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Mutton karahi is a Pakistani curry of tender meat coated in a thick tomato masala. The tomatoes cook down until they cling to each piece, while green chillies and thin strips of fresh ginger give the dish a sharp, fragrant finish. Serve it hot in the centre of the table with naan or roti to scoop up the sauce.
This version uses goat shoulder and serves four with bread and sides. The meat simmers gently until tender before the tomatoes go in. That leaves you free to turn up the heat at the end and concentrate the sauce without having to wait for the meat to soften.
What Is Mutton Karahi?
The dish takes its name from the karahi, a deep, rounded pan with sloping sides. Its wide opening lets steam escape as the tomatoes cook down. A heavy sauté pan or a wide, flat based wok with a lid works well on a home hob. You’ll need the lid for the slow simmer and an uncovered pan for the final reduction.
You may also see the dish called karahi gosht. At Pakistani butchers, mutton may mean goat, while in UK supermarkets it usually means mature sheep. Ask which meat you’re buying, as the cooking time can differ. This recipe uses goat shoulder cut through the bone; lamb shoulder is an easier substitute to find in some shops.
Ingredients and Taste
Ripe tomatoes give the masala its body. Their acidity balances the richness of the shoulder, and as their juices evaporate, the softened flesh settles into the gaps around each piece of meat. This version leaves out onion and yoghurt so the tomato, meat juices and ginger remain distinct.
Ginger does two jobs. The crushed ginger cooks with the garlic and softens into the sauce, while the fine strips scattered over the finished dish keep their bite. Kashmiri chilli powder adds colour and gentle warmth. The slit green chillies go in towards the end so their fresh flavour still comes through.
Lightly toasted coriander and cumin give the masala an earthy base. Coarsely ground black pepper adds a drier heat that lingers after the green chilli. Choose shoulder pieces with a good amount of meat on each bone so the portions are easier to share and the pieces cook at a similar rate.
A Taste of History
Karahi gosht is associated with the cooking of northwestern Pakistan, where versions such as Shinwari mutton karahi show how much flavour can come from meat, tomatoes, garlic, pepper and green chillies. The regional connection is clearer than the dish’s exact birthplace.
Pakistani cooks season karahi in different ways. Some use a short list built around black pepper and fresh aromatics, while others add crushed spices or yoghurt. This version sits on the tomato focused side, with cumin, coriander and Kashmiri chilli supporting the meat rather than dominating the sauce.
How to Make Pakistani Mutton Karahi
Brown the goat first, then let it simmer gently until a fork slides into a thick piece with little resistance. Add the tomatoes once the meat is tender and finish uncovered so the masala thickens around the pieces. See the recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient quantities and printable cooking instructions.
Ingredients
You’ll need goat shoulder cut through the bone, vegetable oil or ghee, fresh ginger, garlic, ripe tomatoes, fine sea salt, Kashmiri chilli powder, coarsely ground black pepper, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and green chillies. Have hot water ready for simmering, and set aside fresh coriander and fine strips of ginger to finish.
Step 1: Brown the Mutton
Pat the meat dry and heat the oil or ghee in a wide, heavy pan. Brown the pieces in batches, turning them to colour several sides. Set each batch aside as it browns so there’s room for the next.
Step 2: Add the Ginger, Garlic and Spices
Return the meat to the pan and lower the heat. Stir in the crushed ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add the salt, Kashmiri chilli powder and toasted, crushed spices, then pour in the hot water promptly so the spices don’t catch. Scrape up the browned bits from the base.
Step 3: Simmer Until Tender
Cover and simmer gently, turning the pieces occasionally. Add a splash of hot water if the base is drying out. Check a thick piece with a fork. If it still feels firm around the bone, cover the pan and give it longer before adding the tomatoes.
Step 4: Soften the Tomatoes
Uncover the pan. If the meat is sitting in a deep pool of liquid, let it bubble down to a shallow layer. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook uncovered, pressing them against the side of the pan as they soften.
Step 5: Reduce the Masala
Keep cooking uncovered and stir more often as the tomatoes thicken. Add the green chillies and some of the fresh coriander near the end. The masala is ready when it coats the meat and a spoon drawn across the bottom briefly leaves a clear trail.
