Step by Step Recipe for Peshawari Balti or Kadahi Gosht/Mutton

Posting my recipes after a long gap. So thought of starting with this not so recent Mutton preparation. Whenever I try a recipe I always love to research a bit about the origin of the recipe. So henceforth my recipes will come with a little bit of information regarding the place of origin and the story behind its origin. Hope that will help those of you who are curious to learn a bit about the recipe story like me. 

As the name goes the origin of this recipe goes to a place called Landi Kotal, a rustic and traditional city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. The recipe traveled to Punjab and the rest of the world slowly. The cooking is done in a heavy-bottomed Wok-like pot or locally called Balti as such the name goes by Balti Gosht. 

The meat is cooked with all the spices and vegetables without any marination, instead I tried cooking it by marinating with some of the condiments and then cooking with the rest of them and vegetables. A slightly sweet gravy preparation on the spicier side, it goes excellent when served with naan, roti or even steamed rice.

Without further delay, let us check out the step by step recipe for Peshawari Balti or Kadahi Gosht.

Ingredients for the Marinade

500 g Mutton

2 tsp Ginger paste

2 tsp Garlic paste

1/2 tsp Red Chilly Powder

3 Tbsp hung and beaten Curd/Yogurt/Dahi

1/2 tsp Turmeric/Haldi Powder

1 tsp Cumin/Jeera Powder

1 Tbsp Mustard Oil

Method

Apply the ingredients and marinade the mutton pieces for about 5 to 6 hours.

Ingredients for the Gravy

3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

2 Bay leaves/Tejpatta

1 tsp whole Shahjeera/Cumin/Jeera

4 Green Cardamom/Chhoti Elaichi

2 Black Cardamom/Badi Elaichi

1 inc Cinnamon stick/Dalchini

5 Black Peppercorns/Kali Mirch

1 Mace/Jaipatri/Javitri

4-5 whole Cloves/Lavang/Laung

2 medium-sized finely sliced Onions

2 tsp Kashmiri Chilly Powder

1 tsp Red Chilly Powder

2 tsp Garam Masala Powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 Tbsp Coriander/Dhania Powder heaped

Salt to Taste

4 medium-sized Tomato blanched and pureed (I did not blanch the tomatoes as I wanted a tangy gravy)

2 tsp Sugar

1/3 cup chopped Fresh Coriander leaves for garnishing

3-4 slit Green Chillies for garnishing

1 Tbsp of Fresh Cream for garnishing(optional)

Method

1. In a heavy-bottomed wok or kadahi heat the oil and let splutter the whole spices (Bay leaves, Cumin seeds, Green Cardamom, Black Cardamom, Cinnamon, Black Peppercorns, Clove) for 1 minute.

2. Now add in the sliced onions and fry them on a medium flame till golden brown. Keep sauteing to avoid over-frying the onions.

3. Now add in the powder spices (Kashmiri Chilly Powder, Red Chilly Powder, Garam Masala Powder, Turmeric Powder, Coriander Powder).

4. After adding in the spices add in the marinated mutton pieces one by one, saute and cook on a low flame till the meat gets tender. 

5. Add in the tomato puree, sugar and cook until the oil starts to separate. You can add water in small portions to avoid burning the gravy. Stir regularly.

6. Once cooked and the oil floats on the top of the gravy, remove it from the stove. Garnish with fresh cream, chopped coriander leaves and green chillies. Serve hot with roti, naan or steamed rice.

Tip: If you want you can substitute Red Chilly Powder with fresh Green Chillies.

Instead of Tomato Puree you can cut the tomatoes into large cubes and add in the preparation.