Red-Meat on Kvalifood

Lamb with Almonds

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 19:55:35 +0100

Badami gosht is a North Indian one-pot dish in the Mughal style. Diced lamb leg simmers in a thick, spiced sauce built around a freshly pounded masala of almonds, ginger, garlic, poppy seeds, mace, nutmeg, and peppercorns. Yoghurt and tomatoes bind everything together and add acidity.

The almonds have two roles. They are pounded into the masala, where they give the sauce body and a gentle nutty flavour, and they help tenderise the meat during the long simmer. The sauce is thick rather than soup-like — it clings to the meat.

Lamb Korma

Fri, 28 Dec 2018 12:21:40 +0100

Korma is a mild North Indian curry from the Mughal kitchen. Diced lamb is browned with whole spices and simmers slowly in yoghurt with ground coriander, cumin, and garam masala.

The technique is the characteristic element: the meat is cooked in yoghurt over low heat, which gives a soft, aromatic sauce without sharp chilli heat. The depth comes from the spices, not the fire.

Good with naan or basmati rice. Patience with the slow simmer matters more than specialist equipment — the meat needs to be completely tender and the sauce needs time to bind.

Lamb Dhansak

Fri, 12 Dec 2014 18:19:34 +0100

Dhansak is the Parsi Sunday dish. Lamb is simmered with three kinds of pulses and a handful of vegetables until everything can be blended into a thick, spiced sauce. The dish comes from the Zoroastrian Parsi community that settled in Gujarat after fleeing Persia, and today it is as associated with Mumbai as with Gujarat.

What makes dhansak dhansak is the combination of three pulses — red kidney beans, split peas, and mung beans — which are cooked tender with the meat and then blended together with aubergine, pumpkin, and potato. This gives a rich, almost creamy base without cream. The masala of fresh chillies, ginger, garlic, coriander, and mint is added afterwards together with a dry spice mix of dhana jeera and asafoetida, so the flavour is both fresh and deep.

Spiced Beef in Yoghurt

Mon, 15 Sep 2014 08:00:10 +0200

Dahi gosht is thin slices of beef marinated overnight in yoghurt and slowly simmered with onion, garlic, and a handful of Indian spices until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick. The yoghurt does double duty: its acidity tenderises the meat during marinating, and during simmering it melds with the fat and spices into a creamy, rich sauce.

The dish is everyday food across much of North India and is built on the same underlying idea as a good bhuna — short cooking times for the spices, a long simmer for the meat. Garam masala is added only at the end to preserve its fresh, aromatic note.

Lamb Kebab

Tue, 25 Mar 2014 17:19:28 +0100

Seekh kebab is spiced minced lamb, shaped like sausages around skewers and grilled over charcoal until crisp outside and juicy inside. The name comes from the Persian sikh, meaning skewer.

The mince is spiced with garam masala, toasted cumin and coriander seeds, green mango powder, and fresh chillies. Chickpea flour (besan) binds the meat so the sausages hold their shape on the skewer. Green mango powder adds a sour note that balances the richness of the lamb.