Name: Aloo Gosht | Potato Meat Curry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons ghee; 2 tablespoons cooking oil; 3 cloves; 2 green cardamom; 1 black cardamom; 1 inch cinnamon stick; 1 bay leaf; 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds; 3 to 4 black peppercorns; 1 piece black stone flower (kalpasi / dagad ka Phool); 1 large onion (ground to paste); 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste; 2 sprig fresh mint leaves; 3 to 4 green chillies (slit); 500 grams mutton or lamb (bone-in, washed and drained); 1 teaspoon red chilli powder; 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder; 2 teaspoon coriander powder; 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder; 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder; 2 large tomato (ground to paste); 1/2 cup yoghurt (whisked); 3/4 cup water (or more if you like it thin); 1 to 2 large potatoes (peeled); 2 teaspoons kasuri methi; 1/2 teaspoon garam masala; Fresh coriander leaves (chopped); 2 to 3 green chillies (slit)

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The best Aloo Gosht recipe that I cannot stop raving about! A flavour-packed potato and meat stew in a spicy onion-tomato and yoghurt sauce served with rice or roti. Pressure cooker and pot method included.

Aloo Gosht like Dal Gosht is the comfort food for most Indians and Pakistanis and every family has their recipe. I have tried, tested and tweaked this recipe to suit our taste. It is easy and flavour-packed that can pass off as comfort food or can be a show stopper on a holiday table!

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Aloo gosht
Variations
Ingredients
Pressure cooker vs Pot
How to make?
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Aloo gosht

The lip-smacking brothy salan or stew with a layer of fat floating on the top will make your mouth water. Am I right? Go ahead and drench your rice or Rotis because this Aloo Gosht recipe will win your heart and tummy!

From the coastal region of the south to the mountains of the north, you will find a version of aloo gosht... of course in their regional names. Aloo means potato and gosht means meat in Urdu/Hindi.

Variations

Aloo gosht itself has popular variations like Hyderabadi aloo gosht, Delhi aloo gosht, and Degi aloo gosht. I couldn't figure out the differences as even the two Delhi versions didn't look the same. Some recipe had listed tomatoes while some did not. That was the only significant difference I noticed among aloo gosht recipes.

Let's talk about my Aloo Gosht recipe!

Ingredients

ghee and cooking oil: I have used both which will aid in frying the onions evenly. If using fatty meat then reduce the oil.
whole spices: I have used cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cumin seeds, peppercorns and black stone flower (dagad phool).
veggies: red onion, green chillies, tomatoes, potatoes, mint leaves and coriander leaves
ginger garlic paste
meat: goat or mutton or lamb or beef can be used and preferably with bone
Ground spice: red chilli powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala. I used Kashmiri red chilli powder for the colour, you may skip it or use paprika instead.
yoghurt: whisked
Kasuri methi: the dried fenugreek leaves at the end of cooking take this stew up a notch!
salt

Black Stone Flower

I want to highlight this spice which is lichen. It is not the Star Anise that most of you assume when you see it listed in a recipe. There is no substitute for this and if you do not have it, just skip it. But I highly recommend you to use it as it is easily available in India too.

Black Stone Flower is called Kalpasi in Tamil, Dagad ka Phool in Hindi and Shaiba in Arabic. In its natural form, it does not have any smell but the only way it can release its aroma and flavour is when it hits the hot oil. Also little goes a long way and it never expires if stored properly.

Pressure cooker vs Pot

The first few times I made aloo gosht in my usual curry pot because I feared the potatoes would get overcooked easily if I use a pressure cooker. But I know not many have the luxury of time to pot cook so I tried the pressure cooker method twice and have been successful in making notes to share here.

It took me 1 hour and 15 minutes to cook in a saucepot and 50 minutes in the pressure cooker excluding the resting time (the time we let the pressure release). So not much difference there! 😂 Please keep in mind the cooking time will defer based on the type of meat you use.

How to make?

As always, keep your ingredients ready before you start the cooking process. That will include,

washing and draining the mutton pieces,
making onion paste and then the tomato paste. You don't have to wash the mixer jar after making the onion paste. Use it to make tomato paste as is.
Measure and whisk the yoghurt and keep it aside.
Make sure the rest of the ingredients are all ready to use.

Heat the ghee and oil in a pressure cooker on a low to medium flame. Add all the whole spices and fry for a few seconds.

Add the onion paste and saute for 4 to 5 minutes on medium flame or until lightly golden.

sauteing ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and mint leaves

Add the ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and mint leaves and saute for a minute.

Increase the flame to medium to high and add the meat pieces and cook for 2 minutes.

Reduce the flame and add all the spice powders and saute for 2 minutes.

Stir in the prepared tomato paste and bring this to boil and cook until oil starts oozing on the sides.

Stir in the whisked yoghurt and bring this to a boil.

Add salt and water.

cover the pressure cooker with its lid and regulator. Cook on a medium flame for 15 minutes or 4 to 5 whistles and switch off. If using a pot, cover and cook for 25 mins or until the meat is cooked through stirring occasionally.

Open the pressure cooker only after it cools down on its own. Check if the meat is cooked through and cook further if required. But add the potatoes only once you know the meat is cooked through.

Add Potatoes

Cut the potatoes into large chunks of even size and add to the cooker along with a little water.

Close and pressure cook for 2 whistles or 8 to 10 minutes.

Open the cooker when the pressure settles on its own.

Switch on the stove to medium flame, adjust the salt, add kasoori methi, garam masala, green chillies and coriander leaves and simmer for a few minutes.

Serve aloo gosht hot with rice, ghee rice or chapati. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator and consume them within 3 days. I won't recommend freezing this recipe but try to freeze it without the potatoes.

Aloo Gosht | Potato Meat Curry