Chha Gosht (Himachali Yogurt Lamb Curry)

KP
Servings: 5 Total Time: 2 hrs 55 mins
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Tender lamb slow-cooked in a yogurt and gram flour gravy with fennel and cardamom

Illustrative stock photos, not this exact recipe. Photo credits are at the bottom of the page.

Ingredients in this recipe

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Chha gosht is a classic meat dish of Himachal Pradesh. “Chha” means buttermilk or yogurt, and the lamb is slowly cooked in a seasoned yogurt and gram flour gravy flavored with fennel, cardamom, cloves and ginger. The result is rich and creamy but only mildly spicy, with a subtle sourness from the yogurt. Himachali food is often described as hearty mountain cooking, built on wheat, rice, lentils, yogurt, ghee and warming whole spices, with a feasting tradition called dham. Read more in Indian regional cuisines.

It is usually served with steamed rice or roti.

Recipe label: Based on traditional technique. Photo: illustrative stock photo, not the finished dish from this exact recipe. Regional recipes vary by family and village.

Photo credits: Photo 1: Muhammad Khawar Nazir on Pexels; Photo 2: dhiraj jain on Pexels; Photo 3: Alberta Studios on Pexels. Free stock photos, used under the Unsplash or Pexels license and shown here as illustrations only.

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Chha Gosht (Himachali Yogurt Lamb Curry)

Author: KP Cooking Method: Cuisine: , Courses: Recipe Keys: Gluten Free Non Vegetarian
Prep Time 25 mins Cook Time 90 mins Rest Time 60 mins Total Time 2 hrs 55 mins
Servings: 5

Description

Chha gosht: a Himachali lamb curry slow-cooked in yogurt and gram flour with fennel, cardamom and ginger. Rich, creamy and mildly spiced.

Ingredients

For the lamb

Instructions

  1. Mix the lamb with half the yogurt, the ginger-garlic paste and salt. Marinate for 1 hour.
  2. Whisk the remaining yogurt with the gram flour until smooth.
  3. Heat the ghee in a heavy pot and add the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Add the onions and cook until golden, about 10 minutes.
  4. Add the marinated lamb and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes until browned.
  5. Stir in the whisked yogurt gradually on low heat, then add the fennel, ginger, turmeric and chili powder. Cook for 5 minutes.
  6. Add the water, cover and simmer on low heat for 60 to 75 minutes until the lamb is very tender and the gravy has thickened. The lamb must reach at least 63 C / 145 F; it is done when tender.
  7. Rest for 10 minutes and serve hot with rice or roti.

Note

Cook lamb until tender and to at least 63 C / 145 F. Add the yogurt slowly on low heat to avoid curdling. Contains milk (yogurt, ghee) and gram flour. Gluten-free. Keeps 3 days in the refrigerator.
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Frequently asked questions

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Why use gram flour?

It stabilizes the yogurt and thickens the gravy.

Can I use chicken or goat?

Yes. Chicken takes about 40 minutes; goat takes similar time to lamb.

Is it very hot?

No, it is mild. Add chili powder if you want more heat.