For those expecting Butter Chicken, get real, Karahi Gosht trumps all! Watching Parveen’s Sunday morning TV programme has made Hector determined to make Bread. Chapattis were tried years ago, yeuch! Parveen showed how to make a Stuffed Paratha, however, this was far from the style Hector seeks. Cue a YouTube site which revealed all. Meanwhile someone on a Social Medium posted a link to a radically different approach to creating an authentic looking Karahi Gosht. Such were the time-outs in preparation both could, in effect, be prepared simultaneously, but it did make for a very busy afternoon.
Whilst I appreciate people’s efforts in posting videos, I still prefer to see a Recipe as a list with clear instructions which can be referred to with ease.
Mughlai Karahi Gosht
Ingredients – Part 1:
1 kg Lamb on-the-bone
1 dessert spoon Ginger Paste
1 dessert spoon Garlic Paste
2 tsp Salt
The Salt, Ginger and Garlic Pastes were stirred into the Lamb and left to marinade overnight.
I have tried a similar approach but have added Yoghurt at this stage. So when does the yoghurt go in, and how much?
Ingredients – Part 2:
4 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 tin Tomatoes or 500g fresh, sliced
Onion by weight to match Tomatoes, thinly sliced
1.5 tsp Chilli
2 tsp Salt
This is appreciably less Oil than appears in Hector’s Recipes.
The Oil was heated the Lamb added and partly browned. A Restaurateur in Glasgow told me once that in Punjabi Cuisine the Meat is not browned, so a different start.
For a change I used Fresh Tomatoes and was amazed at how much liquid there was in the pot. Finely chopped Onions is what I was taught, large slices was another departure from the norm. I used a Red Onion as two White Onions would have spoiled the balance of Tomato and Onion.
On a low gas, the mixture was covered and cooked for thirty minutes. At the halfway mark the now Mash was stirred. It was beginning to look like – Curry – but was still wetter than anything I would normally prepare. I turned off the heat whilst I attended to the Bread, I wanted the Mash to cool a bit before adding the Yoghurt else it may curdle.
Ingredients – Part 3:
2 tbsp Greek Yoghurt
2 tsp Coriander
0.5 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Cumin Seeds – crushed
0.75 tsp coarse Black Pepper
0.25 tsp Garam Masala
2 Green Chillies – slit lengthwise
3 cm Ginger Strips
2 tbsp Chopped Fresh Coriander
It was Yoghurt time. The Coriander, Turmeric, Cumin Seeds and Black Pepper were stirred into the Yoghurt. The Quantities of each of these I regard as quite minimal, only two Chillies also, this was never going to be a Karahi Gosht that would blow one’s head off. I had a very Creamy looking Wet Curry.
Forty five minutes more cooking followed with the lid of the pot half on. This reduced the liquid and allowed the Lamb to cook properly. I have seen too many TV shows etc. where it is suggested that Lamb can be cooked in just over half an hour, it cannot. I had also left the Lamb as it was cut at KRK, normally I would halve each piece. This was another test for this Recipe.
After forty five minutes the Masala was suitably reduced, time to stir in the chopped Coriander Leaves. All things being equal, the Mughlai Karahi Gosht was ready to serve, but Hector was still busy on the other side of the cooker.
For the Garnish:
2 tbsp Coriander Leaves – chopped
Ginger Strips
Sliced Large Green Chillies
The result was a suitably Dry Karahi. I took a Soupçon: with fewer Ingredients both in terms of Quantity and Range this was surprisingly full of Flavour. The Kick was no more than Moderate, as expected.
Paratha
Bread has made very few appearances in Hector’s Home Cooking. Shop bought Bread tends to disappoint, ASDA’s Garlic and Tomato Flatbread being the exception. A Restaurateur suggested to Hector recently that when Restaurant Bread disappoints it is often down to the fact that it has been bought in the local supermarket.
Parveen showed how easy it was to make a Chapatti, Dr. Alasdair gave Hector a Chapatti Recipe on a visit to Carnoustie. Hector make Bread, aye right. At the start of the week Hector had planned Chapattis, Wholemeal Chapatti Flour was purchased. A Tawa Pan was ordered online, instead a huge Stockpot arrived. Can I keep it? When Paratha became fixed in the mind so White Chapatti Flour was sought, only Medium Chapatti Flour was sourced.
A Paratha should be Light, Soft, Layered, Flaky and preferably show signs of – The Swirl. How the latter is achieved has remained a mystery until this week. Hector now knows, the challenge was to achieve it. At the outset there was a single thought that prevailed, if successful, just how intolerant, nay insufferable is Hector going to be in Restaurants which serve up anything less?
Ingredients:
3 cups Flour
2 tsp Salt
1 Egg
Water (who knows how much?)
Ghee
One has to mix the Ingredients then – knead. We have all seen it done. Somehow a Chef/Baker is able to transform these simple, inexpensive Ingredients, into Dough. I went from too dry a mixture with everything sticking to everything else, to visibly too much Water. More Flour on the worktop, Doh! It worked, however, the Flour at this point revealed its Wholemeal properties. Hector had his heart set on the White Paratha.
