Bannur Lamb: Old Bangalore Naati Specialities
Bannur Lamb is the hero of my kitchen—a breed from Mandya famous for its high intramuscular fat and deep flavour. I use 150-year-old family recipes to slow-cook this premium meat in its own rendered fat, without a drop of vegetable oil.
A close-up look at my Bannur Mutton Palav. I cook the basmati rice in a rich mutton broth and freshly squeezed coconut milk, using only the rendered fat from the lamb, never oil, for an authentic, deep flavour.
My Bannur Mutton Chops Pepper Fry is a simple yet powerful dish. I use fatty, tender chops from a Bannur Lamb and cook them with traditional home-blended spices and a generous amount of freshly ground organic pepper.
This is my Khaima Unde Saaru, a flavour bomb of a curry made with hand-minced Bannur mutton meatballs. The gravy is enriched with bone marrow and a secret blend of homemade spices, making it earthy and deeply satisfying.
My Bannur Mutton Saaru is a rich and luscious curry that defines the Old Bangalore Naati style. I use fatty, succulent cuts from the neck, shoulder, and chest of the lamb, slow-cooked with traditional spices.
For the adventurous diner, I prepare Mutton Spare Parts Masala. This dish uses various organ meats, cooked in a thick, spicy masala, offering a unique and authentic taste of traditional nose-to-tail eating.
This is my take on the Chettinad classic, Uppu Kari, made with tender shoulder cuts of fatty Bannur Lamb. The meat is slow-cooked in its own fat with minimal spices, letting the quality of the lamb shine through.
My signature Karnivore Bannur Mutton Fry features tender chunks of lamb shoulder slow-cooked in its own fat. The meat is tossed in a coriander-rich naati masala until it's juicy, succulent, and loaded with flavour.
About this collection
Because I source certified Bannur Lamb, these dishes have a richness that is distinct from regular mutton. You will notice the texture is fatty, succulent, and falls right off the bone. When you order, remember that these are slow-cooked in the lamb's own fat, which makes the gravies dense and robust rather than the lighter, oil-based curries you might be accustomed to.
Why Bannur Lamb?
This breed from the Mandya region is unique because of its high intramuscular fat content. Most commercial meat is lean or injected with water. Bannur Lamb provides a natural, gamy, and intense flavour that acts as its own cooking medium. By rendering this fat down, I create a gravy base that carries the masala deeper into the meat fibers than oil ever could.
Signature Preparations
- Khaima Unde Saaru: This is my family's heirloom meatball curry. I hand-mince the thigh meat and combine it with marrow-infused gravy. It is earthy, dense, and meant to be mopped up with Ragi Mudde or rice.
- Mutton Palav: This is not a biryani. I cook the basmati rice directly in a rich mutton broth made from the lamb's bones and fatty cuts, finished with a splash of fresh coconut milk. The grain absorbs the essence of the meat, not just the spice.
- Pepper Fry: For my chops and shoulder-cut fries, I use a high concentration of fresh black pepper. Because the meat is fatty, the pepper provides a sharp, necessary heat that cuts through the richness.
How to Order
My kitchen operates on small, fresh batches to maintain quality. I do not mass-produce these curries. If you are planning a meal, please check for availability a day or two in advance. Whether you want the rich Nalli Nihari for a Sunday breakfast or a full Naati spread for a family lunch, drop me a message on WhatsApp. I am happy to guide you on which cut works best for your preferred spice level.
Karnivore Kitchen by Kalyan
I am Kalyan Gopalakrishna, and Bannur Lamb is not just an ingredient to me—it is 150 years of family history. I built Karnivore Kitchen to make sure this hyper-local, nose-to-tail way of cooking from Old Bangalore stays alive. If you appreciate honest meat cooked the old-fashioned way, you are in the right place.
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