Five years ago when I first started this blog, I published an old-school Aloo Gosht recipe, pressure-cooker and all. Since then, I may have graduated from the pressure cooker to an Instant Pot, but I haven’t stopped making good ol’ Aloo Gosht. Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, get recipes & tips every week! Recently, I’ve gotten many requests for goat and lamb recipes, so I thought why not bring back this old favorite. Whenever I make Aloo Gosht, my husband has a bounce in his step, my kids finish their plates, and I feel good about feeding my family a hearty, homey desi-style dinner. More Goat/Lamb recipes: Mutton Pulao, Mutton Karahi, Instant Pot Goat and Bell Pepper Curry, and Gobi Gosht (Meat & Cauliflower Curry)
What You’ll Love About this Recipe
What is Aloo Gosht?
Aloo Gosht is a Pakistani curry made with meat (gosht) and potatoes (aloo). Unlike restaurant-famous mutton recipes like Rogan Josh or Lamb/Goat Korma, this is a cozy, warming comfort food you’ll find in many South Asian homes. Fun Fact: In Pakistan and India, mutton usually refers to goat meat. Here in America, mutton means older lamb meat. Goat meat isn’t as popular here, so you’ll often see Aloo Gosht made with lamb and even beef. Like a classic Chicken Curry, Aloo Gosht has extra gravy or curry (often called ‘shorba’ or ‘salan‘). This lends it a soupier consistency, so it’s perfect for scooping up with roti, paratha, or rice.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Besides lamb or goat meat, most of the ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery store:
Oil: A thin layer of oil on the finished dish is a distinct feature of authentic curry. Plus, you need the oil to sear the meat before and after cooking it. I’ve used 1/4 cup, which is enough to make it look and taste like home. Ghee: Not essential but I use a small amount for the subtle taste. You can also substitute with butter. Goat or Lamb: Aloo Gosht is typically made with bone-in goat or lamb cut up into around 2″ pieces. Goat is especially hard to find at most supermarkets, but can easily be found pre-cut at Halal meat markets. Cut of Meat: I usually buy the ‘mixed’ cut made from various parts. If you prefer meatier pieces, go for leg or shoulder.
Green Chili Peppers: Used for subtle heat and flavor. Use a small Thai/bird’s eye chili pepper or half of a Serrano. Spices: This recipe uses a few whole spices – cumin seeds, cloves, and cardamom pods. You can also experiment with adding other whole spices such as dried bay leaves, black peppercorns, or a cinnamon stick. You’ll also need standard ground spices that you likely already have on hand. Kosher salt: I like to use kosher salt, but you can use whatever salt you have on hand. If using table salt, you’ll need a tad less than what’s called for in the recipe. Since this is a soupy curry, a good amount of salt is essential to adequately flavor it. Plain, whole-milk yogurt: I’ve used yogurt for taste and to thicken the curry. Feel free to omit to make it dairy-free. Potatoes: I use russet potatoes for their taste and quicker cooking time. If you use another type, you may have to add them earlier to prevent overcooking the meat.
How To Cut the Potatoes for Aloo Gosht
Large chunks of potatoes hold up well and complement the larger pieces of meat. How you cut the potatoes depends on the size of the potatoes:
For the onions: Use the pulse function to very finely chop them. Make sure not to blend them or else they’ll release water and it’ll be harder to brown them. For the tomatoes: A rough tomato purée will help them meld into the curry. I’m not super picky about not having bits of tomato skin in the curry, but feel free to blend it even further if you want. Some people prefer to put them in boiling water for 3-5 minutes to peel the tomato skins.
Don’t have a food processor? Just use your knife to finely chop the onions and tomatoes.
If you’re using 3 small potatoes, you can just quarter them (cut lengthwise, then widthwise). For 2 medium potatoes, halve the potato lengthwise, then cut into large (about 2″) cubes. For 1 very large potato, quarter lengthwise, then cut into large (~2″) cubes.
How to make Aloo Gosht
Here’s what we’re trying to achieve at each step:
Step 1: Sauté the goat/lamb meat with some salt so that it sears nicely. This helps build flavor.
Step 2: Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until aromatic. Then stir in most of the remaining ingredients (onion, tomatoes, green chili, whole and ground spices, and the remaining salt). Add water and bring it to a boil. You don’t need too much water here because you’ll be sautéing it down after the meat cooks. Cover and simmer over low heat to help get the meat nice and tender. Tip: Do not proceed to the next step if your meat isn’t fully tender. You want it to break when pressed with a wooden spoon. If not, continue to cook.
Step 3: Increase the heat to high and sauté out the remaining water content/moisture. We’re only occasionally stirring so the meat doesn’t break. Once the water has evaporated, continue to sauté (bhunai) for another 5-6 minutes.
Bhunai: Bhunai is an important South Asian cooking technique which can best be described as a blend of sautéing and frying. It’s used to “cook out” each component of a curry to maximize its flavors. In this case, we’re using bhunai to reduce the onions and tomatoes into a homogenous, cohesive masala while giving the meat intense flavor (maillard reaction). Taking the time to cook it down here is why we don’t have to initially brown the onions. At this point, the oil will naturally separate from the masala.
Step 4: Lastly, stir in the yogurt and add the potatoes and water. Cover and allow the potatoes to cook until fork tender. Once finished cooking, the oil will naturally rise to the top.
Step 5: That’s it! You’re done. Garnish with garam masala and cilantro. Try not to scoop up a bite directly from the pan.
Tips For Making Aloo Gosht
Begin with great meat. Ways to tell if your meat is of good quality: Fresh and bright in color. Has minimal fat (the white chunks called charbi) Is meaty and not just bones. If your meat has more bone and less meat, feel free to use up to 1.5 lb of meat. At any point, if your masala/curried bits stick to the bottom of your pan, deglaze with a splash of water.
What To Serve With Aloo Gosht
Since this is a ‘wet’ curry, you can pair it with either rice, tandoori roti, naan, or parathas. To add some crunch and freshness, some sliced red onions and lemon would enhance the dish. Tried this recipe? If you have a minute, please consider leaving a comment telling me how it was! You can also take a quick picture and upload it directly into the comments. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I truly love hearing from you. Thank you! Note: I’ve updated the recipe I originally published 5 years ago to make it truer to the traditional method (one pot). If you’d like the older recipe, please let me know and I’ll be happy to email it to you. SaveSave
