Pakistani Lamb Curry, Gosht ka Shorba
Pakistani Lamb curry is an absolute classic and essential curry that every Pakistani house-person should know how to make! This curry is gorgeously rich and has a beautiful depth in flavour.
Ingredients
- 125 ml Rapeseed Oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped (it should be nearly a pureed form, but do not over blitz so that the onion becomes watery
- 1 heaped tsp garlic, finely chopped
- 1 heaped tsp ginger, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1/4 can tinned tomatoes (blitz in a food processor to pureed form) or 2 fresh tomatoes
- 500 grams lamb on the bone
- 1 heaped tsp ground coriander powder
- 1 heaped tsp ground cumin powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 black peppercorns
- 1 black cardamom
- 800 ml water, or 2.5 mugs
- 3/4 tsp garam masala
- 3-4 tbsp fresh coriander powder
Instructions
Cooking via Pressure Cooker
- Heat the oil in the pressure cooker and add the pureed onions. Fry the onions until quite dark, you will need to keep stirring to ensure the puree doesn't burn as this will ruin the taste of the curry by adding bitterness. Then add the garlic and ginger and stir through.
- Next you need to add the pureed tomatoes, green chillies, salt, red chilli powder and turmeric. Turn the heat to low and cook for 6-7 minutes. Keep stirring the tomato masala , if it starts to dry out, add small splashes of water. After the 6-7 minutes, you should see the oil start to separate from the masala.
- Turn the heat to medium and now add the lamb to the masala and stir through. Make sure the lamb properly coats in the masala and that the lamb browns.
- Then add the ground coriander, cumin, bay leaf, black peppercorns, black cardamom . Stir through and sauté the lamb for 5 minutes on low heat. Again, add splashes of water if the lamb starts to stick to the pan.
- Next add the 800ml of water, bring to boil and cover the pressure cooker with the lid. Then turn the heat to medium and once you hear the whistling of the steam in the pressure cooker, time the pressure cooking for 12 minutes. The lamb should be soft after this time.
- After 12 minutes, remove the pressure cooker lid, check the lamb is soft (if not let it simmer for a further few minutes on the hob) and then add the garam masala and stir through.
- Add the freshly chopped coriander and serve!
Cooking via Saucepan
- Heat the oil in the saucepan and add the pureed onions. Fry the onions until quite dark, you will need to keep stirring to ensure the puree doesn't burn as this will ruin the taste of the curry by adding bitterness. Then add the garlic and ginger and stir through.
- Next you need to add the pureed tomatoes, green chillies, salt, red chilli powder and turmeric. Turn the heat to low and cook for 6-7 minutes. Keep stirring the tomato masala , if it starts to dry out, add small splashes of water. After the 6-7 minutes, you should see the oil start to separate from the masala.
- Turn the heat to medium and now add the lamb to the masala and stir through. Make sure the lamb properly coats in the masala and that the lamb browns.
- Then add the ground coriander, cumin, bay leaf, black peppercorns, black cardamom . Stir through and sauté the lamb for 5 minutes on low heat. Again, add splashes of water if the lamb starts to stick to the pan.
- Next add the 900ml of water, bring to boil and cover the pan lid with the lid. Then turn the heat to low and let the curry cook for 1 hour. Stir the curry on an adhoc basis.
- After the hour, check the lamb is soft, if not let it simmer for a further few minutes on the hob and then add the garam masala and stir through.
- Add the freshly chopped coriander and serve!