Aloo Gosht | Potato Meat Curry

The best Aloo Gosht recipe that I cannot stop raving about! A flavour-packed potato and meat stew in a spicy onion-tomato and yoghurt sauce served with rice or roti. Pressure cooker and pot method included. 

This is the comfort food for most North Indians and Pakistanis making it a family dish which means there is more than one recipe for aloo gosht. My Aloo Gosht recipe is tried, tested and tweaked to make it our family recipe. It is easy and flavour-packed that can pass off as daily comfort food or can be a show stopper on a spread on a holiday feast! The lip-smacking brothy salan or stew with a layer of fat floating on the top will make your mouth water. Am I right? This itself is inviting so trust me on the flavours too! Go ahead and drench your rice or Rotis with this because this Aloo Gosht recipe will win your heart and tummy!

Potato and meat stew is common in every cuisine of the world but as an Indian, I can assure you we Indians have the most diverse versions of Potato and meat stew and no two will taste the same! From the coastal region of the south to the mountains of the north, you will find a version of aloo gosht of course in their regional names. Aloo means potato and gosht means meat in Urdu/Hindi. Aloo gosht itself has popular variations like Hyderabadi aloo gosht, Delhi aloo gosht, Degi aloo gosht. I couldn't figure out the differences as even the two Delhi versions didn't look the same. Some had tomatoes some did not that was the only significant difference I noticed among aloo gosht recipes. 

Did you notice, I no longer take any "effort" to style for food photography... I know I should be getting better than not trying at all. These days it is just the pic of my food plate right before I dig in. And here it is the pressure cooker itself 🤣 I did not even have the patience to transfer to a bowl! But hey, this is me and my real kitchen! 

Anyways let's talk about my Aloo Gosht recipe! 

Ingredients for aloo gosht recipe

• ghee and cooking oil: I have used both which will aid in frying the onions evenly. If you are using meat with enough fat on it, then you can reduce the oil. 
• whole spices: I have used cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cumin seeds, peppercorns and black stone flower (dagad phool). 
• red onion: I have tried this with chopped onion and another time with onion paste and we prefer the salan made using onion paste. 
• ginger garlic paste
• mint leaves
• green chillies
• meat: goat or mutton or lamb or beef can be used and preferably with bone
• spice powders: red chilli powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala. I used Kashmiri red chilli powder for the colour, you may skip it or use paprika instead.
• tomatoes  
• yoghurt 
• water 
• potatoes
• Kasuri methi: the dried fenugreek leaves at the end of cooking takes this stew up a notch!
• coriander leaves
• salt 

Black Stone Flower

I want to highlight this spice which is actually a lichen. It is not the Star Anise that most of you assume when you see it listed in a recipe. There is no substitute for this and if you do not have it, just skip it. But I highly recommend you to use it as it is easily available in India too. Black Stone Flower is called Kalpasi in Tamil, Dagad ka Phool in Hindi and Shaiba in Arabic. In its natural form, it does not have any smell but the only way it can release its aroma and flavour is when it hits the hot oil. Also little goes a long way and it never expires if stored properly. I do have some recipes on the blog that uses black stone flower: 

• Dal Gosht
• Tamil Style Veg Kurma - must try! you will love it! 
• Freekeh Chicken Soup
• Mofatah Al Dajaj

Aloo Gosht made in a pot without using a pressure cooker

How to make aloo gosht in a pressure cooker?

The first few times I made aloo gosht in my usual curry pot because I feared the potatoes would get overcooked easily if I use a pressure cooker and moreover my cooker sometimes acts weird. But I know not many have the luxury of time to pot cook so I tried the pressure cooker method twice and have been successful in making notes to share here. It took me 1 hour and 15 minutes to cook in a saucepot and 50 minutes in the pressure cooker excluding the resting time (the time we let the pressure release). So not much difference there! 😂 I have written the recipe below with details for both the saucepot and pressure cooker method. But please keep in mind the cooking time will defer based on the type of meat you use. 

Let's make aloo gosht! 

