Aloo Gosht
آلو گوشت
Aloo gosht is the meat of ordinary days, the one that turns half a kilo of mutton into a meal for the whole family. The mutton is browned with onions and tomatoes, simmered until nearly tender, and then the potatoes go in with more water so they soak up the spiced . Adding the potatoes late is what keeps them whole while the meat finishes softening.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 45 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 1 hr 30 min
- Easy
- Serves 5
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Heat the oil in a over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaf, then the onions, and fry for 8–10 minutes until light golden.
Add the mutton and the ginger and garlic paste. Turn the heat to high and fry for 8–10 minutes, until the meat changes colour and the water it releases has dried up.
Add the tomatoes, chili powder, turmeric, coriander powder and salt. Do the on medium heat for 8–10 minutes, adding a splash of water if it sticks, until the tomatoes have melted and the oil separates.
Pour in 2 cups of hot water, cover and cook on low heat for 40–50 minutes, until the mutton is about three-quarters tender: a fork goes in with a little resistance.
Add the potatoes and stir them into the masala for 2 minutes. Pour in the remaining 3 cups of hot water and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer on low heat for 20–25 minutes, until the potatoes are soft right through and the meat is tender. The shorba should be thin but coloured, with a little oil on top.
Stir in the garam masala and green chilies, simmer for 2 more minutes, then scatter over the coriander. Serve hot with roti or plain boiled rice.
Kitchen notes
Add the potatoes only when the meat is nearly done. Put them in at the start and they break up into the shorba long before the mutton is tender.
Use hot water, not cold, whenever you add it to the pot. Cold water stops the cooking and can make the meat tough.
For a thicker shorba to eat with roti, mash one potato against the side of the pot at the end and stir it in.
The everyday meat salan
Aloo gosht is probably the most cooked meat dish in Pakistani homes. It appears on weeknights, in hostel messes and in office lunch boxes, and it is a sensible dish: potatoes stretch the meat, soak up its flavour and make the pot go further. It is eaten with fresh roti in Punjab and many parts of the country, and with plain rice in Karachi and the south.
Building the shorba
The method is a classic : onions fried golden, meat browned until its juices dry, then tomatoes and powdered spices cooked through until the oil separates. This step decides how the final tastes. Skip it and the gravy tastes raw and watery; do it properly and even a thin shorba is rich and well-rounded.
After that comes the timing. Mutton needs about 40–50 minutes covered before it is close to tender. The potatoes go in then, are stirred in the masala for a couple of minutes so they take on colour, and the rest of the water is added. Both finish at the same time: soft potatoes, tender meat, and a red shorba with a thin film of oil on top.
Variations
- With beef: works well, but give the meat longer before the potatoes go in.
- Thicker gravy: use 2 cups of water in the second stage, or mash a potato into the pot.
- Tangier: some homes add a quarter cup of whisked yogurt with the tomatoes.
Storing and reheating
Aloo gosht keeps for 2–3 days in the fridge. The potatoes keep soaking up shorba, so add half a cup of hot water when reheating and bring it back to a gentle boil. Potatoes don’t freeze well, so freeze the meat portion only if you need to.
Questions people ask
Can I make aloo gosht in a pressure cooker?
Yes. After the bhunai, add 1 cup of water and pressure cook the mutton for 12–15 minutes. Release the pressure, add the potatoes and 3 cups of hot water, and simmer uncovered until the potatoes are soft.
Can I use beef instead of mutton?
Yes. Beef needs longer: allow 60–75 minutes in the first simmer, or about 20 minutes in a pressure cooker, before adding the potatoes.
Which potatoes are best?
Firm, medium potatoes that hold their shape. Very old, floury potatoes fall apart quickly; if that is all you have, add them 5 minutes later.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 430
- Protein
- 26 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
