Hector Cooks – Daal Gosht – Slowly

Hector was presented with a slow cooker for xmas. People assure me it will be used often, and the outcomes enjoyed. Time will tell.

Why have I decided to try this approach? It’s all about cooking Lamb. I have been slow roasting Lamb since 1996 when I first encountered Kleftiko at the much missed Athena Taverna (Glasgow). Cooking Lamb in a standard pot takes a lot of work/attention to stop the Masala burning. A pressure cooker was presented a few years back on another festive day, I have posted recipes using this. This means the Meat is cooked separately from the Masala. I have often asked the question in restaurants – how long have the Meat and Masala been in in each others company? I was assured that one can leave a slow cooker unattended for many hours and all will be well.

I came across a recipe for Daal Gosht done in a slow cooker some months back, yes, this has been a long conceived project. The required Chana Dal was duly purchased, the recipe subsequently lost. Having looked at a few more recipes, mostly not employing a slow cooker, two dilemmas were apparent: to soak the Dal or not, to include Tomato, or not. One definition of Chana Dal claimed it to be a pulse which does not require soaking. Why add needless – red– to a Curry? The Dal would be added as it came from the packet, no Tomatoes. A Curry without Tomatoes? Keep tuned for a Chicken Karahi in the near future which has neither Onion or Tomato.

My usual Curry ingredients would be employed, this time I decided to marinade the 0.6kg+ Lamb on-the-bone overnight in Yoghurt and powdered Spices – Cumin, Turmeric, Chilli, Coriander.

Some different ingredients from the usual would be included today: White Wine Vinegar, Star Anise, Butter, and Tamarind Paste. Two grinders full of – Pakistani Rock Salt – have sat in the cupboard for a considerable period of time, another seasonal gift. Let’s see what happens here, if anything.

The Star Anise was broken up in the mortar then fried in the Vegetable Oil and Butter along with Cumin Seeds, Green Cardamom, Cloves and Cinnamon. An Onion, then  finely chopped Ginger and cloves of Garlic were added to the wok. At this point the Meat would normally have been added, not today.

The Chana Dal, some red Lentils, Tamarind, two Green Chillies, Chilli Flakes, Salt and dried Methi were stirred into the Meat-Yoghurt-Spice mix. The Onion-Spice mix was then stirred through this, what a dry mixture this created.

The next step was approaching the incongruous. Hector cannot permit himself to make a – wet – Curry, it goes against all that is desired. In went a pint of Water. Behold the makings of – Shorva.

Six to eight hours of cooking? After four hours I tasted the Shorva, Methi in Water – yeuch. Three hours later I added some chopped, and decidedly tired, Coriander then Garam Masala, and of course, more Rock Salt.

I had suggested to Marg that I go out and purchase some Chapattis, she was happy to have Rice.

The aroma in the kitchen, for once, heralded a positive exclamation from Marg:

That’s a lovely Curry smell.

Indeed, the Spice was accompanied by a significant sense of Lamb cooking.

The appearance of this creation was nothing like that which was expected, this sadly was – Soup. Turn up to high for ten minutes with the lid off – was the given instruction for the slow cooker. Ten hours maybe.

The contents were poured into the wok, ten minutes of intense reduction and here was something which was presentable. I had hoped for a more – Porridge – like consistency, yet many online photos show discrete Dal, not a Mash. Fresh Coriander provided the foliage.

Daal Gosht

I had checked that the Chana Dal was soft enough to eat, yet it somehow had still retained the need to be bitten into, chewed. The Lamb was super-Tender and fell off the bone when tackled. Disappointingly, the Lamb’s Flavour had not been enhanced to the level which was expected given the manner of cooking. Tasty, but it could have been more.

The Seasoning was maybe a tad below the Hector optimum, the Spice was certainly at a level of comfort. Having served a full on Spicy & Seasoned Soup on xmas day, and thereafter, Marg deserved a break.

I have admitted in many a Blog posting that my Curry goes through sequences of Flavours, phases where they taste pretty much the same. Today’s was radically different in terms of Flavour, Texture and for once, it had been – wet. Mission accomplished, more or less.

My audience of one said this:

One of the best home-made Curries produced in Clydebank. Tender Lamb, with crunchy Dal, gave the meal a variety of textures, and combined well with the Rice. A happy Margery.

Crunchy? Ah, well, that’s what the lady said. Most importantly, Marg enjoyed it. Next time, the Chana Dal gets soaked overnight with a higher ratio of Red Lentils. Alternatively, I could make a Tarka Daal first then add it, but that would defeat the point of the slow cooker. The required intensity of Flavour may be achieved by  leaving the Wet Curry overnight. 

I believe Marg will be happy if Daal Gosht makes another appearance in the New Year.