Deeply spiced, soul southing, nourishing Aloo Gosht is the quintessentialy Pakistani meat and potatoes dish. Sharing 3 ways to make it below - a Busy Day version (stovetop + Instant Pot), an IP version and a classic stovetop one for whatever works best for you!
🔍 Quick Look: Aloo Gosht
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 1 hour (varies by cooking method)
- 👥 Servings: 4
- 🔥 Cook Method: Stovetop, Instant Pot.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- Key to Success: Bhunnai or a well sauteed masala base.
Like most recipes on Sarah's blog this is a fail proof recipe. Its delicious, easy to follow and absolutely delicious. A childhood favorite for me cooked just the way my late mum used to make it. This is always in rotation at my house". - Crystal
Jump to:
- 🔍 Quick Look: Aloo Gosht
- What is Aloo Gosht?
- 3 Ingredient Must Knows:
- How to Make Aloo Gosht
- 5 Must Know Tips for ANY Pakistani Curry
- Meat Timings
- Busy Day Aloo Gosht Shortcut Explained
- Aloo Gosht Questions Answered
- What do I serve Aloo Gosht with?
- 4 Other Pakistani Classics to Master
- EASY Aloo Gosht - Instant Pot, Stove Top + Busy Day Version
- Comments
You know how for many people a Chicken ka Salan is the comfort-your-soul-food? Well for me and my siblings it's Aloo Gosht. It ranks right up there with daal for me.
What is Aloo Gosht?
Literally Aloo Gosht means Potatoes (Aaloo) ad Meat (Gosht), but while this is literally a meat and potato curry it is a lot more than that for every Pakistani or North Indian who grew up eating it. Whether it is made with Goat or Beef or Lamb, made thicker or thinner, each family's version of it is special and this here is my mamas.
3 Ingredient Must Knows:
1.) Meat Matters. What meat you use seems to be a function of where you live/ your family originates from. My family prefers boneless beef for convenience, but bone in goat meat also has terrific flavour. The one thing you MUST remember even if you buy lamb, is that you need a little fat in the meat for both flavour and the tenderness you want when breaking it with a piece of roti.
2.) You Say Potay-to, I say Potah-to: If you have a variety you are a die hard fan of then I promise to stay out of your way, but if not then can I recommend yellow flesh or yukon gold potatoes for the perfect balance between creamy and firm. This is also a sturdy potato and less likely to crumble.
3.) Finish Strong: Those last bits at the end, the adjusting for salt, that little lemon, the garam masala, fresh pepper dhania - don't take them lightly. Add, taste, adjust, make it sing. Taste again, just so you can savour that little concert for one.
How to Make Aloo Gosht
Step One: Saute your whole spices in hot oil
Step Two: Add in your diced onions and saute till the edges turn amber.
Step Three: Add in your ginger and garlic, cook for a minute and then saute in your powdered spices
Step Four: Saute your tomatoes into the masala at medium high heat to dry them
This is the "bhunnai" stage and what you want to see is a breaking down of the curry base into a cohesive paste and then the oil rising over top.
Step Five: Add and brown your meat of choice.
Step Six: Add hot water and simmer until your meat is cooked through.
Step 7: Simmer with the potatoes until it is all beautifully tender.
Step 8: Adjust consistency to your preference, add the 3 end masalas and taste.
Step 9: Garnish with loads of fresh coriander and sliced green chilies
5 Must Know Tips for ANY Pakistani Curry
Tip One: Watch your heat. I default to medium high on my ceramic cooktop, but if you feel like you are in danger of burning things add a splash of water to bring the temperature down. (burnt pastes and spices are no bueno).
Tip Two: To get your tomatoes to break down faster simply add them and cover the pot with a lid for 2 minutes, remove the lid and saute away.
Tip Three: for rich flavour remember to saute the meat with the masala until it starts to stick at the bottom. This is a must do here just as much as it is in a Karahi Gosht or a Beef Biryani.
Tip Four: taste, and taste again. Once you adjust the consistency of the curry to your personal preference you will need to adjust salt and maybe even spice. Go ahead, make it your own.
Tip 5: If you don't start with a half inch of oil in your pot for a curry like this the sauteeing will take a lifetime. Just use the oil, skim it later.
Meat Timings
Cook time can vary greatly by meat and method. Here I am sharing a rough estimate of times, but please note meat can vary from region to region so if you have a sense of what works best then please stick to it! Fresh meat also cooks faster than previously frozen!
