Lamb karahi gosht is made of tender chunks of bone-in lamb or mutton in a thick tomato gravy. Cooked in a karahi or wok, this lamb curry is made using very common ingredients and spices, but it is easy to follow and tastes very rich and flavourful! Serve with naan for the perfect meal.
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What is Lamb Karahi Gosht?
Lamb karahi gosht is a very popular dish in the Indian subcontinent because of its bold, intense flavours that most people find addicting. On restaurant menus, especially, it is one of the most ordered dishes… it rubs shoulders with mass favourites like dal makhani, palak paneer, and butter chicken.
So, my goal with this recipe was to replicate the same restaurant-style flavours so that you can enjoy this wonderful dish in the comfort of your home. Needless to say, it is made at a fraction of the price you would pay at a fancy restaurant. Win!
Also, though at first glance, lamb karahi may appear to be the same as chicken karahi (we are just substituting the type of meat, aren't we?), there are significant differences. Not so much in the ingredient list, but in the method and time of cooking. So, look at that post if you are making chicken karahi.
Anyway, this recipe went through several iterations before I was finally happy with it. I tried making the internet version of it (with onions and yogurt), and I have to say, some of them were good, but I wasn’t happy, as in one hundred percent delighted.
The reason being that a real, authentic karahi gets its flavours from the use of a generous amount of ginger, garlic, tomatoes and a few chosen spices in the right quantities. Onions just bulk up the dish and add a sweetness that is misplaced in a karahi. And yogurt is completely unnecessary as the tomatoes are enough to add the right amount of tartness and texture to a karahi. Yogurt is used in kormas (like this mutton korma or this chicken korma) to achieve a smooth gravy.
But persistence does pay off! After experimenting quite a bit and picking my aunt’s brain (her karahi is the talk of the family), I finally settled on this recipe as the best possible version.
So go ahead and make this flavor-packed dish for your next family get-together or dinner. I’ve taken all the guesswork out of it, so all you have to do is follow the steps as outlined. Don’t forget to read all the tips as you make your way through this post since what makes or breaks a dish are the finer points that sometimes get overlooked!
A note about the meat
There could be a little confusion about the terms ‘mutton’ as it takes on different meanings depending on where you are. In India and Pakistan, mutton is young goat meat, but in North America, mutton is understood to be meat from an older sheep. Big difference there!
Lamb on the other hand is meat from a young sheep, and it is readily available here in the US and Canada. That is why we substitute goat meat for lamb in most dishes that call for goat.
However, if you can get your hands on goat meat (inquire in Pakistani halal meat shops), make your karahi gosht with goat. Goat meat is more tender than lamb and has a less distinct smell, so for some people, it is the only meat they’ll use!
If you like the taste of lamb/goat, you will love yakhni pulao, dal gosht, and aloo gosht as well.
Equipment
We are making karahi gosht, so it it would be nice to make it in a proper karahi. A karahi or kadai is a flat-bottomed, circular cooking pot with steep sides and two looped handles, much like a wok. A traditional karahi is heavy and made of iron; however, these days, you can also find stainless steel and even non-stick karahis in the market.
A karahi is ideal for deep-frying, stir-frying, and making curries where you need to sauté the ingredients on a medium-high heat. So, you can see how it is particularly well-suited to Indian cooking and an indispensable tool, second only to the pressure cooker.
However, if you don't have a karahi, you can also use a wok for making this recipe.
Ingredients
Note: Exact quantities are mentioned in the recipe card further down in the post.
Lamb or goat meat (bone-in, bite-sized pieces): The best cuts are from the shoulder or leg. If you are buying your meat at a Pakistani meat shop, they usually cut the meat for you into bite-sized chunks. If you can, avoid buying the mixed cuts kept in ready-to-go trays in the shop. Though less expensive, these are usually inferior cuts that are tougher and have more fat and ligament than meat. Also, do make lamb karahi with bone-in meat only, not boneless. The bones add a depth of flavour (and nutrients) that boneless meat never does.
Ginger and garlic pastes: Blend your own ginger and garlic to make the pastes. Store-bought pastes never measure up because they lack the freshness of homemade pastes, plus they have preservatives that increase the shelf life but spoil the taste. Scroll below to the prep steps if you want to learn how to make ginger garlic pastes. In fact, for this recipe you will make one paste.. no need to make them separately. It’s easy!
Dry whole spices (dry red chillies, whole peppercorns, cumin seeds and coriander seeds): These spices are non-negotiable in a karahi. To extract the maximum flavour, you’ll want to toast these spices and grind them in a spice grinder. Takes about 5 minutes. More on this later in prep.
