Aloo Gosht, the quintessential Pakistani meat and potatoes curry that warms your soul. Instant Pot + Stove Top instructions and a busy day shortcut version (that will still pass the taste test!)
You know how for many people a Chicken ka Salan is the comfort-your-soul-food? Well for me and my siblings it's Aloo Gosht.
I know we are not supposed to talk about personal matters anymore in our personal blogs. We are supposed to be the wikipedia of recipes now, tons of information, somewhat verified 😉
However, I would be remiss here if I didn't say that whenever I think of Aloo Gosht I think of my nani whose Aloo Gosht recipe was made from instinct and always perfect. She never wrote it down though and we didn't realize quickly enough how she wouldn't be around forever to make it for us.
The loss of the recipes made from instinct or "andaza", is a big reason why I started sharing Pakistani Recipes on this blog. There is nothing more heartwarming than being able to help someone recreate the flavours of home.
Bonus points for doing it quicker right?
Aloo Gosht Recipe Video
What goes into Aloo Gosht?
Simple ingredients my friends, simple ingredients.
For the masala base:
Warming whole spices like cloves, peppers, and cumin seeds
Diced onions for body and richness
Garlic and Ginger Paste
Chili Powder, Salt, and Turmeric
Tomatoes for that tanginess - Roma preferred here, but Hothouse can work too!
The stars:
Meat (more on kinds below)
Potatoes - Yukon gold is my preference. They absorb flavour so beautifully and it is the most fun to eat them with roti.
Garnishes / Finishing touches:
Garam Masala Powder - for a smoky depth
Green Chilies - for heat and aroma
Cilantro / Coriander - for it's herby brightness
Lemon Juice - to add a little panache
What kind of Meat do I buy for Aloo Gosht?
In a nutshell: Your favourite stewing meat. If you are a mutton person you can use mutton, a lamb lover can use just that, but this girl loves her beef cubes.
Whatever meat you decide on here are some tips for the best flavour.
1.) For Mutton: give it a quick rub in vinegar, soak for a few minutes and then rinse off to minimize any unpleasant smells
2.) For ANY meat: let it come to room temperature before cooking, room temperature meat will cook faster and won't bring the temperature of your masala down.
3.) Because of it's long simmer time Aloo Gosht is usually made with stewing meat, i.e. this isn't where you need to break the bank to buy the finest most tender meat.
A Little Step By Step: the traditional approach
Step One: Saute your whole spices and onions on medium high heat until the edges of the onions start to change colour
Step Two: Add your ginger and garlic paste and cook for a minute to get the rawness out
Step Three: Saute the spices into the mix
Step Four: Time for tomatoes - add them in. A longer sauté will render a richer tasting curry, a shorter way a lovely lighter flavour. You pick!
Step Five: In goes the meat, saute to brown it.
Step Six: Add water and simmer for 40 minutes or cook on high pressure for 20 minutes for beef (15 for mutton).
Step Seven: In go your potatoes for their turn - 4 minutes on high pressure, 15 minutes for a stovetop simmer.
Step Eight: Adjust thickness to your liking, adjust seasoning and add your finishing touches!
The EASIEST version of Aloo Gosht: Busy Day Shortcut
On the days when add and saute isn't how you want to live your life (lol), here's what you can do.
1.) Combine the onions, tomatoes, meat, and spices and either simmer stove top for 45 minutes with 2 cups water or IP for 20 with 1 cup until it's done.
2.) Dry up the gravy and when it starts to stick then add a generous lug of oil and saute until the oil rises to the top.
3.) Add your potatoes and 1 cup of water and simmer for 15 or IP for 4.
4.) Finish as per recipe directions.
How thick should a Salan be?
So the number of onions will usually determine the 'natural' body of a salan or curry. If you made this curry with one onion it would be a pretty dry one. However, what's in your hands as a chef is the right texture for how you are eating.
Any curry you are eating with chapati or even naan needs to be a little thicker, but for rice you can thin it out a little more to make it easier to eat and mix in.
Naturally, any time you add water you need to make sure the seasoning is still in balance so please do taste it and adjust as needed.
What do I serve Aloo Gosht with?
Love. But apart from that here are come combinations I really enjoy.
Whichever way you choose to make it I hope this Aloo Gosht fills you with joy. As always I'd love to see your recreations so do tag me on Instagram @flourandspiceblog.
Share what you thought of this recipe by rating it below! Happy Cooking!
Aloo Gosht
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless beef chunks or upto 2lbs bone in meat (use your discretion here)
- 2 roughly diced medium onions
- 3-4 cloves
- 7-8 whole black peppers
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 heaped spoon crushed garlic
- 1 heaped spoon crushed ginger
- 1 - 2 tsp red chilli powder
- ⅓ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 ½ tsp salt can adjust later
- 2 to matoes finely diced
- 2 potatos halved lengthwise and cut horizontally into wedges
- ½ tsp garam masala powder or black pepper
- handful of cilantro
- green chillies diced to taste
- a squeeze of lemon juice
Instructions
Traditional Approach - Stove top & IP
- Heat a very generous lug of oil on medium high and add your whole spices and then the onions
- Saute till the edges of the onions start to change colour
- Now add in your ginger and garlic paste, give it a minute and then add in your whole spices
- Keeping the heat on a medium high add in your tomatoes and saute for 3-4 minutes or until they break down and form a paste. In a rush you can always cut back on this step, but it does make for a richer taste.
- Add your meat and brown it then add 2 cups of hot water for a stove top cook or 1 cup for the Instant Pot.
- For stovetop: Bring to a boil then simmer for 45 minutes or until meat is cooked through and breaks easily. For IP: Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes then quick release for beef. For mutton check after 15 minutes.
