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Shab deg
شب دیگ (shab deg): mutton, turnips and meatballs cooked overnight with saffron, Lahori and Kashmiri style
Shab deg is the "night pot": in old Lahore and in Kashmiri families the deg really was set on dying embers after the evening meal and opened at dawn, by which time whole turnips had soaked up the mutton juices and turned almost sweet. It is a winter dish made when turnips are at their best, usually for a wedding breakfast or a cold Sunday, and it arrives as tender meat on the bone, soft meatballs and golden turnips in a thick saffron-scented gravy, eaten with naan or sheermal. A low oven gives the same slow, even heat without anyone staying up. Many cooks drop the meatballs in raw and stir hard, and they fall apart; fry them first and slide them in without stirring. Chef's tip: prick the turnips all over and rub them with a little salt and sugar before frying, which draws out their bitterness and helps them colour.
- Total time
- 315 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 14 oz lamb or mutton mince
- 1 small oniongrated and squeezed dry
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 /2 tsp red chilli powder
- 3 /4 tsp salt
For the turnips
- 1 ⅔ lb small turnipspeeled, halved, pricked all over with a fork
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 /2 tsp salt
For the meat
- ¾ cup ghee or vegetable oil
- 3 onionsfinely sliced
- 2 ¼ lb mutton or goat on the bonecut into large pieces
- 2 ½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 7 oz plain yogurtwhisked
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 set whole spices1 cinnamon stick, 2 black cardamom, 6 cloves, 1 bay leaf
- 3 ¼ cups hot water
- 1 pinch saffron threadssoaked in 2 tbsp warm milk
- 1 tsp garam masala
To serve
- 3 tbsp fried onions (optional)
- 2 cm piece fresh ginger (optional)cut into matchsticks
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Method
0/12 doneStep 1: Rub 1 ⅔ lb small turnips with 1 tsp sugar and 1 /2 tsp salt and leave for 15 minutes while you make the meatballs.
5 minStep 2: Mix 14 oz lamb or mutton mince, 1 small onion, 2 tbsp gram flour (besan), lightly toasted, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 /2 tsp red chilli powder and 3 /4 tsp salt, knead for 2 minutes until sticky, and roll into 20 walnut-sized balls with wet hands. Chill them while you continue.
10 minStep 3: Heat ¾ cup ghee or vegetable oil in a large ovenproof casserole over a medium-high heat. Pat the turnips dry and fry them for 6–8 minutes, turning, until spotted golden brown; lift out.
8 minStep 4: In the same oil, fry the meatballs in two batches for 3 minutes each, rolling them gently, until browned all over; lift out. They will finish cooking in the pot.
6 minStep 5: Add 3 onions and 1 set whole spices to the pot and fry for 8–10 minutes until deep golden.
10 minStep 6: Add 2 ¼ lb mutton or goat on the bone and 2 ½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste and stir-fry for 8–10 minutes until the meat is browned in places.
10 minStep 7: Stir in 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric and 1 ½ tsp salt, then take off the heat and stir in 7 oz plain yogurt. Return to the heat and fry for 5 minutes until the oil separates.
3 minStep 8: Pour in 3 ¼ cups hot water and bring to the boil. Meanwhile heat the oven to 275°F.
5 minStep 9: Arrange the turnips and meatballs on top of the meat, push them just under the liquid, and spoon 1 pinch saffron threads over. Cover with foil and a tight lid.
3 minStep 10: Cook in the oven for 4 hours without stirring, until the mutton falls from the bone, the turnips are soft and golden right through and the meatballs are cooked through (160°F in the centre).
240 minStep 11: Uncover, sprinkle with 1 tsp garam masala and, if the gravy is thin, simmer uncovered on the hob for a few minutes until it coats a spoon. Tilt the pot rather than stirring.
3 minStep 12: Serve with 3 tbsp fried onions and 2 cm piece fresh ginger on top, with naan or sheermal. It tastes even better the next day; cool quickly, refrigerate and reheat until piping hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shab deg take?
- About 315 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 270 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garam masala?
- Curry powder, same amount.
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