Ghee: Lamb karahi tastes made 2x better with pure ghee rather than oil. A generous amount is required, about ⅓ cup, but it is worth the results! Don’t skimp on the ghee unless you absolutely must.
Tomatoes (chopped): You want a vibrant red for this dish, so choose ripe, red Roma tomatoes for the best outcome. The pale, yellowish ones won’t do justice.
Garnishes (julienned ginger and Thai green chillies): The finishing touches but so essential, in my humble opinion. The karahi looks pretty with these toppings, but we’re not just talking about looks here. These garnishes also add an extra kick to the dish that really takes it up several notches.
What makes lamb karahi gosht so special?
Check out the list above. You don't need anything fancy or exotic to make karahi gosht. So what is the secret to all the awesomeness? There's more than one:
Marination: the ginger-garlic paste and spices seep into the meat to make it extra succulent and juicy.
Toasting the spices: toasting the whole spices and then grinding them really enhances their flavour profile.
Cooking method: sauteing the lamb and browning seals in those juices. This is a cooking method known as bhuna. Bhuna gosht or meat is very tasty.
How to make lamb karahi
The key to stress-free cooking lies in good prep! Sometimes, when you are scrambling to find the right ingredient, or multi-tasking, because you haven’t made the masala/spice combo in advance, your dish suffers. Follow these prep steps for a happy cooking experience.
Preparation
1. Make the ginger garlic paste: Peel and chop equal quantities of ginger and garlic and put in the blender with a few tablespoons of water. Blend until you get a smooth thick paste. Add a little more water if needed but don’t thin it out too much. That’s it! Use as needed and store the extra in a covered glass jar or bottle in the fridge.
2. Grind the dry spices: Toast the whole spices (peppercorns, cumin, coriander and red chilli) in a small frypan on medium heat. When the spices turn slightly dark and give off a distinctly spicy aroma, take the frypan off the hob and let cool for a couple of minutes. Grind the toasted spices in a mortar or pestle or a spice grinder. You can use a clean coffee grinder too as it doubles as a spice grinder. Just make sure it is free of the smell of coffee!
3. Marinate the meat: Take the lamb in a deep glass bowl and mix in the ginger-garlic paste, salt, and ground spices. Cover with clingwrap and leave to marinate in a cool place or refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Cooking
1. Brown the meat in ghee: Take a large, heavy-bottomed karahi or wok and heat the ghee on medium high. Add the marinated meat to the karahi and stir fry for 5 minutes or a little more if required. Your aim here is to brown the meat slightly. You’ll see that as the meat is browning, the fat will separate and the meat will take on a glossy appearance. Stop at this point and proceed to the next step.
This step in the cooking process is called ‘bhuna’ as mentioned above, and it is the secret to a delicious Indian curry. Bhunaoing (for lack of a better word) is what brings out and deepens all those flavours locked inside the meat and spices. It is the equivalent of stir frying at high heat but with a wet masala.
2. Add the tomatoes
Once you add the tomatoes, start stir-frying again until you see the tomatoes breaking down and releasing their juices. When this happens, lower the heat to medium, add ½ cup water, stir to mix well, and cover the karahi with a lid.
Cook for 1 hour or until the meat becomes tender. You are allowed to peek in between to check for doneness! Add a little more water halfway through the cooking process if the gravy seems to be getting too dry.
Tip: To check for doneness, take out a piece of lamb with a slotted spoon and rinse under tap water. Then break it with your fingers. If it does not offer resistance and breaks easily, you can be sure it’s done.
We do this because in Indian meat curries, the meat is always fully tender and cooked through. There is no such thing as rare or medium rare.
When you’re sure the meat is cooked through and tender, increase the heat to medium high again and start drying the liquid if there is any. If you did not add any water halfway through cooking, you might not even need to dry the curry. The consistency of karahi is thick… it should not be watery in the last stages of cooking.
The dish is done when the meat is well-browned, the masala is glossy and clings to the meat, and the fat has separated at the edges.
3. Garnish the lamb karahi: Now is the time to add all those lovely garnishes. Sprinkle the dish with julienned ginger and slit green chillies. Give it all a stir, cook for a minute more and serve hot.
Top tips
1. Use chopped tomatoes, not blended: The masala should still be slightly chunky towards the end.
2. Use ghee: You can sub it out with any neutral cooking oil in a pinch, but if you have ghee, use it for its wonderful aroma.
3. Use fresh ingredients: Don’t settle for canned tomatoes or jarred ginger-garlic paste as you just won’t get the same results.
