Dabba Gosht

Lamb morsels in a pale, spicy gravy

• CuisineIndian
• CategoryLamb
• CourseMains

Ingredients

• 1 kgLamb or Goat meat
• ½ tspTurmeric
• 1 tspCumin powder
• 1 tspGaram masala
• 1 tspWhite pepper powder
• 1 tbspGinger, minced
• 1 tbspGarlic, minced
• 2 tbspYoghurt
• 40 gmsRaw cashews
• 2 tbspGhee
• 1 tspGarlic, finely chopped
• 1 tspGinger, finely chopped
• 2 tspPlain flour (maida)
• 1 cupMilk
• 4 tbspGrated parmesan cheese
• 6Eggs
•  Oil
•  Salt

Preparation

1. Cut the meat into bite sized morsels
2. Add turmeric, cumin powder, garam masala, white pepper powder, minced ginger and garlic, salt and youghurt and marinate for 1 hour
3. Soak raw cashews in hot for 1 hour
4. Boil 3 of the eggs
5. Add very little or no water and cook in a pressure cooker for 12 minutes
6. Remove the cooked meat and filter the stock
7. Grind soaked cashews and green chillies into a fine paste
8. In a pan, heat the ghee
9. Add chopped garlic and ginger and gently fry till soft but not brown
10. Add the plain flour and mix
11. Add a little milk at a time and stir till all the milk has been added
12. Add cashew and chilli paste and fry
13. Add the grated parmesan and mix till fully incorporated
14. Add filtered stock and stir till smooth
15. Thicken gravy by gently simmering
16. Add cooked meat and gently stir till the gravy coats the meat
17. Quarter the boiled eggs and mix
18. Take pan off the heat and flatten the top
19. Beat the remaining three eggs and gently pour on top so that it makes a thin layer covering everything
20. Put under the grill for 4 minutes
21. Spray some oil on top and grill for another 4 minutes

If this recipe looks very unusual compared to the usual Indian dishes, it is. It is pale in colour and uses ingredients like cheese. It is a traditional Bohri muslim dish and there are many different ways of making it. I have tried to make it as similar to the Dabba Gosht you get in the restaurants of Mumbai. Normally, it is a dry dish but I have increased the quantity of gravy in this version. I have omitted the sliced tomato that goes on top as I do not remember seeing it. Some recipes call for macaroni but I have omitted it as, again that is not what I have eaten and the thought of macaroni in a curry does not bear thinking. I did add the cheese, opting for grated parmesan.

The gravy has to be pale in colour. This means filtering the meat stock to remove any brown sediment before adding it. I also used white pepper powder rather than black. The meat is cooked separately and then added. Once you add the meat, keep stirring to a minimum so as not to shred the cooked meat and discolour the gravy. I used goat meat but you can do the same using lamb. For all its benign colour, the gravy is not exactly bland and you can amp up the heat by adding more white pepper powder.

Traditionally, the raw egg is spread on top and then 'cooked' by spooning boiling ghee on top repeatedly and then spooning the excess off. I have opted for a healthier option of grilling it and spraying a bit of oil to give it the right fried feel. Another simple and healthy option would be to make a thin omelette and drape it on top.

Among the various western ingredients is the use of white sauce. Making this is easy with a bit of care. After you have added the flour, mix it thoroughly under medium heat till it completely incorporates the ghee, ginger and garlic. Keep stirring it for a few minutes to let the flour cook. Add the milk, a few tablespoons at a time, waiting till it is smooth with no lumps before adding some more. It takes a bit of patience but you should end up with a white sauce with no lumps. It takes a surprisingly small amount of flour to thicken the milk. If it ends up a little thick, add a little more milk to get the sauce to the right consistency.