Chukandar Gosht or Beetroot & Beef Curry is a Pakistani dish flavoured with fresh green chillies and simple spices. This hearty meat curry resonates the earthy flavour and gorgeous colour of beetroots. Chukandar Gosht is usually slow cooked allowing the flavours of meat and veg to meld and amplify. In this recipe I have used a pressure cooker to speed up the process and it tasted equally delicious.

The essence of this recipe lies in a Pakistani cooking technique called ‘Bhunai’, that means cooking something on high heat, whilst continuously stirring, until most to all of the water required for cooking dries off and oil begins to separate. The separated oil is an important indicator of the doneness and quality of a curry. Don’t skip this step and remember to do lots of ‘Bhunai’ when making Chukandar Gosht. The end results will leave you enchanted.

Chukandar Gosht along with Shaljam Gosht and other curries cooked with root vegetables are a treat to have in winters. Serve them up with hot chapati, naan or white boiled rice and you’ve entered a culinary stratosphere you never knew existed! Enjoy 😊

Ingredients:

• Oil ¼ cup
• Green Chillies 2-3; sliced
• Onion 1 medium
• Grated Ginger 1 inch
• Minced Garlic 1 tbsp.
• Beef ½ kg
• Red Chilli Powder 1 tsp.
• Coriander Powder 1 tsp.
• Zeera Powder 1 tsp.
• Turmeric Powder ½ tsp.
• Salt 1 & ½ tsp or to taste
• Chopped Tomatoes 2-3 medium
• Chopped Beetroot ½ kg
• Fresh Coriander 2 tbsp. chopped

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a pot and sauté 1 green chilli for 30 seconds. Add chopped onions and fry till translucent.
2. Add ginger and garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Add meat and cook on high until meat changes colour.
3. Once meat is white add all the spices (red chilli, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and salt). Keep sautéing on high until spices are fragrant and oil begins to separate.
4. Add chopped tomatoes and beetroots along with 1 cup of water. Bring everything to a boil.
5. If you are using a pressure cooker, seal the pot and cook for 20 minutes. You can also slow cook on medium heat until the meat is tender.
6. Once the meat is tender cook on high until most of the water evaporates and oil begins to separate. Keep stirring at regular intervals to avoid food from burning and sticking to the pot.
7. Once the oil separates add remaining chopped green chilli and coriander. Cook for another 2 minutes before turning off the heat.
8. Serve hot with Naan, Chapati or Boiled White Rice.