The DailyWhisk

Aloo Gosht

Aloo gosht curry with tender beef and potatoes in a bowl with coriander
Aloo Gosht — photographed fresh from our test kitchen.
  • Prep time15 mins
  • Cook time1 hr 10 mins
  • Servings5
  • DifficultyEasy
  • CategoryDesi

Aloo gosht is the curry of family dinners: meat simmered until tender in a thin, soppable gravy (shorba), with potatoes added late so they hold their shape and drink up flavor. It is deliberately not thick — the gravy is meant for scooping with roti, not clinging to rice. Every household has its own ratio; this one leans classic with a whole-spice base and a fresh coriander finish.

Ingredients

  • 700 g (1.5 lb) beef or mutton, bone-in pieces
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) oil
  • 2 large onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 3 tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 4 green cardamom pods, 4 cloves, 1 bay leaf, 1-inch cinnamon stick
  • 4 cups (950 ml) hot water
  • 3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 3 green chilies
  • 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
  • 1 tsp garam masala

Method

  1. Heat the oil and fry the onions with the whole spices and cumin seeds until deep golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
  2. Add the ginger-garlic paste, cook 2 minutes, then add the meat. Brown well on all sides.
  3. Add the tomatoes, coriander powder, chili powder, turmeric and salt. Cook on medium heat until the tomatoes melt and the oil separates, about 12 minutes.
  4. Pour in the hot water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 45 minutes, until the meat is nearly tender.
  5. Add the potatoes and green chilies. Simmer 20 to 25 minutes more, until the potatoes are cooked through but intact and the meat is fully tender.
  6. Stir in the garam masala and fresh coriander. Rest 10 minutes and serve with roti or rice.

Tips for success

  • Quarter the potatoes large — small pieces dissolve and turn the shorba starchy.
  • Bone-in meat gives the thin gravy its body; boneless needs longer simmering to compensate.
  • If the gravy gets too thick, thin with hot water, never cold — cold water dulls the flavor.

Watch video tutorial

Prefer to watch it being made? This from Rutba Khan Kitchen walkthrough covers the same aloo gosht step by step — the spoken narration doubles as an audio tutorial.

Watch on YouTube