Leave covered with cling film for 30 minutes – said the Video Source. This gave time to return the attention to the Masala.
When the Dough was removed from the fridge it had much more cohesion and was pliable. Things were looking good. The Dough was cut into four balls, too large, five was better.
How does one use a rolling pin to make a – Round? I tried Parveen’s – Chapatti Clap – to make the Dough stretch in my hands, this had moderate success. The results were somewhere between Round, Rectangular and Random. Hector was undaunted.
The Swirl, this has puzzled for years. The best Paratha shows a spiral as well as the Layering etc. A layer of Ghee was spread across the rolled out Dough, and a sprinkling of the Flour added also. The next part is genius.
A radius was cut to the centre of each – Round. Working anticlockwise, the Dough was folded in about 1cm sectors, over and over, all the way around. On picking it up, there was the conception of – The Swirl. As best I could, the edges were pulled apart to create a sort of – Rose Petal – effect. At this point I felt there was far too much Ghee. The 
elongated mass of Dough was plonked on the worktop Ghee-side down. The top was then pressed down to permit the formation of another Dough-ball. The task became easier each time, perhaps even more time in the fridge would have helped, or was it the Dough returning to room temperature? Five were created, 
covered in cling-film, and once again placed in the fridge, this time for fifteen minutes.
I expected to make two Parathas, three at most, the extra Dough could then have been frozen. Not knowing how well the next part would go I decided to keep everything out.
Daal Makhani
Having stuck rigorously, well nearly, to the Recipe for the Karahi Gosht, this would only provide Meat and Masala. The packet of Daal Makhani has been in the cupboard for too long, this may well have turned out to be the only edible part of tonight’s meal.
Five minutes, boil in the bag, Simples.
*
Paratha – The Cooking
Two Dough-balls were rolled out to create as near a – Round – as Hector was ever going to get. The frying pan was heated to a medium heat. Who has my Tawa?
The Dough was placed in the dry frying pan, a layer of Ghee was spread over the over top side, then immediately turned, again the top was covered in Ghee. There was plenty of Ghee in the frying pan, large blisters grew in the Dough, was this the revelation of layering? There was no sign of – The Swirl – when I initially placed the Dough in the frying pan. Behold, there was most certainly signs of – Curves – emerging on the surface of the almost-Paratha. I turned it over and over again, when the Bread became Brown on both sides, I removed it from the frying pan.
I had a Paratha, it was decidedly greasy, cue the kitchen towel.
A second was made in the now very Buttery frying pan. Serve, eat immediately.
Had I chosen to precook them, I could have dried them off, reheated later in the dry pan then add some normal Butter, placed centrally, at the time of serving to reintroduce the glistening.
The Bill
A bag of Flour cost £1.99. From this I could have made more than fifty Parathas. OK, there’s the Eggs and the Ghee, but Paratha still only cost pennies to make. We are being ripped off in Restaurants.
Friday Night Curry
For most, the working week was over, not Marg. The alarm will ring at 05.50 tomorrow, Marg will be off to inspect the playing fields.
Mughlai Karahi Gosht, Daal Makhani and Paratha
The Karahi Gosht had become even drier in the couple of hours it had sat in the pot. The Masala was as Thick as I desire. The Spice Level was well within acceptable parameters, the extra slices of Chillies were required, for Hector. Two features of the Flavour astonished. I know how much Salt went in, four teaspoons, this was a Well Seasoned Curry, ah, the Bread was helping too. Citrus, from where was this coming? No Lemon Juice or Tamarind had been added as I normally would, this was quite remarkable. Hector was happy with the simplicity of Flavours. Marg would deliver her verdict later.
The Paratha had dried quite a bit by the time it reached the table. It was Soft, Layered, Flaky, very Flaky, and showing a sense of something – Curved – in places. The edges felt a bit Crispy initially, again this subsided. Hector rarely eats a whole Paratha, Marg and Hector both ate a Paratha each. Success? Absolutely!
Next time, slightly less Salt, much less Ghee, and further research this evening suggests that Plain Flour may achieve the White Paratha I seek.
Henceforth there shall be Bread served with Curry at Hector’s House. Marg may well prefer a Chapatti as his her wont. Simples, in comparison, and a good way to use up the Wholemeal Chapatti Flour.
The Daal Makhani added the required Diversity, Marg didn’t take much of it, she was too busy devouring the Karahi Gosht. I am tempted to try making a Daal for the first time also, Parveen has much to answer for, though nothing prepared today was hers.
Usually Marg complains about the Spice Level as soon as she starts to eat any Curry, not tonight. Also, I managed to give her only a couple of Bones.
Marg’s verdict:
Minimal sauce, just as Hector likes it. Tender meat, strong flavours with a good kick of Ginger and Coriander. The home-made Paratha was a lovely bonus, and the Daal added a different flavour to the sauce. A great treat for a Friday. Too much washing up.
Marg should have been in the kitchen around 16.00.
The Aftermath
It is time to reveal the Source of today’s creations:
Mughlai Karahi Gosht
Thank you, Maunika Gowardhan
Paratha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8BSGywfRMs
Maybe Butter Chicken next time.