# Pakistani Aloo Gosht, Meat and Potato Curry

> The **bhuna** technique is the foundation of Pakistani curry: onion, tomato and spices are stirred over medium heat until **the oil separates and rises to the surface** — that step cooks the spices through and removes their raw taste. Before it, the curry tastes earthy.

**Pakistani Cuisine · 105 min · 5 servings · 440 kcal per serving**

Aloo gosht is an everyday Pakistani home dish: meat and potatoes in a spiced gravy. Simple, cheap and filling, eaten with rice or naan. What lifts it from ordinary to excellent is one step called bhuna.

## Ingredients


### Base
- 700 g — bone-in lamb or beef, cubed
- 500 g — potatoes, in large pieces
- 2 حبات — onions, sliced
- 3 حبات — tomatoes, grated
- 0.5 cup — oil

### Spices
- 2 tbsp — garlic and ginger paste
- 1 tbsp — ground coriander
- 1 tsp — cumin
- 1 tsp — Kashmiri chilli
- 0.5 tsp — turmeric
- 1 tsp — garam masala
- 1.5 tsp — salt
- 4 حبات — cardamom pods
- 1 stick — cinnamon

### To serve
- 0.25 cup — fresh coriander
- 1 piece — ginger, sliced

## Method

1. **Brown the onion** — Fry the onion in the oil over medium heat for **12 minutes** until deep golden. This is the base of the curry's colour and flavour.
2. **The meat** — Add the garlic-ginger paste for two minutes, then the meat and brown it over high heat for 6 minutes.
3. **Spices and tomato** — Add all the ground spices, the cardamom, cinnamon, salt and grated tomato, and stir.
4. **The bhuna — the critical step** — Stir over medium heat for **10 to 12 minutes** until **the oil separates and rises to the surface**. If the mixture dries out before that, sprinkle in two spoonfuls of water and carry on.
5. **Simmer** — Add 3 cups of hot water, cover, and simmer gently for **an hour** until the meat is tender.
6. **The potatoes** — Add the potatoes and give them 20 minutes until cooked and the gravy has thickened.
7. **Serve** — Scatter the garam masala, fresh coriander and sliced ginger, and serve with rice or naan.

## Tips

- The bhuna (until the oil rises) is the difference between a good curry and one that tastes earthy.
- If the mixture dries out during the bhuna, sprinkle in a little water and continue — do not add the full quantity early.
- Bone-in meat gives a far richer gravy.
- Garam masala only at the end — its aroma is lost if it cooks.

## FAQ

### What is bhuna?
The technique of stirring spices and tomato in oil until the oil separates and floats. That is the sign the spices have cooked and their raw taste is gone — and it is the single most important technique in subcontinental curry.

### Can I use a pressure cooker?
Yes — do the bhuna as normal, then pressure cook 25 minutes for the meat, add the potatoes and pressure cook 5 minutes more.

### What is Kashmiri chilli?
A red chilli with intense colour and mild heat, used mainly for colour. Substitute: sweet paprika plus a quarter teaspoon of ordinary chilli.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/pakistani-cuisine/pakistani-aloo-gosht-meat-and-potato-curry
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-09-14