Khoja Aab gosht

I grew up enjoying this dish prepared by my grandmother and then my mother. It was a dish cooked on special occasions, and you will see why below, and one the family always looked forward to. The lovely, creamy curry, with chunks of meat, potatoes, shallots, and fresh tomatoes, was greedily sopped up with naan or sheermal until we were stuffed. 

This dish has a history and a long journey, with the original recipe adapted along the way. The origins of this dish are thought to be in the Uzbek-Iranian region of the world, where meat, milk, and lentils were plentiful. It arrived in the Northern states of India, Kashmir and Pakistan, where spices and chillies were added. It travelled south into India, most probably with the Mughal and Nawabi kitchens, to their palaces across India, and took on further adaptations along the way based on the availability of ingredients and local palates. However, the core of the dish remains intact; it is a royal dish packed with flavours and fit for any celebration. 

The Khoja community is a sect of Shiite Muslims of the Nizari Isma'illi people originating in Gujarat, India. They converted to Islam from the Hindu Baniya community under the tutelage of Islamic pirs, or priests from Persia. The term Khoja " is derived from the word "Khwaja", which is an honorific title. Today, the Khojas are spread across many parts of India, including Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan, as well as internationally in East Africa, North America, Europe and Pakistan.

This dish is packed with subtle flavours. The meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and infused with green chilli and cilantro. The curry is loaded with soft potatoes and shallots, and bright cherry tomatoes. This curry is no longer cooked in milk; coconut milk is substituted, which, along with the puréed lentils, gives the sauce a silky creaminess. The spices are a combination of delicate Mughal spices, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and more, that are accentu For more recipes from Zafar, click here.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup split chana dal, soaked in water overnight

4 cups water

Salt, to taste

8-10 green chillies, or to taste

1 generous handful of cilantro leaves and tender stems

3-4 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons oil

2 1-inch pieces of cinnamon sticks

5-6 whole cloves

5-6 green cardamom pods

12-15 black peppercorns

10-12 curry leaves

1 large onion, finely diced

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons of ginger paste

1 lb mutton with bone

3 cups of water or meat stock

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

Salt, to taste

2 potatoes, peeled and chunked

20 shallots, peeled and left whole

15 cherry tomatoes

Cilantro, minced, for garnish

Method:

Rinse the split chickpeas and bring to a boil in salted water until cooked through but still retain a bite, about 25-30 minutes. Drain the chickpeas, saving the cooking liquids. Take 1/3 of the chickpeas and purée to a smooth paste with some of the cooking liquids. Set the purée, cooked chickpeas and remaining cooking liquids aside. 

Grind the green chillies and the cilantro to a smooth paste with just enough water. Set aside. 

Heat the oil in a large pot, then add the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, and peppercorns, and fry for 30 seconds, until the cardamom pods turn a light golden. Add the curry leaves and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the onions, reduce the heat to low, and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent. 

Add the ginger and garlic, and cook until the ginger no longer smells raw, about 30 seconds. Add the meat and mix with the spices. Cook until the meat is sealed on all sides, tossing the pieces frequently. Be careful not to cook on high heat and colour the onions. 

Add the green chilli-cilantro paste and cook on medium for an additional 8-10 minutes, until all the water evaporates and the green paste is well-fried and very aromatic. 

Add 3 cups of water (or stock if you have it), the coconut milk, and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer with the lid tightly sealed for 90 minutes, until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone. Add the potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the shallots, cooked chickpeas, chickpea paste, and chickpea cooking water, and shallots in and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust. 

Serve hot, garnished with cherry tomatoes and cilantro, with rice and a leavened bread like sheermal or other.