4. You do need water: Traditionally karahi is made without adding water and on high heat without covering the pan (see chicken karahi). But for lamb karahi, you will have to add water and cover it so that the meat gets cooked through. This is an important difference between chicken karahi and lamb karahi.
5. Leftover lamb curry: It tastes even more delicious! I have discovered that if I keep this spicy lamb curry in the fridge overnight, it tastes even better the next day. More time for the meat to absorb all the flavours, I guess.
Serving suggestions
1. Any kind of karahi pairs really well with some pillowy naan, so do have some warm naan to go with this dish. If naan is not an option, go for any Indian bread like roti or tandoori roti.
2. You can also keep an onion salad on the side. Since there are no onions in the karahi itself, the crunch of freshly sliced onions will go very well with the karahi.
Tip: sprinkle some salt and lemon juice on the onions for more taste.
Tried this recipe? Please consider giving it a star rating and a comment below. If you're on Instagram, feel free to tag me so I can see your gem. I'd love to hear from you! Thank you:)
📖 Recipe
Lamb Karahi
Equipment
- 1 Blender for making the ginger-garlic paste
- 1 Small frypan for toasting the whole spices
- 1 Spice grinder OR mortar and pestle for grinding the whole spices
- 1 Bowl for marinating the meat
- 1 large heavy-bottomed karahi or wok for cooking the meat
Ingredients
- 1.2 lbs lamb or goat meat. Shoulder or leg, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 4 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste see prep below for how to make the paste
- 11/2 teaspoon sea salt adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ tablespoon coriander seeds
- 2 dry red chillies available easily in Indian and Pakistani grocery and the international aisle of Walmart.
- ⅓ cup ghee
- 4-5 Roma tomatoes chopped roughly
- 3 Thai green chillies less if you don't want the extra spice
- 1 teaspoon ginger julienned
Instructions
Preparation:
- Make the ginger-garlic paste. Put equal quantities of peeled and chopped ginger and garlic in a blender, add a few tablespoons water and blend to get a smooth, lump-free paste. Use the amount required by the recipe and store the extra in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator.
- Put the whole spices (peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and the dry red chillies) in a small frypan and toast on medium heat until they change colour and become fragrant. Wait a few minutes for the spices to cool down a bit, then grind in a spice or coffee grinder to a powder.
- In a bowl, marinate the lamb in the ginger-garlic, salt and ground spices. Cover with clingwrap and keep aside in a cool place or refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Cooking:
- Heat the ghee in a karahi (wok) and add the marinated meat. Stir-fry on medium heat for 5 minutes or until the meat browns slightly and the fat leaves the sides of the karahi.
- Add the tomatoes and stir-fry again until you see the tomatoes break down and release their juices. Lower the heat and add ½ cup water, stir to mix well, and cover the karahi with a lid. Cook for 1 hour or until the meat is fork-tender. Add half a glass of water halfway through the cooking process if the gravy seems to be getting too dry.
- When the meat is cooked through and tender, increase the heat to medium high again and drying the excess liquid if any. The dish is done when the meat is well-browned, the masala is glossy and clings to the meat, and the fat has separated at the edges.
- Garnish the meat with julienned ginger and slit green chillies. Give it all a stir, cook for a minute more and serve hot with naan or roti.
Notes
- Choose the reddest, ripest tomatoes you can find. Roma tomatoes work best, but you can pick any variety that has a vibrant red color.
- Ghee adds a wonderful aroma to the karahi, but if you don't have it or don't want to use it, go ahead and use any neutral oil of your choice. Do not use coconut or extra virgin olive oil.
- Do not use storebought ginger and garlic pastes for this recipe. Make your own for the best flavour.
- Don't forget to bhunao the masala at the points outlined in the recipe steps. This is essential to getting a tasty curry. Refer to the body of the post to learn more about the bhuna technique.
Nutrition
Did you make this lamb karahi recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating and a comment below. I'd love to hear from you!
Rebecca says
This is my favourite dish to order when we get Indian food. Decided to give it a go at home and I'm so glad we did! It tastes just like you'd get in the restaurant but with more meat! It was so quick and easy too.
Saima says
That's so wonderful, Rebecca! Glad the dish was a success!
Sajid says
This is so good. I cooked for my wife as I wanted to show her hey I can cook too! This made it easy, tastes incredible. I took the advice and cooked it in the evening and then put it in the fridge then served it for lunch the next day. She was definitely impressed. Thank you!
Saima says
Sajid, this is so lovely to hear! I'm really glad that it was a success and she liked it!!