The essence of perfect Aloo Gosht {Pakistani Meat & Potato Curry} is in the quality of the meat and the cooking technique. The meat in this Pakistani Style curry should be succulent and falling off the bones.
The potatoes in this simple dish should be firm enough to hold their shape, yet soft and fluffy on the inside. The delicious meat curry, well seasoned with the few spices, should be just the right consistency to dip your Naan in.
What Is Aloo Gosht
Many people falsely believe biryani to be the first ever meat and potato pairing. However, based on kitchensofhistory.wordpress.com the first such pairing was actually a stew of goat meat and potatoes in the 17th Century Mughal court in the Indian Subcontinent. The article goes on to very aptly call this the most...
meticulous pairing of potatoes and goat's meat that suspended time and cast a spell
kitchensofhistory.wordpress.com
I am in full agreement with this perfect description of what is the ultimate comfort food in a Pakistani household. This is not a curry you are likely to find on Restaurant Menus, but it is a staple stew favored by North Indians and Pakistanis alike.
For me this is the quintessential Pakistani dish that reminds me of leisurely weekend family meals.
The Ingredients
Although Aloo Gosht features prominently in all South Asian Cooking, there are many different variations of it. Some have a thin gravy, some thick, some use only tomatoes in their recipe and some add yogurt as well. Then of course there's the meat!
The Meat
In Pakistani Cuisine, the traditional aloo gosht recipe is a mutton curry. Mutton in Pakistan and India refers to Goat meat. The slow cooked bones and meat lend all the flavor to the curry.
In fact I don't add very many spices to my easy recipe, letting the stew-like shorba gravy lead with the flavor. Shorba refers to a thin gravy in Pakistani and Indian cuisine and is a essential to an authentic aloo gosht recipe.
Of course, sourcing goat can be difficult at times so lamb and beef are always options. Lamb is better than beef in a curry as it gets very tender when cooked, very similar to the goat version of aloo gosht.
If you can't source lamb or don't like the taste then beef will work. Veal is a good option if you're going the beef route and is generally more tender than beef. As long as it's red meat it will work!
If you do opt for goat meat, it's best to use the Raan or hind leg portion. This way you won't have big hunks of bones in the stew and the meat will be very tender. Even your boneless meat eaters will love it!
If going with lamb meat, buy the shoulder cut up into pieces. If you're using beef, then use stew beef. Whatever kind of meat you opt for do make this recipe! You won't regret it!
The Potatoes
My favorite potatoes to use for this curry are red potatoes. I like them because they are firm and hold their shape well. Since they have less starch and high moisture they don't ruin the consistency of the curry.
These are my go-to in all my curries, such as aloo palak, easy aloo sabzi, and my aloo masala recipe
The slightly longer cooking time also allows the curry to reach that perfect consistency, where the oil separates, without the cubed potatoes becoming mushy.
The Curry Base
The curry base for aloo gosht is primarily made with the cooking oil of your choice, raw onions, chopped tomatoes and fresh ginger garlic paste.
I like to use avocado oil for most of my cooking. It's a good neutral oil that holds up well at high temperatures. Other great options are Canola Oil, Vegetable Oil or Sunflower Oil.
The onions I like to use are yellow onions. While many people like to use red onions, I prefer those for my salads and the yellow for my curries. The onions can be diced finely by hand or an onion paste can be made using a food processor to help expedite the cooking process.
My favorite tomatoes are Roma. Soft and juicy, these are perfect for sauces and curries. I like to make a fresh tomato paste of these by steaming the chopped tomatoes and mashing them up a little.
This is an extra step but helps speed up the curry making process. If you prefer, you can chop and add the tomatoes directly to the meat.
I like to use fresh homemade ginger garlic paste and often keep some in my freezer, but the store bought one is always an option if you find it easier.
The Spices & Herbs
I keep my spice mix very simple; salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder is all I use as far as ground spices are concerned. As far as whole spices go, I add some black peppercorns and leave it at that. A few green chillies and fresh coriander add the finishing touch and your easy recipe is ready!
Coriander powder, garam masala powder and a mix of whole spices such as black cardamom are often common ingredients in Aloo Gosht Recipes.
However, I feel that the real flavor in this recipe comes from the slow cooked meat broth and the quality of the fresh ingredients. This simple home cooked weeknight comfort food recipe needs plain and simple ingredients.
The Aloo Gosht Recipe
The recipe is really simple and just involves a little bit of cooking time on the stove to get the meat really tender. Some people like to use a pressure cooker or Instant Pot but I like to stick to the traditional recipe that is a version of my mothers and my Maternal Grandmother's recipe.
Onions
I like to saute the onions first, till they are a dark golden brown. This is essential if your curry is going to have a great color and taste. As soon as the onions are brown, add in the garlic, saute just till you smell the aroma and then add in the meat.
Meat
Roast the meat till it turns light brown. This step is important when it comes to keeping the meat tender as it seals in all the juices. Next, add in the tomatoes and add in enough water to cover the meat.
