Aloo Gosht: Pakistani-style meat and potato curry

Aloo Gosht

Aloo Gosht, or meat with potato curry, is one of the popular dishes among cuisines from the Indian subcontinent, such as Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.

The dish is traditionally enjoyed as a part of celebrations such as Eid feast, birthdays, weddings, gatherings with family and friends, etc. It’s a delicious meat curry to enjoy with rice, often served with plain Basmati rice, Chicken Pilau rice, Vegetable Pilau rice, or Biryani rice. And traditionally, that is how most people enjoy the potato and meat curry.

---

However, if you wish to, there is nothing wrong with eating your meat and potato curry with naan bread, chapati, or pitta bread. However, I would choose naan bread with my Aloo Gosht because the fluffy naan bread soaks up the gravy better. But it’s your choice.

There are many ways to make Aloo Gosht. Just like any other food recipe. You’ll come across hundreds of ways of making one particular food.

But after tweaking so many recipes countless times, I have settled with this recipe. Because I find this one has well-balanced spices without overpowering aroma or taste. 

Thanks to the meat broth from slow cooking, the dish will taste rich, yet it’s delightfully light when you pair it with rice. It’s definitely a dish for comfort. Like on cold, weathered days. The spices will tantalize your tastebuds and simultaneously warm your body. 

What’s in It?

There are three main parts of the dish, i.e. meat, potato, and masala.

You can choose any red meat that you like. Goat’s meat, beef, and lamb are all good dishes choices. However, I prefer lamb. Not only it’s easier to get from my local halal butcher, but it also tastes more flavourful, in my opinion.

But I leave the meat choice to you according to your preference.

When it comes to potatoes, any potatoes should be good. The only thing to note is that new potatoes or Charlotte potatoes are better options. Because they have a creamy texture and don’t break easily. 

Now, the masala. 

Masala literally means mixed spices. In Pakistani/ Indian cooking, the masala refers to the mixed-sauce base when cooking curries.

Likewise, the masala in this Aloo Gosht is the sauce base you make by mixing the spices and tomatoes. 

As for the spices, you will need ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chili powder or paprika powder, ground/ coarse black pepper, cloves, fresh ginger garlic paste, onion, and garam masala. 

On top of that, you will need a little oil to fry the spices and tomatoes. You can use fresh tomatoes or tinned chopped tomatoes. I use the latter.

How To Make Aloo Gosht

Firstly, get your meat ready. Wash, rinse, and drain. Set aside.

Secondly, fry the chopped onion in a cooking pan until it’s translucent and smells nice. Then, add in the freshly minced ginger and garlic. Fry further for a minute or two before you put the rest of the ground spices in. 

Continue cooking until the spices release a delicious aroma, then add the tomatoes. Leave it to cook simultaneously, trying to mash the tomatoes repeatedly. If it looks dry, add ¼ cup of water and let it cook with the lid on at medium-low heat.

Put your meat pieces in once your masala sauce gets to a thick sauce consistency without any lumps and the oil slightly separates from the edges. Give it a good stir, so all the meat is covered with the sauce.

Put the lid on and leave it to cook until the meat looks opaque and firm. Then add another 1 ½ cups of water, stir again, and cook it with the lid on at low heat.

Keep checking and stirring the meat curry now and then.

You can add the potato pieces when the meat is thoroughly cooked and almost tender. Continue cooking with the lid on at low heat until the potatoes are fully cooked. 

Your aloo gosht is ready when the meat and potatoes are tenderly cooked, and the oil slightly separates from the edges. You can sprinkle ½ teaspoon of garam masala at the end. This will enhance the aroma and flavor of your curry.

If you use lamb’s meat, it should take approximately 1 hour to cook this curry.

The secret of mouthwatering Aloo Gosht

Before you go on making the dish, let me tell you the secret of this curry. It lies in how you make the masala spice. For many years, I didn’t realize I should cook the masala spices with tomatoes until they become smooth and thick with the oil separating from the sauce. 

It was one of my husband’s nieces that reminded me.

So be patient when you make the base sauce. Ensure all the tomatoes are mashed and cooked nicely so the base sauce is smooth and shiny. 

Add the water little by little and add more than suggested if needed. Because some meat releases more juice than others. 

The proper Aloo Gosht has a richly flavored sauce that is not too thick or thin. Therefore, take care when adding the water. 

What to serve the Aloo Gosht with

As mentioned above, this lamb with potato curry is a classic dish in Pakistani cuisine and is often served at many gatherings and occasions.

Aloo gosht usually goes well with Achari Chicken, Chicken Karahi, Green Moong Dal, and some salad when served among a food spread.

Enjoy some Rasmalai or Kheer for dessert to finish your meal. And you may want to serve this cucumber water or cucumber kale smoothie for a refreshing drink in your food spread.

More ideas for delicious curries

If you want more ideas for curry recipes, you can try lamb kofta curry, lauki gosht, keema matar, aloo keema, or dal gosht.

Thank you for reading. Now you have more ideas about what meat curry you want to cook. This Aloo Gosht – meat and potato curry in Pakistani style – will make your loved ones happy. 

Try it, and let me know your thoughts in the comments below (leave a reply). I would really appreciate that. Also, feel free to share the post.

Lastly, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Pinterest. To sneak a peek at what’s cooking in my kitchen. 

Take care and all the best.