Achar Gosht

Ingredients

Meat

• 1.2 kgmutton or lamb on the bone, in pieces
• 200 gplain yoghurt
• 1 tablespoonginger and garlic paste
• 1 teaspoonsalt

Achar masala

• 1 tablespoonfennel seeds
• 1 teaspoonnigella seeds, kalonji
• 1 teaspoonfenugreek seeds, methi dana
• 1 teaspoonblack mustard seeds
• 1 teaspooncumin seeds
• 1 teaspooncoriander seeds

To cook

• 150 mlmustard oil
• 3onions, sliced
• 3tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoonginger and garlic paste
• 1 teaspoonturmeric
• 1 teaspoonred chilli powder
• 8whole green chillies
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 300 mlwater

To finish

• juice of 1 lemon
• a handful of coriander
• 2cm ginger, in fine strips

To serve

• naan or roti
• plain rice
• raita

Directions

1. Check what is available where you are. Heat it until it just begins to smoke. Then take it off the heat and let it cool a little. Put the meat in a bowl with the yoghurt. Add the ginger and garlic paste and the salt. Mix it thoroughly with your hands.
2. Cover it and refrigerate it for at least two hours. Making the masala takes five minutes. Heat a dry pan over a medium heat. Add the coriander and cumin seeds first.
3. Shake the pan constantly as they toast. Add the fennel after about a minute. Add the mustard, nigella and fenugreek last. Toast everything until it smells strongly fragrant. Do not let anything darken or smoke. Tip it out and let it cool down. Grind it coarsely rather than to a fine powder. Heat the prepared mustard oil in a heavy pot. Add the sliced onions to the pot.
4. Fry them slowly until deep golden brown. This takes a good fifteen minutes. Add the ginger and garlic paste. Cook the paste for two full minutes. Lift the meat out of its marinade. Add it to the pot and raise the heat. Brown the meat well on every side. Give it about ten minutes there.
5. Add the turmeric and the chilli powder. Stir it in off the heat first. Return it to the heat and stir constantly. Cook it for five minutes until the yoghurt is absorbed. Stir in all of the chopped tomatoes.
6. Cook them down for about ten minutes. The oil should separate at the edges. Add half the ground achar masala. Simmering it takes about an hour. Pour in the water and add the salt. Bring it to a simmer and cover the pot. Let it cook gently on a low heat. Mutton needs about an hour and a quarter. Stir it every fifteen minutes.
7. Add hot water if it dries out. The meat should be tender and falling from the bone. Add them to the pot with the rest of the masala. Simmer for another ten minutes. The chillies should soften but keep their shape.
8. Uncover the pot and reduce the gravy. It should cling to the meat rather than run. Squeeze in the lemon juice off the heat. Scatter the coriander and ginger strips over. Taste it and adjust the salt again. It should be sharp, pungent and aromatic. Serve raita alongside to cool it. It keeps for three days refrigerated.

Technique

• Achar gosht takes the spice profile of South Asian pickles and applies it to a meat curry, which is what distinguishes it.
• Versions differ across Punjab, Sindh and the Deccan, and the balance of the five pickling seeds varies from household to household.

Substitutions

• Beef or chicken can replace mutton, with the cooking time adjusted accordingly.
• Any neutral oil replaces mustard oil, though the pungency is lost.

Variations

• Some cooks add a spoonful of actual mango pickle to the pot.
• A version with more tomato gives a redder, sweeter gravy.
• Achar chicken is made the same way and cooks far faster.

History

Borrows the spice mix of mango pickle for a meat curry; a Punjabi and Deccan favourite at weddings.

Frequently asked questions

What is Achar Gosht?

Achar Gosht is a main from Pakistan: mutton curry cooked with pickling spices, whole green chillies and mustard oil. Borrows the spice mix of mango pickle for a meat curry; a Punjabi and Deccan favourite at weddings.

How long does Achar Gosht take to make?

Achar Gosht takes 30 minutes plus marinating of preparation and 1 hour 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Achar Gosht?

Yes, within limits. Beef or chicken can replace mutton, with the cooking time adjusted accordingly. Any neutral oil replaces mustard oil, though the pungency is lost.

What is the most important thing to get right in Achar Gosht?

Shake the pan constantly as they toast. Add the fennel after about a minute. Add the mustard, nigella and fenugreek last. Toast everything until it smells strongly fragrant. Do not let anything darken or smoke. Tip it out and let it cool down. Grind it coarsely rather than to a fine powder. Heat the prepared mustard oil in a heavy pot. Add the sliced onions to the pot.