Goat curry is a staple for the weekends for Bengali foodies. Whipping up a batch of fresh coat curry has this satisfaction which is quite unmatched, in terms of nostalgia. While everyone has their own version of a
Sunday Goat Curry, I decided to switch things up a bit, this week. A few months back, a unique combination had caught my eye on my newsfeed. It was
Sukanya Ghosh's Chukandar Gosht or goat curry with beetroot. It had been on my wishlist of recipes to try out.
I love my share of vegetables, but beetroot is not something which does not make it .way to my shopping cart, at the grocers. Winter childhood memories have their share of soups which my Mom used to make. When she used to add beetroots to the mix, the color took on jewel tones. Also enjoyed pickled eggs in beetroot juice at
Phillipe's in Los Angeles. But, I personally didn't cook with it, ever since I started cooking. So thank you Sukanya for pushing me out of my comfort zone, with your unique Holi offering. I must add that my version of Chukandar Gosht is a bit different from her, both in terms of how we treated the ingredients and how he cooked it in general. Now I am inspired to try cooking goat with a combination of a few other root vegetables.
As I was researching this recipe, I came across the fact that it was originally made with Beef, and can be easily subbed with Lamb. My husband is a foodie himself and a great home chef. Almost a decade back, he perfected the idea of braising goat in the oven. Goat takes longer to cook, and the pressure cooker is an easier alternative. But for people like me and my husband, we do not like our goat cooked in pressure cooker. We slow cook it in the oven, after an initial step on the stovetop. My
Le Creuset Dutch Oven(Linked at the foot of the post) is the perfect vessel of choice when it comes to cooking meat Indian style.
Be it
Butter Chicken or
Goat Curry, we have seen the difference it makes. And if you are cooking goat curry for a party or for many people, try removing one of the racks of your oven and cook the goat curry in a large stockpot. Sudeshna of
Cook Like a Bong had visited our home a few years back, and she has been telling me for years, that I should blog about these goat curry hacks with my readers.
Without much further ado, let's jump in the recipe.
CHUKANDAR GOSHT - BRAISED GOAT WITH BEETROOT :
Ingredients:
Goat Meat: 2 lb, cubed, skinless.
Can be subbed with Beef/Lamb
Red Onion: 1/2: finely chopped
Ginger Paste: 1tbsp
Garlic Paste: 2 tbsp
Tomato: 1: finely chopped
Cumin Powder: 2 tsp
Coriander Powder: 2 tsp
Red Chili Powder: 1/2 to 1 tsp(according to heat preferences). Can be subbed with Paprika for reduced heat.
Cilantro: chopped, for garnish
Canola Oil
Birista/Fried Onion: 1/4 cup
Beet Root: 2, cubed.
Green Cardamom: 4 - 5
Cinnamon Stick: 1
Bay Leaves : 3
Cloves: 4 to 5
Mace: A few
Procedure:
Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
In a dutch oven, or a heavy bottomed vessel, heat oil, over medium heat. Add in the aromatics(whole garam masala and bay leaves), and a teaspoon of sugar. Once the aromatics get crackling and sugar is caramelized and not burnt, add the chopped fresh onions.
Give everything a stir and let the onion caramelize to light brown around the edges.
Add ginger and garlic paste, chopped tomatoes, blend of spices. Mix everything and let the masala fry up(without getting burnt). You can also cover and cook the mix for a couple of minutes for it to lose the rawness.
Next, come the mutton pieces and the beetroot cubes. Season well and mix everything.
Here comes my twist. I added in 1/4 cup of Birista, or fried onions at this phase. I used the store-bought version, as it was handy in the pantry. Feel free to make from scratch.
Cover and cook on the stove top for around 15 minutes.
Open the lid and add 2 cups of hot water, and put the lid back on. Put in the oven and slow cook for an hour, or till the goat is tender, but not mushy.
Reduce the gravy to being thick and dry. Season with freshly chopped cilantro.Serve with Naan or steamed Basmati rice.
Bon Appetit!
SHOPPING :
