Meals · Hyderabad

Badami Gosht

A Hyderabadi nawabi curry of goat slow-cooked with yoghurt, fried onions and whole spices, then finished in a silky, pale gravy of ground almonds and a touch of saffron.

Prep 25 min · Cook 75 min · Total 100 min + 1 hr marinade · Serves 4

Ingredients

Marinade

• 750 g Goat on the bone, curry cut
• ¾ cup Thick plain yoghurt
• 1 ½ tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• ¼ tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp Salt

Almond paste

• ¾ cup Almonds
• 3 Green chillies
• ½ cup Warm water

Curry

• 4 tbsp Ghee
• 2 Bay leaves
• 5 Green cardamom pods
• 4 Cloves
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp Shahi jeera (black cumin)
• 2 Large onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp Coriander powder
• ½ tsp Garam masala
• ¼ tsp Cardamom powder
• 1 pinch Saffron
• 2 tbsp Single cream
• ½ tsp Kewra water
• 2 tbsp Mint leaves, chopped
• Salt to taste, to taste

Method

1. Marinate. Mix the goat with the yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Leave for at least an hour, or overnight in the fridge.
2. Make the almond paste. Cover the almonds with boiling water for 15 minutes, slip off the skins, and grind with the green chillies and warm water to a completely smooth paste.
3. Fry the onions. Heat the ghee in a heavy pan or pressure cooker. Add the bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and shahi jeera, then the onions. Fry slowly until evenly golden brown. Lift out a third of the onions and keep them for garnish.
4. Cook the goat. Add the marinated goat and coriander powder and fry on high heat for 8 to 10 minutes until the yoghurt dries and the ghee shows. Add 1 cup hot water. Pressure-cook to 4 whistles, then 10 minutes on low, and let it release naturally. On the stovetop, cover and simmer for 60 to 75 minutes, stirring now and then, until the meat is tender.
5. Add the almonds. Open the cooker and stir in the almond paste with 1/2 cup water. Simmer uncovered on low heat, stirring often so it doesn't catch, until the gravy thickens and turns glossy. Never pressure-cook the almond paste; it sticks and splits.
6. Finish. Stir in the garam masala, cardamom powder, saffron milk, cream and kewra water. Check the salt. Cover off the heat for 5 minutes, then top with the reserved fried onions and mint. Serve with sheermal, naan or plain basmati rice.

Tips

Keep the heat low once the almonds are in, and loosen with a little hot water if the gravy gets too thick as it stands. It tastes even better the next day.