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Shinwari karahi
Lamb karahi
شنواری کڑاہی (Shinwari karahi): Peshawar's lamb cooked in its own fat with tomato and green chilli
On the Grand Trunk Road out of Peshawar and in the Namak Mandi lanes, Shinwari cooks fry lamb in a vast iron karahi with nothing but its own fat, salt, tomatoes and green chillies, and diners sit cross-legged in the dera to eat it with naan straight from the pan. There is no onion, no powdered spice and hardly any water, so the meat tastes deeply of lamb and the sauce is short, glossy and tangy. The mistake is adding water to speed it up: it boils the meat grey; instead keep the lid on over a low heat and let the meat steam in its own juices. Chef's tip: use bone-in shoulder with its fat (or add 50 g of lamb fat), because the rendered fat is the sauce.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb bone-in lamb or mutton shouldercut into 5 cm pieces with fat
- 1 ¾ oz lamb fat or ghee (optional)if the meat is lean
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 6 cloves garliccrushed
- 5 ripe tomatoeshalved
- 6 green chilliesslit
- 1 oz fresh gingercut into thin matchsticks
- 1 tsp black peppercornscoarsely crushed
- ⅓ oz fresh coriander (optional)chopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 2 ¼ lb bone-in lamb or mutton shoulder and 1 ¾ oz lamb fat or ghee (if using) in a dry karahi or heavy wok over a high heat. Sear, turning, until the fat runs and the meat is browned all over.
10 minStep 3: Turn the heat to low, cover tightly and let the lamb cook in its own juices, stirring every 10 minutes, for 30–40 minutes until a piece gives easily when pressed against the side.
35 minStep 4: Lay 5 ripe tomatoes cut-side down on top of the meat, cover again and cook for 5 minutes until the skins loosen. Pull the skins off with tongs and discard them.
2 minStep 5: Turn the heat up and stir-fry hard, breaking up the tomatoes, for 10–12 minutes until they collapse completely and the fat separates and shines on top.
12 minStep 6: Add 6 green chillies, half of ½ oz fresh ginger and 1 tsp black peppercorns and toss for 3 minutes.
3 minStep 7: Scatter over the rest of ½ oz fresh ginger and ⅓ oz fresh coriander and serve in the karahi with hot naan.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 41 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shinwari karahi take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 65 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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