GOLBARIR KOSHA MANGSHO:

"Golbarir Kosha Mangsho." Now that is enough, to make me slurp, at any time of the day.There is Kosha Mangsho, and there is Golbarir Kosha Mangsho. The difference is so huge, probably no one even tried to fathom it. I swear by it for my North Kolkattan roots. Luckily for me, even Hubby swears by it(despite having no north Kolkattan roots). Well, we North Kolkattans do get snooty at times of our lineage.It also happens in our household, miles and miles away from North Kolkata, especially when the topic of Golbari comes up.

Well, many of you, might be wondering, what am I ranting about. I am surely talking about a curried goat dish, of a certain place in North Kolkata, but what is the big deal about it. Well, its a huge or a magnanimous deal for any Kolkattan. Very close to the iconic Five Point Crossing in Shymabazar, in North Kolkata, is an old eatery called GOLBARI. A  corner plot near the crossing with the huge statue of Netaji on a Horse. Yes, even most tourists in Kolkata, have seen that huge statue. So next time, you are in Kolkata, make sure, you head towards the Northern part of the city, and head to Golbari ! The culinary journey of the City of Joy is incomplete without Golbarir Kosha Mangsho.

Let me warn you that Golbari is no fancy place. No fancy waiters, no fancy decor not even fancy menu cards. You head there for the real deal: for the food, which is simply out of the world. Make sure, though, you are out of your dieting regimen, when you decide to head towards Golbari. The Kosha Mangsho is served with dark liquid fat, dominating most of your gravy. If you are thinking that your arteries are getting clogged, while just reading it, then I would say, get a bit bolder, and cook it up yourself. Or better still, if you are in Kolkata, head to Golbari, and order a plate of Kosha Mangsho, and see for yourself. The proof of the pudding, lies in eating, after all. No, your arteries will not get clogged. But its very possible that you will be in Meat Nirvana, just as you take the first bite. at Golbari, A serving of Kosha Mangsho, is always served with a couple of hot whole wheat Chapatis. The idea is to tear the Chapati, and dunk it in the brownish gravy, along with a chunk of meat, and enjoy. The meat is so well cooked, that it practically melts in your mouth.

Hubby did a great job of re-creating this iconic dish. The risk associated with it was immense,as the tastes are too familiar on all our taste buds. The man scored full marks in the taste and even how the dish looked, once he had served me. What more could a lady want on her weekend. Being served one of her favorite food, by the man she loves ! The gravy looked just similar.He started the preps a day in advance by marinating the meat, in a yogurt, ginger-garlic paste and his blend of masalas. Yogurt always works pretty well, in tenderizing the meat and reducing the cooking time  a lot. Here's hoping, that all of you enjoy this iconic re-creation as much as i enjoyed it.

GOLBARIR KOSHA MANGSHO: 

Ingredients: 
Goat meat: 2 lb: cut into small pieces
Potato: 2 large: Halved
Ginger paste: 2 tbsp
Garlic paste:
Plain Yogurt: 1/2 cup
Onion: 1 large: finely chopped
Mustard Oil
Cumin Powder: 1 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder: 1 1/2  tsp
Kashmiri Mirch Powder: 1 tsp(adjust according to heat preferences)
Garam Masala Powder: 1/2 tsp
Salt
Sugar: 1 tsp
Stewed Tomatoes: 1/2 can (Can use fresh tomatoes as well. Use around 2 large tomatoes)
Green Chilies: 2 slit longitudinally(skip if you have a heat problem)

Procedure:
Make a mixture of yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, cumin powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder. Marinate the meat in this mixture and let it rest overnight, covered, in the refrigerator.

In a pan, add in the mustard oil and the sugar and let the sugar caramelise. Once the sugar starts caramelising, add in the chopped onions, and stir well. Fry the onions, till they start changing colour, and you get a lovely aroma. be careful that the masala does not get burnt.

Add in the marinated meat and kashmiri red chili powder, in the fried onions and mix well. Cover and cook on medium heat. Keep stirring in between, so that the meat does not stick to the pan.

Once the meat has half cooked, add in the potatoes and the stewed tomatoes, green chilies and salt to taste. Cover and cook, till the meat is fork tender.The tomatoes and yogurt will be releasing a lot of water, hence do not add in more water. However if you feel that the dish is getting too dry for your tastes, then you can add in some water, so that meat and potatoes get cooked properly.

The key to this dish, is cooking it covered on medium heat, so that the fat of the meat, adds to the gravy. when you can see oil/fat floating on the gravy, then you can understand that you are cooking it right.

This dish will have a thick gravy, which will be pretty dark in colour. The kashmiri red mirch powder and the tomatoes lend to the colour of the gravy.

Enjoy Golbarir Kosha Mangsho with some hot chapatis, and a green salad of cucumber and red onions.

Bon Appetit !!