.

Add the chopped onion and give a quick stir. Cook it in high flame for 5-6 minutes until soft in texture and golden in colour. Stir continuously.

Then add chopped ginger and garlic and mix it well. Cook it on low flame for 3-4 minutes until the raw smell goes away.

Add the tomato chunks, 2-3 green chillies into the pan and give a nice mix. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for 5-6 minutes until the tomatoes get mushy.

Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder, one by one into the pan and mix it well. Cook it on low flame for 2 minutes so the raw smell of the spice goes away.

Add yogurt and mix it well. Cook it on low flame for 2 minutes.

Add the marinated mutton liver pieces and mix them well with the masala. Cover the pan and cook it on a medium flame for 5 minutes.

In the meantime take water in a bowl and add salt to it. Mix the salt with water. Take off the lid of the pan and add the salted water to it. Give a nice stir and add green chillies into the pan. Cover the pan and cook it on medium flame until the gravy starts boiling. Turn the flame low and take off the lid of the pan. Add kasuri methi, garam masala and give a nice mix. Cook it for a few seconds and then add chopped coriander leaves. Mix it well and then switch off the flame. Cover the pan and don’t disturb it for further 10 minutes. After 10 minutes the kaleji masala is ready to serve.

Many Indian nonveg curry has already been shared in my previous posts. You can check a few of them like

Mutton kosha
Butter chicken
Karahi Chicken

..And Many more…

1 cup = 250 ml

• 300 grams Mutton liver, washed and cut into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon Ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tablespoons Yogurt
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon Cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ¾ teaspoon red Chilli powder
• ¼ teaspoon black Pepper powder

• 2 Onions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Garlic, finely chopped
• ½ tablespoon Ginger, finely chopped
• 2 Tomatoes, finely chopped
• 5-6 green Chillies, adjust accordingly
• 3-4 tablespoons Coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Yogurt, whisked
• 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
• 2 inches Cinnamon stick (Dalchini)
• 3 Cardamoms (Elaichi)
• 3-4 Cloves (Laung)
• 8-10 black Peppercorns
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon Cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon Garam masala powder
• 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
• 4 tablespoons Oil
• Salt to taste
• ¾ cup Water, adjust accordingly

1. First, wash and clean 300 grams of mutton liver and cut them into small pieces.
2. Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¾ teaspoon red chilli powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste, 2 tablespoons yogurt and marinate the mutton liver for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
3. Cover the bowl and keep it aside.
4. Wash and cut all the veggies- onion, ginger, garlic, coriander leaves and keep it ready to use.
5. Now put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 4 tablespoons oil into the pan.
6. Once the oil is hot, add whole spices – 1 bay leaf, 8-10 black peppercorns, 3-4 cloves, 2 inches cinnamon stick, 3 cardamoms and let them crackle.
7. Add the chopped onion and give a quick stir. Cook it in high flame for 5-6 minutes until soft in texture and golden in colour. Stir continuously.
8. Add ½ tablespoon chopped ginger and 1 tablespoon chopped garlic and mix it well. Cook it on low flame for 3-4 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
9. Add the tomato chunks, 2-3 green chillies into the pan and give a nice mix. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for 5-6 minutes until the tomatoes get mushy.
10. Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, and ½ teaspoon cumin powder, one by one into the pan and mix it well. Cook it on low flame for 2 minutes so the raw smell of the spice goes away.
11. Add 2 tablespoons of yogurt and mix it well. Cook it on low flame for 2 minutes.
12. Add the marinated mutton liver pieces (Step 2) and mix them well with the masala. Cover the pan and cook it on medium flame for 5 minutes.
13. In the meantime, take ¾ cup of water in a bowl and add salt to it. Mix the salt with water.
14. Take off the lid of the pan and add the salted water to it.
15. Give a nice stir and add green chillies into the pan. Cover the pan and cook it on medium flame until the gravy starts boiling.
16. Turn the flame low and take off the lid of the pan. Add 1 teaspoon kasuri methi, ½ teaspoon garam masala and give a nice mix. Cook it for a few seconds.
17. Add 3-4 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves into the pan and mix it well.
18. Switch off the flame and cover the pan. Don’t disturb it for further 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, the kaleji masala is ready to serve.

Transfer the Kaleji masala aka mutton liver curry into a serving bowl. Serve hot or warm to enjoy the best taste of it. Relish the authentic dish with rice or flat bread and enjoy your meal.

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