Step 6: Garnish and Serve
Taste for salt, turn off the heat and scatter over the remaining coriander and fresh ginger strips. Serve hot with naan or roti. For a quicker dish with a similar tomato and ginger base, try Chicken Karahi.
Variations and Substitutions
Lamb shoulder: Use the same weight of lamb shoulder cut through the bone. Check it earlier than the goat and add the tomatoes as soon as the meat is tender.
Tinned tomatoes: If fresh tomatoes are pale and firm, use whole tinned plum tomatoes. Drain them before weighing for the recipe and crush them in the pan. They give a smoother sauce with fewer pieces of tomato skin.
Milder karahi: Use fewer green chillies or leave them whole instead of slitting them. If you can’t find Kashmiri chilli powder, use sweet paprika with a small pinch of cayenne.
Cooking Tips for Mutton Karahi
If the meat is tough and the pan is dry, add hot water, cover and keep simmering gently. Save the stronger heat for the tomatoes. Meat from an older goat can take longer, even if the pieces look the same size.
If the meat is tender but the masala is loose, reduce it uncovered. If the pieces start to break apart as you stir, lift them out temporarily, reduce the sauce on its own, then return the meat to coat and heat through.
If the masala starts to catch, turn the heat down and scrape the base gently. A little oil at the edges is normal, but you don’t need to keep frying just to make more oil separate. Stop when the sauce clings to the meat.
How to Store and Reheat Mutton Karahi
Storing
Divide leftovers into shallow containers so they cool quickly. Cover and refrigerate within two hours of cooking. Eat within 48 hours or freeze.
Freezing and Defrosting
Freeze cooled portions with their masala. Defrost fully in the fridge and use within 24 hours of thawing. Add fresh ginger and coriander after reheating if you have some left.
Reheating
Reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout. On the hob, warm the curry in a covered pan, turning the larger pieces and adding a splash of water if the masala is too thick. In the microwave, use a loosely covered microwave safe dish and stir and turn the meat between intervals.
Pakistani Mutton Karahi (Tomato Mutton Curry)
Ingredients
For the karahi
- 800 g goat shoulder cut through the bone into pieces about 4 to 5 cm across
- 60 ml neutral vegetable oil or melted ghee
- 25 g fresh ginger finely crushed or grated
- 8 medium garlic cloves finely crushed
- 8 g fine sea salt plus more to taste if needed
- 1½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 250 ml hot water plus more as needed
- 600 g ripe plum tomatoes roughly chopped
- 4 green chillies slit lengthways
To finish
- 15 g fresh coriander roughly chopped and divided
- 15 g fresh ginger cut into fine matchsticks
Instructions
- Dry toast the coriander and cumin seeds over medium heat for about 1 minute, shaking the pan until fragrant. Tip them out and crush coarsely. Pat the goat dry. Heat the oil or ghee in the karahi over medium high heat and brown the goat in two batches, about 5 minutes per batch, turning to colour several sides. Set each batch aside as it browns.
- Return the meat and any collected juices to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the crushed ginger and garlic for 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in the salt, Kashmiri chilli powder, black pepper, crushed coriander and cumin. Immediately add the 250 ml hot water and scrape up the browned bits.
- Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook over low heat. Start checking at 75 minutes and allow roughly 90 to 120 minutes for the goat, sometimes longer. Turn the pieces occasionally. If the base starts to dry out, add hot water in 50 ml increments. Move on once the meat is cooked through and a fork enters a thick piece easily.
- Remove the lid. If a deep pool of cooking liquid remains, bubble it down to a shallow layer. Add the tomatoes and cook uncovered over medium high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring and pressing them against the pan as they soften.
- Continue cooking uncovered for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently as the sauce thickens. Add the slit chillies and half the chopped fresh coriander for the final 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat if the base catches. Stop when the sauce clings to the pieces and leaves little loose liquid in the pan.
- Taste and adjust the salt. Turn off the heat and scatter over the remaining coriander and the ginger matchsticks. Serve hot with naan or roti.
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