Growing up in Pakistan I used to savor a wide range of homemade ‘karahi’ dishes and their variants, prepared with strong flavors derived from traditional Pakistani spices, as well as with sautéed vegetables and different types of meat, and served with boiled rice or ‘roti’. These are incredibly popular and rich dishes, found on menus across the land.
The desi variants include chicken and mutton ‘karahi’, ‘nihari’, ‘korma’, ‘chingri malai’, butter chicken, and more.
As we’re approaching the Eid ul Adha festival, I wanted to share my original mutton chops ‘karahi’ recipe prepared with a combination of mutton chops, liver, and kidney. Here is the recipe for everyone to enjoy on the occasion of Eid.
Ingredients:
- 6-8 baby goat chops
- 2 cups (1 pound) goat liver, cut into pieces
- 1 cup (1/2 pound) goat kidney, cut into pieces
- 2 cups fresh ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf, 2 black cardamoms, 2 whole chili flakes, and 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon mace powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh coriander, plus more for garnishing, chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, plus more for garnishing, chopped
- 4-5 green chili (small size), cut into diagonally
- Lime wedges
- 2-3 tablespoons cooking oil
- Salt according to taste
Preparing the red pepper relish:
- 1 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
- 1 roasted red onion (medium size), chopped
- 4-5 fresh cloves of garlic
- 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped
- 4-5 fresh Thai red chili (or Kashmiri whole chillies)
Method:
Heat a large saucepan, add mutton chops, kidney, and liver, as well as bay leaf, black cardamom, mace, whole chili flakes, cinnamon stick, and 2 cups of water. Bring the mixture to boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook until the meat gets tender and some broth is left. Using the strainer, discard the dried ingredients and set aside the meat.
In a food processor, add roasted red peppers, roasted onion, garlic, ginger, and Thai red chili to make a smooth sauce. Set aside.
Heat oil in a heavy wok over medium heat. Add caraway seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, and two tablespoons of the red pepper relish, and rapidly stir until it is fragrant. Combine meat, tomatoes, and salt, reduce heat, and cook for about 10-15 minutes until all the flavors are infused, tomatoes are fully mashed, and the oil has separated. Add green chili, coriander, and mint, and let it simmer for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and season with black pepper and salt. Serve with lime wedges and ‘naan’ or ‘chapatti’.