Lubna Aaloo Gosht
Food has the capacity of evoking strong memories. Aaloo Gosht is one such dish. This traditional Pakistani dish is a staple in many households. Big chunks of potatoes steaming in a rich tomato-onion gravy, perfectly companioned with tender meat pieces.
Memories
One of my earliest childhood memories is being dropped off from school to my grandmother’s house. My mother was a teacher at the time, and her schedule didn’t match my dismissal. My father, a doctor in the Pakistan Army, was posted in a different city at the time. So, I used to hitch a ride with one of my Nani’s (maternal grandmother) neighbors – Dr.Khalida Usmani. She also happened to be one of the country’s premiere female doctors and a professor at the Fatima Jinnah Hospital. Her daughter, Samar, a year older, was a bit of a prankster. On the other hand, I didn’t have much of a sense of humor back then.
Samar used to joke that her mom wouldn’t pick me up, and as gullible as I was, the thought that I’d have to spend the night at school, and ghosts of nuns roaming the halls of the red-bricked convent, was enough to send me into a crying fit. However, the Honda Accord would roll in through the gates, and Aunty Khalida’s characteristic bee-hive hairdo would be a sight for my very sore eyes. The short but traffic jammed ride from our school, Sacred Heart on Thornton Road, Upper Mall Lahore down to Jail Road, turning next to the meandering Canal was mostly spent in my controlling the growling sounds of a very hungry belly!
Comfort Food
I would run in through the gates of my Nani’s 94 Shadman house, past the rose bushes, under the Cheekoo tree, right to the massive wooden front door. One step in and the smell of warm Aaloo gosht would greet and soothe my six-year old fraught nerves! But the best was yet to come. Nani would sit me down at the dining table and feed me by hand. (I’m sure childhood memories are highly exaggerated due to perspective, but I’ve always felt that particular dining table was fit for King Arthur and his knights – the only difference being was it was long and rectangular and could fit close to twenty people around it!) The taste of that Aaloo gosht, especially the potatoes has always stayed with me. My mother-in-law makes it in a similar way with big chunks of potatoes. Eating those always transports me back to my grandmother’s cooking!
Full Belly Shenanigans
Feeding time! Nani would shape tiny bites using her fingers and mix in the rice with the meat with a dab of mango chutney (I always requested that!) My belly full, I ‘d inevitably wander off to my grandfather’s library. He had passed away when I was about a year old, so I don’t have any real memories of him. However, his library was a haven. Gold-lined, leather-bound books, mostly about law. I’d make a bee-line for the stack of old photo albums and rummage through them till I found pictures of my mother or my parents. Above the dark mahogany shelves, a portrait of my great-grandfather stared down. No surprise that my penchant for portraits and pictures got an early start!
More exploration
To complete the expedition, I would go for a run in the garden, picking jasmine flowers. My grandmother used to keep them near her prayer rug. The smell of jasmine still reminds me of clutching fragrant, white jasmine and Nani’s prayer rug. It is strange how food evokes a trip down memory lane! Even though my grandmother is not alive, but the food that I ate more than thirty years ago, still serves as a bridge to people, places, and best of all, comfort!
Ingredients:
1 -2 lbs of goat/lamb meat – a mix of bones and meat is best
2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 large onion sliced
5-6 tablespoons oil
½ tsp red chili/ cayenne powder
1 ½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
½ tsp garam masala powder
¼ tsp nutmeg and mace powder (optional)
5-6 black peppercorns
2-3 green cardamoms
1 bay leaf
½ cup yogurt
3-4 tomatoes pureed
2-3 large Potatoes
Directions:
- Slice onions and put in heated oil. Fry till light brown.
- Add ginger garlic paste. Saute till opaque.
- Add meat and all the seasonings. Keep stirring so it doesn’t burn. If it starts to stick to the bottom add a few teaspoons of water.
- Add the yogurt and continue to stir. This step is traditionally called “ bhoon-na” meaning you keep stirring till the contents brown, most of the water evaporates, and the oil starts to separate from the mixture. This step also intensifies the flavors of the gravy, so as tedious as this may sound, it’s ten minutes well spent!
- Next, include tomatoes and mix well. The moisture from the tomatoes should start amassing the rest of the thick gravy.
- Pour in 2 cups of water. ( Some people prefer their gravy thinner. I like mine on the chunkier side. Hence, adjust to your needs)
- Pressure cook for 20 minutes. This is for high-altitudes. If you are at sea-level, adjust accordingly.
- Peel and cut potatoes in sixths. Add to the gravy and pressure cook for an additional 5 minutes. If the gravy has become too thick, then add more water. Additionally, if the meat is completely tender at this point, then remove it to a platter and cook the potatoes in the gravy separately.
Note: Remove pressure immediately otherwise the contents will continue to cook. Don’t mess with the weight on the pressure cooker. Instead put the whole pot under running cold water. This brings down the temperature safely and opens the lock. - Garnish with some chopped cilantro, sliced green chilies, a dash of garam masala and a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy with Rice, Roti or Naan.
Aaloo Gosht