As always, keep your ingredients ready before you start the cooking process. That will include, washing and draining the mutton pieces, making onion paste and then the tomato paste. You don't have to wash the mixer jar after making onion paste. Use it to make tomato paste as is. Measure and whisk the yoghurt and keep it aside. Make sure the rest of the ingredients are all ready to use. 

Click here to see step by step pics of making aloo gosht in a saucepot without using a pressure cooker.  

Heat the ghee and oil in a pressure cooker on a low to medium flame. Add all the whole spices and fry for a few seconds.

Add the onion paste and saute for 4 to 5 minutes on medium flame or until lightly golden.

Add the ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and mint leaves and saute for a minute.

Increase the flame to medium to high and add the meat pieces and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce the flame and add all the spice powders and saute for 2 minutes.

Stir in the prepared tomato paste and bring this to boil and cook until oil starts oozing in the sides. 

Stir in the whisked yoghurt and bring this to a boil.

Add salt and water and cover the pressure cooker with its lid and the regulator. Cook on a medium flame for 15 minutes or 4 to 5 whistles and switch off. If using pot, cover and cook for 25 mins or until the meat is cooked through stirring occasionally. 

Open the pressure cooker only after it cools down on its own. Check if the meat is cooked through and cook further if required. But add the potatoes only once you know the meat is cooked through. 

Cut the potatoes into large chunks of even size and add to the cooker along with a little water and pressure cook for 2 whistles or 8 to 10 minutes. 

 
Open the cooker when the pressure settles on its own. 

Switch on the stove on medium flame, adjust the salt, add kasoori methi, garam masala, green chillies and coriander leaves and simmer for a few minutes. Serve aloo gosht hot with rice, ghee rice or chapati. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator and consume within 3 days. I won't recommend freezing this recipe but try to freeze without the potatoes. 

Aloo Gosht Recipe | Potato Mutton Curry Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil 
• 3 cloves
• 2 green cardamom
• 1 black cardamom
• 1inch cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3 to 4 black peppercorns
• 1 piece black stone flower (kalpasi/dagad ka Phool)
• 1 large onion, ground to paste
• 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
• a few mint leaves
• 3 to 4 green chillies, slit
• 500gms mutton or lamb (bone-in), washed and drained 
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 2 large tomatoes, ground to paste 
• 1/2 cup yoghurt, whisked 
• 3/4 cup water or more if you like it thin 
• 1 to 2 large potatoes, peeled 
• 2 teaspoons kasoori methi
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• Fistful coriander leaves, chopped
• 2 to 3 green chillies, slit

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the ghee and oil in a saucepot or pressure cooker on a low to medium flame.
2. Add all the whole spices and fry for a few seconds.
3. Add the onion paste and saute for 4 to 5 minutes on medium flame.
4. Add the ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and mint leaves and saute for a minute.
5. Increase the flame to medium to high and add the mutton pieces and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Reduce the flame and add all the spice powders and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Stir in the prepared tomato paste and bring this to a boil.
8. Stir in the whisked yoghurt and bring this to a boil.
9. Add salt and water and cover the pressure cooker with the regulator or cover the pot with its lid.
10. Cook on a medium flame for 15 minutes or 4 to 5 whistles and switch off. If using pot, cover and cook for 25 mins - stirring occasionally.
11. Open the pressure cooker only after it cools down on its own. 
12. Cut the potatoes into large chunks of even size and add to the pot or cooker along with a little water and pressure cook for 2 whistles or 8 to 10 minutes. If using a pot, it will take 20 mins. 
13. Open the cooker when the pressure settles on its own. 
14. Switch on the stove on medium flame, adjust the salt, add kasoori methi, garam masala, green chillies and coriander leaves and simmer for a few minutes.
15. Serve hot with rice, parathas or rotis!

Note: The cooking time may increase or decrease a little based on the type of meat you use. 

TRIED THIS RECIPE? 

I would love to hear from you. If you have made this recipe then do leave a comment below. If you like this recipe then do share the recipe link on Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Follow me on Instagram and mention @butfirstchaai or tag #butfirstchai so that I can see your creations!