Aloo Gosht

Ingredients:

5-6 Potatoes

Mutton cut into bite sized pieces 1 kilogram

1/2-1 Cup Oil

1 1/2-2 tsp Red chilli powder

To taste Salt

200 Gram Curd

Onions sliced 3-4

4 Cloves

4 Black cardamom pods

6 tsp Coriander powder

Tomatoes,pureed 4-5

2 tsp Garlic paste

Turmeric powder 3/4 teaspoon

Method:

Heat oil and toss in the black cardamom pods and cloves.

After a minute, add chilli powder, garlic and ginger paste, coriander powder and salt.

It’s best to put all this masala on a plate and then add with a little water, maybe a quarter of a cup. The water ensures that the masala does not burn.

After a minute or two, when the masala is lightly fried and the oil bubbles rise, add the mutton. Leave on medium or high flame for 5 to 10 minutes.

Keep the cooking vessel open so that the water released from the meat evaporates as does its bisand, odour.

Meanwhile, blend the fried onions and the curd together for a few seconds in the mixer and keep aside.

Once the meat is slightly cooked, and the oil is bubbling, add the blended onion and curd mixture to the meat. The secret of the smooth gravy, is this blended mixture.

Keep on medium flame for 5 – 10 minutes to buno, cook the curd.

When oil bubbles rise, add a cup of water for the gravy. It’s level should be an inch or two above the meat. If you are going to use the pressure cooker, then you could add a cup and a half of water.

I rely on the pressure cooker for aloo salan, allowing one seeti, whistle, for the meat. When the cooker cools, check the meat, which should be half done.

Now add the potatoes and close the cooker. The potatoes and meat should be done with one more whistle.

If cooking on low flame without a cooker, keep a check on the meat. When it is half done, add the potatoes and cook till both are done.

Garnish with fresh coriander and a sprinkling of garam masala.