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Lamb karahi

Bone-in lamb cooked hard and fast with tomatoes, green chillies and black pepper. The Pakistani street-side classic, made at home in one pan.

  • Serves4
  • Prep15 min
  • Cook1 hr 15 min
  • HeatHot

Karahi is named after the wok-like pan it's cooked and served in. Most of the work is the lamb simmering gently; the last 20 minutes are fast and loud, with the tomatoes cooked down hard on a high heat. Shoulder on the bone gives the best result.

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Ingredients

Serves 4
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Ask at the counter for1kg lamb shoulder, karahi cut

Cut: Shoulder (lamb), Leg (lamb)

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a karahi or a wide, heavy pan over a high heat. Add the lamb, ginger paste, garlic paste and salt. Stir-fry for 6 to 8 minutes until the meat has changed colour all over.

  2. Pour in the water, cover and turn the heat down low. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes until the lamb is tender. Check now and then and add a splash of water if it starts to catch.

  3. Take the lid off, turn the heat back up and lay the tomato halves on top, cut side down. After about 5 minutes the skins loosen. Pull them off with tongs and throw them away.

  4. Stir the tomatoes into the meat and keep cooking on a high heat, stirring, for 10 to 15 minutes. It's ready for the spices when the tomatoes have melted and the oil starts to separate at the edges.

  5. Add the chilli powder, chilli flakes, ground coriander, cumin and black pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the green chillies and yoghurt and cook for 5 more minutes on a medium heat.

  6. Scatter over the garam masala, ginger strips and fresh coriander. Serve straight from the pan with hot naan.

Tips

  • Shoulder makes the juiciest karahi. Leg is leaner and cooks a little faster.
  • Out-of-season tomatoes taste of very little. A 400g tin of plum tomatoes, crushed, works better than poor fresh ones. Cook it down a few minutes longer.
  • Mutton works too. Give it 1½ to 2 hours in step 2.

Good to know

Make ahead and freezing
Freezes well. Cool it quickly, freeze in portions and defrost in the fridge overnight.
Heat
Hot. Use fewer chillies for a milder version.

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