Cover and cook on Medium High Heat till the liquid comes to a boil. Then reduce to Medium low heat and cook till the meat is tender and you have just a little water left.
Spices
At this point add in all the dry spices and the peppercorns and start to stir fry the mixture on high heat. This step allows the spices to roast, the excess water to dry out and the bits and pieces of the onions and tomatoes to completely dissolve so you have a smooth curry.
Tip: Keep a little bit of water on hand and if you feel the mixture is burning but the onions and tomatoes are not completely broken down completely, add in a tablespoon or two at a time.
Potatoes
Once the roasting is complete, add in the potatoes and roast on medium heat for a few minutes. This coats the potatoes with the curry and further helps break down the curry ingredients.
The Final Curry
At this point, add in a cup of hot water along with the green chilies and turn up the heat. You don't want too much water as drying out the excess can overcook the potatoes. But depending on how thick or thin you want the curry, once the mixture starts to boil add in another cup as you see fit.
Cover and cook on medium for 10 minutes. Uncover and check to see if your potatoes are almost done. Then turn the heat up on high and continue the cooking process till the oil separates. This is the point at which your curry is ready. Garnish it with cilantro and serve!
Tip: If your potatoes seem done and the oil has not separated, remove them gently with a slotted spoon and set them aside. As soon as the oil separates add them back in.
Enjoy the curry with Naan bread, plain white basmati rice or your favorite pulao recipe. However you eat it, this stew with the tender meat, soft potatoes and soupy curry will find its way into your heart.
Other Potato Recipes To Try
As I mentioned there are so many potato recipes in Pakistani cuisine. Some that are featured here on the blog that you may want to try are:
- Easy Aloo Sabzi Potato Curry
- Easy Aloo Pakora Recipe
- Khatti Meethi Aloo Chaat
- Aloo Masala
- Potato Cutlet Recipe
- Easy Potato Samosa Recipe
- Best Mutton Biryani Recipe
- Chili Lime Potato Stacks
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Aloo Gosht {Pakistani Meat & Potato Curry}
Ingredients
- ⅛ cup cooking oil
- 1 cups diced onion (SEE NOTES)
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 ¼ lbs goat meat (SEE NOTES)
- ½ cup diced tomatoes (SEE NOTES)
- 4 cups water
- ½ tbsp salt (SEE NOTES)
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp red chili powder (SEE NOTES)
- 10 peppercorns
- 2 medium potatoes (SEE NOTES)
- 5 chillies (SEE NOTES)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the cooking oil and add the onions to it to brown
- Once the onions are a medium brown add the garlic paste and saute for about 30 seconds
- Add the goat meat and saute till the meat is no longer pink
- Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes to release the water
- Add 2 cups of water, cover and bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 30 minutes to tenderize meat.
- After 30 minutes turn the flame back on high and add all the dry spices and the peppercorns. Dry all the excess liquid and roast the meat for a good 10 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and roast for 2-3 minutes and then add the remaining 2 cups of water and the chillies. Check the salt and chilies at this point to adjust to your taste as necessary and bring the mixture to a boil.
- After the curry is boiling, reduce the heat to a medium and cook for about 10 minutes till potatoes are cooked through (SEE NOTES)
- Uncover and reduce the liquid in the curry till the oil separates
- Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot naan or rice.
Video
Notes
- Onion- 1 cups is approximately 1 large onion.
- Meat- I usually get the hind leg of a goat cut up into pieces. This is extremely succulent meat and makes the best curry in my opinion. Pakistani curries are usually cooked in large quantities and served family style.
- Tomatoes- I like to use Roma tomatoes for my curries. ½ cup is usually 2 of these depending on the size of the tomatoes.
- Dry Spices- I tend to eat less salt than most people so you may feel the need to tweak the amount to suit your personal taste. Similarly, I keep the level of chilies in my recipes medium (based on Pakistani standards). It may seem too spicy to some and not spicy enough for others. If your palate is used to Pakistani food you will probably want to keep the spices to the recommended amount or more. If you're experimenting with this type of cuisine and aren't used to a lot of heat you may want to proceed with caution.
- Chilis- Since I like spicy food I often like to use thai chilies. If you want to take it down a notch use serrano peppers instead and for even less heat you can opt for jalapenos or simply deseed the chilies to reduce their potency.
- Potatoes- My personal favorite potato to use in this curry is a red potato. The trick is to have plump potato quarters that hold their shape but are completely cooked through and soft when broken into. After much trial and error this is the one potato variety that allows me to get perfect results every time!
- The Curry- The main thing in preparing the curry is the consistency. Not too thick, not too thin, meat falling off the bones and fully cooked potatoes that are holding their shape. The way to achieve that is to control the temperature near the end after you add the potatoes to the curry. Once you add the potatoes and the water, cover your pot and bring the curry to a full boil on high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes till you can stick a knife through the potato. Uncover the pot, turn the heat on full and reduce the water till you see the the oil separate and the curry has the consistency you want. Turn the flame off, garnish with cilantro and remove the curry from the pot immediately as it is hot and you want to stop the cooking process to prevent the potatoes from becoming mushy.
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