PHUPO AMI'S ALO GOSHT

Alo meaning potato and gosht as most of you may know is meat.Alo gosht has a lot of sentimental values and childhood memories for me. It reminds me of a very hot afternoon in Karachi at my paternal grand parents house with a long dastar khuwan meaning a long table cover laid on the floor rather than on the table itself to accommodate more people at home. Back than there usually a lot of joint families and we had in a big three bed room house almost 10 people on one floor and second floor having the same number of rooms but less people living there, but at meals times usually they also joined in so you can imagine the number of people living in one house.So this curry if you can imagine was not made in minimalistic quantity in fact the quantity was so that one could feed whole of Manchester as they say it.

I've had alo gosht for ages so can't pin point a year or date but every time I eat it, it gives me comfort and I feel with every bite that people who made it for us are around even though they are not really there any more. Phupo ami's alo gosht was simply the best and I've not really had that taste after she passed away but I did have her recipe and keep trying to get to perfection and sometimes I do when and sometimes I don't. Cooking also depends on what mood you're in if your mood is not very happy or chirpy your cooked food will show, your mind has to be alert and very calculated, one miss take, a minute here and there your curry can get burnt. This certainly does not mean that you have to be tensed or not relaxed you can be both and have a great curry at your hand in the end most definitely. Alo gosht is most definitely a household dish for all Pakistan's. This Curry is mild in taste and usually eaten with chapatti's and tomato and onions salad called kachomar. you can have it with white boiled rice and raita or plain yogurt. I hope you and your family will enjoy this very traditional Pakistani style Alo gosht.

INGREDIENTS:-

• 4-5 Medium sized potatoes
• 1/4 kg Meat (with bones, cut in medium sized pieces)
• 1-2 tsp Coriander power
• Pinch turmeric
• 1-2 tsp salt ( depending on how much water you've added)
• 1tsp Red chili powder more if you like more
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 cups water
• 2-3 Green chillies for garnish
• Some coriander leaves for garnish
• 1tsp Ginger garlic paste
• 2 Onions cut in four pieces
• 150 g canned tomatoes / 2-3 medium sized tomatoes
  

METHOD:-

1. Wash the meat well.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut in big chunky pieces.
3. In a bowl add water and 1/2 tsp salt than add your potatoes this will prevent the potatoes from changing color, and set it aside.
4. Now in a pan add oil ,1/2 cup water,red chili powder,salt,meat,turmeric and coriander powder.
5. Cover and cook on low heat, till the onions are sweating and change their color.
6. At this stage the meat will be half done.
7. Increase the heat and stir continuously adding water drops by drops don't add too much at this stage and don't leave your curry on the stove at this stage on its own. its the most crucial stage this will give your curry the color you're after.
8. Add chopped tomatoes if using fresh or add the canned ones that also chopped and still continuously stirring on high heat for 2-4 Min's or till you see the oil separating from the tomatoes and onions masala.
9. Now add your potatoes to the curry still stirring on high heat.
10. now add 2 1/2 cups water let the curry boil once and than bring the heat to low cover and cook till the curry thickens a bit and the potatoes are cooked well but not over done otherwise they will break.
11. This takes about 30-35 Min's approx
12. Just before serving add chillies and coriander leaves.

Remember the coriander powder you use make it yourself by roasting the seed in a frying pan till they are golden brown. That's how you will get the most authenticated taste if you use the ready made powders they will give you some smell but it really won't give you the taste you're after. For me that's like the secret ingredient. you can be making it 100 times yet not getting the taste and that's the real reason for it. In the olden days in India they roasted all the spices that they used not since there is very little time that one has we usually miss out the real thing and really eat anything we get our hands on so we can be living but the real pleasure is in when we work hard and get a great result and that's what's cooking is all about..have fun..:)