Beef: 45-55 minutes stovetop, 22 minutes instant pot.
Lamb: 75-90 minutes stovetop, 30 minutes instant pot.
Veal: 40 minutes stovetop, 18 minutes instant pot.
Goat: 60-80 minutes stovetop, 20 minutes instant pot.
Goat can be tricky in terms of cooking time because the toughness of the meat varies by the age of the animal. With beef, veal which is younger meat is marked separately and cooks faster.
Busy Day Aloo Gosht Shortcut Explained
This approach reverses the cooking process as you tenderize first and saute later, versus saute-tenderize-saute. While eliminating that initial saute does change the flavour weeknight me doesn't mind at all.
100% of the credit for this approach goes to my sister in law who is one of the best cooks I know.
Aloo Gosht Questions Answered
Any bone in curry will have a lighter brothier flavour with more depth so if you have bone in meat handy then absolutely use it, just remember that bone in meat can take a little longer to cook.
You can actually make it up till the meat is cooked through and freeze it for up to 6 months and resume the cooking steps on defrosting.
This very much comes down to personal preference, but my general rule of thumb is if you are eating it with roti you want it a little thicker and with rice you want a thinner brothier curry.
What do I serve Aloo Gosht with?
Love. But apart from that here are come combinations I really enjoy.
4 Other Pakistani Classics to Master
Other classic Pakistani homestyle dishes that we have in regular rotation!
Whichever way you choose to make it I hope this Aloo Gosht fills you with joy. As always I'd love to see your recreations so do tag me on Instagram @flourandspiceblog. Share what you thought of this recipe by rating it below! Happy Cooking!
EASY Aloo Gosht - Instant Pot, Stove Top + Busy Day Version
Equipment
- 1 large pot (10 inches) with high sides OR an Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless beef chunks or upto 1.5 lbs bone in meat (depending on quantity of bone) (can use goat or lamb)
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 roughly diced medium onions
- 3-4 cloves
- 7-8 whole black peppers
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp crushed garlic
- 1 tbsp crushed ginger
- ¾-1 tsp red chilli powder
- ⅓ tsp turmeric powder
- 1.5 tsp coriander powder roasted preferred
- 1 ½ tsp salt can adjust later
- 2 tomatoes finely diced
- 2 potatos halved lengthwise and cut horizontally into wedges
Finishing Touches
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp roasted cumin powder (optional)
- handful of cilantro
- green chillies diced to taste
- a squeeze of lemon juice
Instructions
Traditional Approach - Stove top & IP
- Heat a very generous lug of oil on medium high and add your whole spices and then the onions
- Saute till the onions develop a rich colour on the edges - we are going for bronze edges, but not looking to caramelize our onions
- Now add in your ginger and garlic paste saute for a minute
- Add in your powdered spices and saute for another minute
- Keeping the heat on a medium high add in your tomatoes and saute for 3-4 minutes or until they break down and form a paste. In a rush you can always cut back on this step, but it does make for a richer taste.
- Add your meat and saute until it changes colour on all sides and the masala starts to stick to the meat
- For stovetop: Add 2.5 cups of hot water, bring to a boil then simmer for 45-55 minutes or until meat is cooked through and breaks with some pressure. For IP: Add in ¾-1 cup of hot water, cook on high pressure for 20 minutes then quick release for beef, for mutton check after 15 minutes. (see notes)
- Now add your potatoes. For stovetop you can simmer for 15 with the curry base and for IP you can pressure cook for four minutes then quick release.
- Adjust the consistency of the curry for your preference then adjust seasoning. Now top with the final garnishes and enjoy!
Busy Day Version
- Put the beef chunks, onion, whole spices, garlic, ginger, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and salt into a pot with two cups of very hot water. Mix.
- Cover the pot with a lid and bring the mixture to a boil, once it is boiling then bring it to a simmer and let it cook (covered) for 45 minutes to an hour or however long it takes for your beef to get tender. Instant Pot: Manual 20 minutes then quick release
- Once the beef is tender, then crank up the heat to evaporate the water and once the spice paste/masala starts to stick add a generous lug of oil and saute the masala until the oil rises above it's surface.
- Then in go the tomatoes, cook until the oil rises above the surface of the masala.
- Now add in your cup of water, the potato wedges and once again bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender.
- Now add more water if needed and adjust seasoning.
- Switch off the stove and proceed with adding the finishing touches you like!
