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Karahi

Pakistani Dinner Featured

Authentic Mutton Karahi

Bone-in mutton cooked in rendered animal fats and vegetable moisture, stabilized through concentrated tomato reduction and finished with heavy julienned ginger.

Level Medium Prep 15 min Cook 40 min Servings 4 Score 9.9/10

Ready in

55 min

Makes 4 servings

Prep 15m

Cook 40m

Level Medium

About this recipe

Bone-in mutton cooked in rendered animal fats and vegetable moisture, stabilized through concentrated tomato reduction and finished with heavy julienned ginger.

Bina piyaz aur bina dher saare masalon ke banne wali asli Peshawari style Mutton Karahi. Isme mutton ko tamatar, adrak, namak aur dher sari hari mirchon ke sath lohay ki karahi me tezz aanch par bhuna jata hai, jo isay behtareen roasted flavor deta hai.

Ingredients

Servings

Units

The Meat & Base

1 kg Mutton (Goat or Lamb) (Small bone-in pieces (karahi cut); mix of chops, shoulder, and some natural fat (charbi) for authentic taste)
0.5 cup Cooking Oil or Ghee (Peshawari karahi is traditionally cooked in abundant oil/fat and excess is drained later)

The Tomato Gravy

6-7 medium Ripe Red Tomatoes (Cut into halves; they form the entire body of the gravy as no onions are used)

Aromatics & Finishing

2 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste (Freshly crushed is highly recommended for aroma)
6-8 pieces Green Chilies (Hari Mirch) (Slit vertically; this is the primary heat source of the dish)
1.5 tsp Salt & Coarsely Crushed Black Pepper (Freshly crushed black pepper added at the very end prevents the gravy from turning dark)
2 inch Fresh Ginger (Adrak) (Cut into thin juliennes for beautiful garnish and bite)

Equipment

Traditional Lohay Ki Karahi (Iron Wok) and Flat Spatula Lohay ki karahi high temperature heat ko distribute karti hai aur meat ko woh signature smoky roasted dhabba touch deti hai jo non-stick pans me mumkin nahi.

Instructions

Lohay ki karahi me oil/ghee garam karein. Mutton pieces aur namak shamil karein. High heat par 8-10 minute tak bhunein jab tak mutton ka rang bilkul badal jaye aur pani khushk ho kar meat par ek sunhera crust ban jaye.
10 min
Ginger-garlic paste shamil karein aur 2 minute mazeed bhunein. Phir 1 cup pani dal kar halki aanch par dhak kar 20-25 minute ke liye pakaein jab tak mutton lagbhag 80% tak narm (tender) ho jaye.
20 min
Tamatar ko darmiyan se do hisson me kaat kar mutton ke upar ulta (skin-side up) set kar dein. Dhak kar low flame par 5 minute pakaein taake tamatar ki bhaap se unka chilka narm ho jaye.
5 min
Chimtay (tongs) ki madad se tamatar ke narm chilkay (skins) ko utaar kar alag kar lein. Ab chammach ki madad se tamatar ko mash karein aur mutton ke sath tezi se mix karein.
3 min
Aanch ko bilkul tezz karein. Slit ki hui hari mirch shamil karein. Tamatar ka pani khushk hone tak aur ghee gravy se alag hone tak continuous chammach chalate hue bhunai karein. Yahi step asli karahi ka roasted flavor nikalta hai.
5 min
Aakhir me choola bilkul halka karein, upar se moti kuti hui kali mirch (black pepper) aur barik kata adrak shamil karein. 1 minute ke liye mix karein aur dhak kar choola band kar dein. Garam Roghni Naan ke sath serve karein.
2 min

Nutrition

Calories 480

Protein 38g

Carbs 6g

Fat 34g

Fiber 1g

Sugar 3g

Sodium 680mg

Serving Size 1 plate of karahi with meat pieces

Cooking Timeline

Prep 15 min

Cook 40 min

Total 55 min

Recipe Scorecard

Overall 9.9 /10

Expert 9.9 95% conf.

Taste 9.9
Difficulty 8.5

Video

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Expert Review

Reviewed by FindEdition Kitchen

Verdict

An absolute masterclass in minimalist culinary chemistry. The absence of complex spices and onions allows the pure, clean umami of high-quality mutton and the acidic bright notes of roasted tomatoes to completely dominate the sensory profile.

Pros

Incredible depth of flavor with very few basic ingredients
Fast cooking process once the meat is tenderized
The heavy iron wok char gives an unbeatable street-side aroma

Cons

Requires premium quality meat with natural fat to prevent dryness

The Magic of Iron Woks

Cooking in carbon steel or iron woks triggers a micro-caramelization of tomato sugars against the hot metal. This process, coupled with the vaporized fat, creates that specific 'highway dhabba' aroma that standard stainless steel cannot duplicate.

AI Insights

Summary

Bone-in mutton cooked in rendered animal fats and vegetable moisture, stabilized through concentrated tomato reduction and finished with heavy julienned ginger.

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FAQ

Kya isme dahi ya piyaz daali ja sakti hai?

Authentic Peshawari ya Shinwari karahi me piyaz bilkul nahi dalti. Agar aap piyaz dalenge to ye mithaas dega aur normal salan ban jayega. Dahi kuch log dalte hain, par sirf tamatar se hi asli khataas aur texture aata hai.

Meri mutton karahi ki gravy bilkul kaali (dark) kyun ho gayi?

Agar aap kali mirch cooking ke shuru me hi dal denge ya chaba kar pisne ke bajaye bilkul powder form me use karenge, to gravy kaali ho jayegi. Kali mirch ko hamesha aakhri step me coarse (mota kuta) kar ke dalein.