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Lamb Karahi in black bowl with Green Chillies and sliced ginger on top

Lamb Karahi

Safira
Lamb Karahi or Karahi Gosht is a traditional Pakistani (Lahore) curry, usually made in a wok. This is a rich delicious tomato based gravy with tender pieces of lamb. It is served on special occasions and is often made for parties and gatherings.  
5 from 7 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Indain, Lahori, Pakistani
Servings 4
Calories 184 kcal

Ingredients
  

Lamb

  • 2 lb Lamb (Bone in) Chopped into small pieces. I use shoulder or leg
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 cloves Garlic crushed
  • 1/2 inch Ginger crushed
  • 1/2 large Onion diced

Garam Masala Powder

  • 1 ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
  • 2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
  • 1 Cinnamon Stick
  • 2 Green Cardamom
  • 1 Black Cardamom optional
  • 8 Peppercorns
  • 2 Dry Red Chillies

Base

  • 2 tbsp Ghee
  • 75 ml Oil Vegetable, Mustard
  • 3 Onions Sliced
  • 8 cloves Garlic crushed
  • 2 inch Ginger crushed
  • 1 tbsp Green Chilli Paste adjust to your taste
  • 1 ½ tbsp Dried Fenugreek Skip if you can't find it
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
  • Salt
  • 300 g Tomatoes Pureed
  • 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
  • 3 tbsp Plain Yoghurt Optional

Topping

  • Small Handful Fresh Coriander Leaves
  • 1 Small peice Ginger Julienned finely
  • 2 Green Chillies Slit, or Bullet chillies

Instructions
 

  • Add meat to a pot with ginger, garlic, salt and onions. Pour over enough water to cover the meat plus 2 extra inches. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 40 minutes on low. Reserve the stock.   
  • Add Garam Masala ingredients to a dry pan and roast till fragrant. Remove to a blender and blend to form a powder. 
  • In a wok or pot, add ghee/oil. Once hot, add Onions and cook till golden brown - 15 minutes. 
  • Add Garlic, Ginger, Green chilli and Dry Fenugreek and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes.
  • Add the boiled lamb to the pot with Turmeric and Salt. Cook on high for 10 minutes and then turn the heat down to medium.
  • Pour in the Tomatoes, add 3 tbsp stock and cook on medium heat for 8 - 10 minutes.
  • Add Red Chilli Powder, Ground Garam Masala Powder, Tomato Puree and Yoghurt. Cook covered on medium low for 15 minutes or until the oil separates from the tomatoes on the side.
  • Cover and cook on low for 10 minutes or until the lamb is cooked through and tender adding more stock if needed. 
  • Garnish with Fresh Chillies or sliced Bullet chillies, Sliced Ginger and Coriander. Serve with naan, chapati or rice.   

Notes

Top Tips and FAQS

Use Fresh Ingredients

Whilst the ingredient quantities may seem excessive (especially the Garlic), I would highly recommend sticking to the quantities suggested and where possible use fresh ingredients.
This recipe is all about strong and fresh flavours. 

Slow cook the lamb

Doing this to begin with means you get tender fall apart lamb. You can skip this step and cook for longer later if you prefer.

Should I marinade the Lamb?

You can marinade the lamb in Yoghurt and a few spices like Turmeric, Cumin and Salt before adding it to the pot but I don’t think this is necessary.
Yoghurt does help to tenderise meat but when using Lamb shoulder that is slow cooked, this additional step in not necessary.

Is Lamb Karahi Spicy?

This recipe is not spicy. It has a hint of Spice but is actually pretty mild. If you are not someone who likes spicy food at all, I would cut out the Green Chilli and stick to just the red chilli in this recipe.

Are there onions in Lamb Karahi?

There is a difference of opinion on this but I add onion because I like the depth of flavour and sweetness that it brings to this recipe. It also makes a thicker gravy and makes the meal more substantial overall. I don’t add it in this Chicken Karahi recipe though.

Are fresh tomatoes used in Lamb Karahi?

As with my Chicken Karahi recipe, I used crush tomatoes in this recipe.
The tradition is to add small full fresh tomatoes or halved fresh tomatoes. Then you cover the karahi/kadai with a lid and simmer.
After a short time the skins of the tomato become easier to lift off at which point they are removed and discarded. 
You can use either method. If using fresh tomatoes, I would suggest 4 medium sized tomatoes.

What meat is best in Lamb Karahi?

I use either lamb shoulder or lamb leg in this recipe.
You can use any cut of lamb that you want to here. You can also use mutton, fish, chicken or prawns.

Can the Ghee be left out?

Yes it can but Ghee adds its own nutty delicious rich flavour to this curry.

Can I use Boneless Lamb in this recipe?

Yes you can. Bone in tends to have more flavour but this recipe will work will boneless lamb.

How to serve Lamb Karahi

This meal is delicious served with fresh hot Naan - Garlic Naan is perfect here.
Chapatti or rice are also great with Lamb Karahi.
You can also serve it with a fresh salad, tomato salads, mint raita (a yoghurt based dip) and achaar/pickles.

For Salads try:

Kachumber Salad
Onion Raita

Storage Suggestions

Lamb Karahi can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 2 - 3 days. 
It also freezes well for up to 3 months. 
Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave with a splash of water.

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 675mgPotassium: 378mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 640IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Kadai Lamb, Karahi Gosht, Lamb Karahi
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