Afshan says
The best aloo gosht recipe ever! …went the “put it all in” way you’d recommended and OMG!
It was FABULOUS! 🤩🤩😊
Thanks soooo much!
I love love love AG but I’ve learnt my mom’s recipe and it takes a bit of checking - testing similar to your OG
But this was INSPIRED! 💜
Sarah Mir says
Yay! glad to be of service!!!!! thank you for the review!
a parvez says
good
Sarah Mir says
thanks!
Nudrat says
Tastes like home ❤️
Sarah Mir says
My favorite three words! thank you!
Chocolate Coconut says
What happens if you put cold or room temperature water instead of hot?
Sarah Mir says
you cool down your whole dish and then everything takes longer!
Crystal says
Like most recipes on Sarah's blog this is a fail proof recipe. Its delicious, easy to follow and absolutely delicious. A childhood favourite for my cooked just way my late mum used to make it. This is always in rotation at my house.
Bushra Osmani says
Just made this for my father. It was sooooo good and so easy! He can’t stop raving about it! Thank you for such easy and delicious recipes always!
Maliha says
About to make and wanted to find out what is this pepper in finishing touches ? Is it crushed black pepper ?
Sarah Mir says
yes, just regular black pepper!
Madiha says
This recipe is so easy to follow and the result is that delicious wholesome homemade curry with the depth of flavors we all crave.
Sarah Mir says
Thank you SO much Madiha!!!! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Iqra sarwar says
Aaah! Cooked it yesterday and what a flavor I must say..ammi k hath ka Khana yad aa gya 😊 so delighted to get this recipe. Thank you 😊
Sarah Mir says
That is the most heartwarming thing to read! thank you!
Mehreen Fatima says
This is a delicious and typically Pakistani comfort food specially during Fall season. Your version of this recipe is warm and mouth-watering, truly reminds me of my Ammi. I have made many styles of Aloo Gosht myself but never added cumin powder along with garam masala as garnish. I was also wondering about turmeric but you have responded above. I have noticed people make it two ways: Tomato version or Yoghurt version. The color of gravy in the end depends on what you have used for tartness. Some people even add canned tomato paste to enhance the gravy's red color.
Sometimes even experienced cooks are looking for better versions of their time-tested recipes and discover beautiful blogs like yours! 🧡💛
Sarah Mir says
First of all can I say what a joy it was to read this comment. Thank you so so much for writing it. I felt like I was chatting with a foodie friend who I really respect. You are clearly an expert cook and I am honored you tried and enjoyed this version. My mother also adds tomato paste to the gravy sometimes and I've done it as well when I have less or lackluster tomatoes or when I want to mix it up!
Shireen Ikramullah Khan says
Fantastic recipe! This comfort dish made with intention, meant to evoke the feeling of being where one feels safe, loved, and held. Took me back home. Thank you Sarah 🤍
Sarah Mir says
what an utterly beautiful comment! thank you!!!
Sherry G says
Hi - I'm about to try this recipe this weekend. If you use bone in beef or even lamb - do you just cut the meat off the bone before cooking (in the photos the meat is cut into chunks when cooking) or do you throw the whole thing in there - bone and all - and then cut it up when done. Sorry for my confusion. Thanks so much. So many great reviews - can't wait to try it.
Sarah Mir says
Hi there! I will be honest and tell you I get the meat prepared by the butcher. Their sharp knives do quick work of creating big juicy bone in pieces, it's a lot harder to do at home. I'd suggest taking the meat off the bone and cutting it and then adding the pot to the pot when you are cooking the meat to allow the bone to add it's beautiful rich flavour to your aloo gosht. Hope this helps and keep me posted on how it goes!
Vajeha says
Hello - how long to cook for 1-1.5 lbs of bone in goat? Definitely want to try and cook this 😊
Sarah Mir says
HI Vajeha! I believe it's about 18-20 minutes and then 10 minutes natural release in the instant pot for goat depending on the size of the pieces!
Sana Shah says
You don’t add yogurt?
Sarah Mir says
I don't! typically with aloo gosht I find people add either tomatoes or yoghurt, you can adjust this recipe however works for you!
Aynur says
Thanks Sarah for another delicious, easy to follow, and detailed recipie! My family declared the Aloo Gosht to be the best they've ever had and to add it to our regular menu.
With much gratitude,
Aynur
Sarah Mir says
Thank you SO very much for this review!