What is Gushtaba

Gushtaba is an authentic non veg dish from the region of kashmir. It is made with minced mutton cooked in spiced yoghurt gravy. Traditionally gushtaba is made by mincing the meat in wooden mortal and pastle. But as I don’t have that equipment, I used elictric mincer to make the keema.

Recipe

• Preparation time: 40 min
• Cooking time: 40 min
• Serves: 6 portion

Ingredients

• Mutton keema 400 grams(with fats)
• Yoghurt 3 cups
• Whole Cardamom 4-5
• Black Cardamom 1
• Cloves 4
• Black Pepper corns 4-5
• Fennel powder 1 teaspoon
• Dry Ginger powder(sauth) 1 teaspoon
• Onion 3 big size
• Garlic paste 1 teaspoon
• Chilli flakes 1 teaspoon
• Mutton stock 1 litre
• Ghee 1 tablespoon
• 1/2 teaspoon of dry Mint powder (alternately use few fresh mint leaves)
• Salt to taste
• Vegetable Oil to deep fry onoins

Procedure

Mince 400 grams of mutton with atleast 20% fats.

Add 4 cardamom and mince again so that no lumps remaim.

Keema should be very nicely minced. Transfer to a plate.

Take small portions from the keema and make small balls.Set them aside.

Slice the onions thinly. Fry them in hot oil until golden brown. Transfer to a kitchen towel.

When they cool down grind them to a paste with few drops of water.

Take fennel powder and dry ginger powder to a bowl. With little water make a paste and keep aside.

Take 3 cups of yoghurt in a bowl. Add 2 cups of water and whisk to mix nicely.

Sieve the yoghurt mixture through a siever. This will help to make the mixture smooth.

Heat mutton stock in a saucepan and add the mutton balls. You can use water also, but stock gives intense flavour to the mutton balls.

Cook with little salt and black pepper for 12 to 15 minutes.

Drain the mutton balls and reserve the stock in a bowl.

In the same pan add the yoghurt mixture, 2 green cardamom, 1 black cardamom, 2-3 cloves, chilli flakes and salt.

Bring to boil in high heat by stirring constantly.

Add garlic paste mixed with 1 teaspoon of water to the yoghurt.Also add the reserved stock and cook for 5 minutes. Don’t stop stirring.

Add fennel and ginger powder paste. Stir and again cook for 5 minutes.

Add ghee to the mixture.Mix well.

Next add the brown onion paste and stir well to incorporate. Adjust the seasoning in this stage.

Drop the cooked meat balls in the yoghurt gravy. Cook for another few minutes.

Add mint powder to the gravy, give it a mix and remove from heat. The consistency of the gravy should be little thin. Kashmiris are using dry mint powder, if you dont have, use fresh chopped mint leaves. I used home-made dry mint powder.

Mutton gushtaba is now ready to serve. Transfer to a serving dish.

Garnish with fried onion and mint powder. You can serve gushtaba with roti, chapati or steam rice.