- Now add your potatoes. For stovetop you can simmer for 15 with the curry base and for IP you can pressure cook for four minutes then quick release.
- Adjust the consistency of the curry for your preference then adjust seasoning. Now top with the final garnishes and enjoy!
Busy Day Version
- Put the beef chunks, onion, garlic, ginger, red chilli powder, and salt into a pot with two cups of very hot water. Mix.
- Cover the pot with a lid and bring the mixture to a boil, once it is boiling then bring it to a simmer and let it cook (covered) for 45 minutes to an hour or however long it takes for your beef to get tender. Instant Pot: Manual 20 minutes then quick release
- Once the beef is tender, then crank up the heat to evaporate the water and once the spice paste/masala starts to stick add a generous lug of oil and saute the masala until the oil rises above it’s surface.
- Then in go the tomatoes, cook until the oil rises above the surface of the masala.
- Now add in your cup of water, the potato wedges and once again bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender.
- Now add more water if needed and the garam masala, cook for two minutes and adjust seasoning.
- Switch off the stove and add some bright fresh cilantro and green chillies - you can leave these whole, slice them lengthwise or finely chop them. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and dig in with some chapati (flatbread) or naan.
I saw it on Instagram and had to check it out:) looks delish! Will try it!
Thanks so much! Really hope you do!
I had aalu gosht for dinner tonight! This recipe is very different from the way I cook. Your salan looks really gorgeous! I will try this recipe next time!
Thanks Vajeea! This is very different than how my mom used to cook it but I took my sister in laws technique and my mothers masala and it works well. Let me know how it goes!
Hey .. this is awesome .. I follow the same process but also add some coriander powder ... what do you reckon? .. is dhaniya powder not needed here? Thanks, Nay (I guess you would know me from Insta)
Hi!!! Glad to see you here! I use dhania powder sometimes, it has a smokiness to it. But most of the time I skip it since that is how my mother makes it. My in laws use dhania powder though and it is yum
Tried this and absolutely loved it. I followed your recipe notes and browned the onion and ginger garlic and then the meat and spices first, which I think created even better flavour. It was amazing. And my standards for Aaloo gosht are quite high:)
I am SO happy to hear that Amna! Yes it's absolutely it's best when you get color on your meat and your onions sauteed first. Thank you for telling me!!!!
Hello...is the "heaped spoon" for the crushed garlic/ginger a teaspoon or tablespoon? Love these traditional recipes and please keep them coming!
If you're a baker then it's a tablespoon 😉 If not then it's the smaller spoon in your kitchen drawer. Please do let me know how it goes! I have a few other desi recipes coming up - will try and post them soon!
Hello. If I want to make this with chicken. How would I adjust?
Hi! for chicken I would do a few things differently
1.) Cook the diced onion and some whole spices (4-5 black peppers, 2-3 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon stick) in a little oil until the onion pieces edges start to turn golden brown
2.) Once that happens add the garlic ginger, saute, add the salt, red chilli powder, turmeric and a half tsp of coriander powder. Saute for another 2 minutes.
3.) Add the tomatoes (finely chopped) and cook until the masala is 'bhunn' ie the oil rises to the top and it is a cohesive paste
4.) Add the chicken pieces and cook to seal i.e. so they are white on the outside
5.) Put in about a cup of hot water if using boneless, half if using in bone in, bring it to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes.
6.) Add the potatoes, simmer until done. The chicken should be tender
7.) Finish as described in the beef recipe
Hope this works well for you - do keep me posted!
Hi, if I used a pressure cooker how long do I cook the beef for?
Hi Tina!! So so sorry for not seeing this earlier. Honestly it varies from pressure cooker to pressure cooker. I am in Toronto and I find the meat is a bit tough so I used to go for 18-20 minutes, but I know in some countries that'll make it a paste!
HI, would I be able to cook this in the Instapot ?
Thanks!
Yes! Just put it for pressure in the IP, it takes me 18 minutes on manual (quick release) to get tender botis, then another 3 (i think) for the potatoes!
Hi Sarah! Quick question- do you find that the beef retains any of its gosht "smell" if you don't bhoon with the onions and masala before adding the water?
Thanks! can't wait to try the recipe- my husband is a big aloo gosht fan but i'm always too intimidated by cooking gosht
Hi Fariha!!! I hear you - making gosht can seem so intimidating. In terms of your question I find beef (vs mutton) doesn't have much of a smell, but I also know everyones taste buds are a little different. If it is your first time making it then go ahead and saute the onions till translucent, add adrak, lehsan,spices, saute a minute then add the meat chunks and brown them a little. Then add water and cook till tender. The reason I suggest the extra step for your first time if you are concerned about the smell is that it is so immensely gratifying to get it spot on the first time and not question yourself! Do keep me posted on how it turns out!
Omg thankyou so much for this recipe!! This was one dish I've been wanting to make right since I've been married (4years now). Your recipe is hassle free, easy and tastes amazing!!! Can't wait to try more of your recipes!!!! ❤️
Zulekha!!! thank you so so much for your kind words! I keep toying with "updating" it with the more intensive version, but your comment reminds me that for most of us this approach works!
Hi. The recipe is quite similar to how we do it. Can you just clarify when you add turmeric? I assume it is in the beginning.
That's absolutely correct! Thank you!
Absolutely loved it! Everyone enjoyed it alhumdulillah. I'm used to the traditional way of cooking this dish but when I came across this easy version, I was so excited to not have to fry the onion!! Definitely going to make this often. Thank you 💜
My first time making aloo gosht today. Alhumdulilah really easy recipe. I used the tip in the recipe notes and sauted the onions first. Taste was superb mA. Made it with your yakhni pulao recipe!
I am SO happy to hear it worked! Aloo gosht is such a quintessential comfort food for me and I am glad you enjoyed it 🙂