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Dabba gosht
ڈبہ گوشت (dabba gosht): Bohra mutton and macaroni in a creamy cashew sauce, sealed under egg and baked
PakistaniOnly a Dawoodi Bohra kitchen would put macaroni into a mutton curry and bake it under a lid of egg, and dabba gosht is the triumphant result, made in Karachi for weddings, Eid and the big communal meals of Muharram. Boneless mutton is simmered until tender in a pale gravy of yogurt and ground cashew, mixed with soft elbow macaroni, poured into a dabba (a tin or deep dish), covered with whisked eggs and baked until golden on top. Inside it is creamy and mild with black pepper and cardamom; the crust is soft and set. The pitfall is overcooking the pasta before it goes in, because it keeps drinking sauce in the oven; boil it two minutes short. Chef's tip: keep the sauce looser than you think it should be when you assemble, as it thickens a lot under the egg.
- Total time
- 100 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the mutton
- 1 ⅓ lb boneless mutton or lambcut into 2 cm cubes
- 4 tbsp ghee
- 2 onionsfinely sliced
- 1 ½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 7 oz plain yogurtwhisked
- 1 ¾ oz cashewssoaked 15 minutes and ground with 4 tbsp water
- 1 /2 tsp ground green cardamom
- 3 green chilliesground to a paste
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups hot water
- ¾ cup milk
For the pasta and topping
- 7 oz elbow macaroni
- 4 eggs
- 1 /4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/10 doneStep 2: Add 1 ⅓ lb boneless mutton or lamb and 1 ½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste and fry over a medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes until sealed.
6 minStep 3: Stir in 3 green chillies, 1 tsp ground white or black pepper, 1 /2 tsp ground green cardamom and 1 ½ tsp salt, then off the heat stir in 7 oz plain yogurt. Cook over a medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring.
4 minStep 4: Add 2 cups hot water, cover and simmer on a low heat for 45 minutes until the mutton is tender.
45 minStep 6: Meanwhile boil 7 oz elbow macaroni in salted water for 2 minutes less than the packet time, drain and fold into the mutton. Heat the oven to 350°F.
8 minStep 7: Tip into a greased deep baking dish or tin and smooth the top.
2 minStep 9: Bake for 20–25 minutes until the egg is golden and fully set, and the sauce is bubbling at the edges.
25 minStep 10: Rest for 5 minutes, scatter with 2 tbsp fresh coriander and serve straight from the dish.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 38 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dabba gosht take?
- About 100 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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