Sick of dry & bland Karahis? Try this EASY masala-licious version with it's tender meat, smoky spices, and bold flavours that will keep you coming back for more!
I used to not think of myself as a food snob, but I do find myself often referring to my Karachiite roots, whether it's when I am talking about Biryani or Chaat. Karahi my friends is another dish we feel strongly about, but this is Karachiite is very open to admitting that fantabulous variations of this dish can be found all across Pakistan.
In the interest of keeping it positive here I am going to refrain from commenting on the plethora of Karahi restaurants in Canada, but let's just say they don't always hit the spot. This recipe does.
Key Features of Karahi Gosht
A Karahi Gosht hits home when you take a spoonful in your plate and the tender gosht finds itself nestled in a rich masala resplendent with fresh cilantro, green chilies and ginger. That trifecta of a rich masala, tender meat, and fresh garnishes is *chefs kiss*
Getting to the above is relatively straightforward. HOWEVER, it means you have to remember two things.
1.) Meat forward: By this I mean the main flavour in a Karahi gosht, unlike in a Timatar Gosht for example, comes from the meat. The spices exist to enhance the flavour dance between the meat and tomatoes.
2.) Onion free: Ok, okay - hear me out. Once you involve onions in the mix - and I have tested this - two things happen. Firstly, you need to cook the onions before adding the meat so bye bye to the flavor building sear in the beginning because the moisture of the onions prevents it. Second, onions have a little sweetness and that takes away from the sharp flavours of a Karahi.
3.) The Karahi itself: Now, here is the thing. I have to admit here that a Karahi gosht is *gasp* usually made in a Karahi or Wok. The high heat and wide pan both help with building flavor in the cooking process, but here is where I often deviate from the traditional (more on why below).
Now, as said above, there are many iterations of Karahi Gosht, regionality plays a huge part. Here I am sharing the features of Karahi Gosht as I know it and apologize if they offend
Making Karahi Gosht in an Instant Pot/ Pressure Cooker
Whether you are cooking with Goat, Lamb, or Beef, the red meat makes for a delicious Karahi. I do have a boneless chicken iteration just in case you need it. However, it (red meat) also means a lot of time cooking. A LOT.
While I am not one to scoff at traditional methods and absolutely value their result, the fact is that on most days I want two things.
1.) A Karahi Gosht that comes together in well under an hour.
2.) One that is so tender that it won't get chewy on the reheat - IYKYK. Some of us just can't make fresh food for every meal.
Those are the reasons why I make an IP version. For a long time I used to tenderize the meat in the IP and then saute it off stovetop, but then I realized I didn't actually need to do that and could build remarkable flavour in the Instant Pot. I haven't looked back since.
Karahi Gosht Meat: How to Cook Goat, Lamb, or Beef
Okay so we all know I am team beef around here. The family also massively prefers boneless to bone in, although I will be the first to admit that bones give a depth and richness to any meat dish.
Here are some quick notes based on meat type:-
- Goat: Bone in Goat Karahis are delicious, but given the ratio of meat to bone you will need to increase the quantity to 1.5-2 lbs of meat. Pressure cooking time varies between 18-22 minutes depending on toughness.
- Lamb: Pressure cooks in 10-12 minutes, has a gamier flavour than beef or goat. Lamb tends to be more 'meaty' than Goat so 1.5 lbs or a little less works.
- Beef: Stewing beef is ideal here, with some fat marbling through it, it is also a relatively inexpensive cut and cooks in the pressure cooker in about 22-24 minutes + 10 minutes of natural release.
- Veal: Veal cooks faster than beef so aim for an 18 minute time and check on the meat.
What goes in Karahi Gosht
Ingredients are pretty straightforward, and yes someone forgot to put the bowl of julienned ginger in her picture and yes someone doesn't know how to edit it back in. Someone is incredibly, sometimes unnecessarily honest.
My "cheat" ingredient: Yoghurt.
This Karahi is great without yoghurt, you get bright clean flavour, etc etc. However, the yoghurt is where I deviate from the traditional because your girl here likes tons of masala and also (as said above) a karahi that reheats well and the yoghurt helps with that. Please feel free to skip it.
Easy Gosht Karahi Step by Step
Whip up a few tbsp of yoghurt and set aside. Heat your oil and then add in your spices, meat, ginger and garlic pastes and saute on high heat until the meat takes on a rich colour.
Now add your tomatoes and pressure cook. There is enough water in the tomatoes that you don't need to add any.
Let it natural release for 10 minutes, cover the vent with a kitchen towel, let it (not your face) absorb all the steam. Put your IP back on saute mode and then dry out the water.
When it starts to stick then we are going to take a big spoonful, mix it in to our whipped room temperature yoghurt and add that back to the pot, sauteing until the oil rises above the masala. Then add your pepper, garam masala, ginger (I like to mince this bit), mix well, adjust seasoning. Add a little squeeze of lemon if you feel like it could use a bit of brightness.
Plate, garnish with remaining chilies and ginger and tons of fresh cilantro and dig in.
What else are we cooking?
If you are like me and like to prep a few things at a go, whether it's because you are hosting or because you like to batch cook, then here are some ideas for dishes you can prep together.
Karahi Gosht - Masalaydaar Beef/Mutton Curry!
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot OR a Wok/Karahi
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless stewing meat 1.5lb or more for bone in
- ⅓ cup oil
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- ½ tsp chili powder (cayenne)
- 1.5 tsp coriander powder (roasted if you have it)
- 5 tomatoes
- 3 tbsp yoghurt (optional, for a 'creamier' masala)
Finishing touches
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 tsp minced ginger (see notes)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 3-4 sliced green chilies
- additional julienned ginger (optional)
- squeeze of lemon (see notes)
Instructions
- Whisk the yoghurt well and set aside
- Dice your tomatoes
- Heat oil in your IP on saute mode (or pan) until it's shimmering
- Add in your meat, ginger, garlic, and the spices in the first section.
- Saute well, the meat will stick initially and then start to separate from the pan/pot.
- Once you get some rich colour on there then add in your diced tomatoes, stir.Instant Pot: Set the meat to high pressure, manual mode, 22 minutes for beef (see post for other meats). After 22 minutes, turn the IP off, and let it natural release for 10 minutes before opening the vent.Stovetop: Add 1 cup hot water to the pan and set it to simmer on low for 45-55 minutes or until the beef is not super tender, but breaks under some pressure.
- Turn the heat up and dry out the water.
- When the water starts to stick add in your yoghurt if using and mix well. TIP: add some masala into your yoghurt bowl to bring it closer to the karahis temperature and prevent the yoghurt from splitting.
- Cook on medium high heat until the oil rises above the karahi gosht, add in your minced ginger, garam masala, pepper, half your chilies and cilantro - taste and adjust seasoning.
- Top with garnishes of choice and serve hot with roti or naan.
Notes
- the minced ginger is not a must have, but it adds such a great flavour and textural play so I like to add it in and then extra ginger for garnish
- lemon is only needed if your tomatoes aren't delivering the slightly acidic punch you'd like - taste and add if needed
- notes on different meats and variations in timing in post.
Mony says
I tried this recipe and it came up amazing!! I used mutton. It does reheat perfectly and I'm all about advance meal prep. I couldn't get the yogurt to not split. Maybe mine was too thick. I'm considering coconut cream to change that bit around. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly and the no-leftovers speak for themselves!
Sarah Mir says
wow! Thank you so much, i'm glad the recipe worked for you even if the yoghurt was temperamental!