Dating back to the colonial times of the British Raj, railway mutton is a traditional curry prepared with mutton as the main ingredient. Other ingredients used in the dish usually include coconut milk and cream, onions, potatoes, mustard oil, tomatoes, coriander, ginger, garlic, vinegar, and a variety of spices such as tamarind, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, and Kashmiri chilis.

The meat is often marinated in lime juice, coriander, cumin, chili, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and salt. The dish is a milder take on the classic Indian mutton curry (mangshor jhol or kosha mangsho), and it was originally made exclusively for the first class traveling via Indian Railways from Victoria Terminus (located in Mumbay) to Calcutta.