The beauty of Karahi Gosht is that it has a short & simple ingredient list and, despite the name, you don’t need a karahi to make it. For those not in the know, a karahi is an Indian style wok. There is a karahi in the house – it might be buried somewhere in the basement reinforcing a pile of videotapes from the late 80’s. The sucker is a huge, cast iron monstrosity and without the ring to hold it in place on the stove it topples.

Try using all fresh ingredients, it really makes a difference. The tomatoes and chilies can be substituted with a 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes and green chilies. If I remember to, I grind up whole Coriander seeds instead of using the powder. Whenever I make this I add a bell pepper, but ran out of them this morning. I’ve left it as an optional ingredient, but if you have a bell pepper I highly recommend tossing it in.

Ingredients

• 1 – 1.5 lbs. Lamb shoulder (cut into 2″ pieces)
• 2 tbsp. ground Coriander
• 8 Garlic cloves (rough chop)
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1/4 cup Canola Oil
• 3 medium Tomatoes (rough chop)
• 4 Serrano Chilies (diced)
• 1/2 Bellpepper (sliced lengthwise) – optional

 

Once the meat dries and starts to brown, things are going to start happening very fast. If you’re quick you can chop your veggies while the meat is browning, if not just do it before turning on the stove.

After washing the meat, place in a large pot. Heat to medium high.

 

Once the meat browns add Garlic, Coriander, and Salt.

 

Let the spices roast and the meat darken. After 5 min. add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer and cover.

Allow to cook for an hour before checking the tenderness of the meat. The water should be reduced significantly and the meat should be falling-off-the-bone soft. If the meat isn’t done, cover and check it in 30 min. intervals. In some cases, when there is still a lot of liquid, you need to increase the heat to a soft boil.

Note: If you have the time and patience there’s a neat trick for creating a smooth curry. After the meat has been cooking in the water, remove it and set it aside for the moment. Now take the back of your cooking spoon and smash the bits of garlic against the bottom and sides of the pot. Once there are no longer any chunks of garlic floating about, return the meat to the pot and proceed to the next step.

Add Oil, Tomatoes, Chilies, and Bell peppers. Be careful not to splash hot oil when stirring.

 

Karahi Gosht is considered a dry curry, but there’s nothing wrong with a little sauce. It all depends on preference. However, you need to dissolve the tomatoes. To achieve this, cook uncovered on medium heat. This will boil off the excess liquid and reduce the tomatoes. Check the flavor and adjust the salt. This is a robust curry, but if you’d like more kick add more green chilies. I find that chili powder just tastes wrong in this dish.

 

Garnish with Cilantro and a sprinkle of Garam Masala. Serve with Basmati rice or bread.