Daal Gosht Recipe. How to make Dal gosht restaurant style at home.

Daal Gosht

Daal Gosht is one of the most favorite Indian dishes loved by all. In fact this is a dish which is made in every Muslim household. Like many of muslims prefer making Daal gosht on Friday’s followed by some Desserts such as Kheer. As Friday is considered the most auspicious day from the rest of the days, after Jumma Namaz, full family gathers for lunch and have together.

As for me I too have witnessed my dad, uncle’s, brother’s coming together after Friday Namaz and having lunch together. Where as on the rest of the days lunch would be like in small groups or whoever comes was served time to time. These are my fond memories which will be cherished throughout my life.

Daal Gosht is made differently by different people, the method may vary but the idea is the same. Like Lentils are slow cooked till done and is mixed with mutton prepared gravy. The Taste is enhanced and becomes more delicious only after lentils and Mutton gravy prepared, both mixed together and is cooked further more on slow flame. Many do not add dry mango leaves, but I always add to my daal gosht as it gives a very good flavor to it and in restaurants too they add it. In fact one special touch I have given to my recipe of dal gosht, that is adding garlic, cumin seeds and green chillies crushed. By adding this Daal gosht tastes even more better with this raw flavors added to it.

Here I am sharing with you all my authentic Daal Gosht recipe which I have been making since past 20 years now. Here is my Restaurant style Daal gosht.

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE DAAL GOSHT

1/2 kg mutton pieces
2 -3 bay leaves
5-7 pepper corns
5-7 cloves
1-2 cinnamon stick
2 onions
2 small tomatoes
2-3 dry mango leaves (ambosi)
1 tsp red chilly powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder ( all whole spice mix )
1 cup tuwar daal ( split pigeon pea )
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 cup channa daal ( split bengal gram )
200 gms bottle gourd
1 tsp cumin seeds
4-6 green chillies
5-7 cloves of garlic
coriander leaves for garnishing
lemon wedges ( optional )
salt
oil

METHOD:

1. Wash both the pulses ( daal ) and add to pressure cooker,with appropriate amount of water and salt along with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and make 2 -3 whistle on high flame, then slow down the flame and let it make 3 – 4 whistles.

2. You can cook in a pot or vessel directly without using cooker. But that will take time and if you want to boil the lentils in the pot or vessel then soak the lentils for an hour or two before you cook in pot.

3. Peel the bottle gourd and slit it into two halves from the middle, now chop it into very thick pieces and keep aside in water, but do not forget to cut a bit of middle seeds portion of each bottle gourd.

4. Once the gas is off, let the pressure move out completely from the cooker and then see if the lentils are cooked or no, if they are left uncooked again pressure it in cooker ( you can add 2 cups of water if it is dry by now). And if the daal is properly cooked ( do not mash the lentils/daal) add salt and bottle gourd, cover and cook on low flame until lauki is almost done.( do not use pressure cooker lid instead take a flat lid and cover it, cook on low flame till lauki/ bottle gourd is almost done).

5. Clean and wash mutton pieces and add to a non stick pan or deep thick bottomed pan with 4-5 tbsp oil, add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, pepper corns, roughly chopped onions, roughly chopped peeled tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, red chilly powder and coriander powder. Cover with the lid and cook on slow flame until the meat is tender. ( if need additional water, add 1/2 or 1 cup water in between the cooking process)

6. Cook the mutton until its almost done and the oil separates. ( make sure you do not over cook mutton , you need under cooked mutton in the gravy so that when we mix with daal and bottle gourd pieces, ambosi, crushed garlic, chilies and cumin, and let it simmer, they all get in corporate in each other to give a rich flavor to the daal without getting over cooked).

7. Side by side in a mortar add green chilies, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and garlic, crush it with pestle. Soak dry mango leaves in 1 cup of drinking water.

8. Now pour this prepared mutton with the thick gravy into daal with bottle gourd, and add 1 – 2 cups of water in the pan in which mutton was prepared and pour again the left over masala that was stick to the sides or bottom of the pan into the daal.

9. Mix well, add dry mango leaves(ambosi) with the water, crushed green chilies, garlic and cumin chutney. Sprinkle garam masala powder and cumin powder.

10. Let it simmer for 10 -15 minutes, adjust the salt and spice, off the gas once the Daal gosht is cooked, make sure mutton piece and bottle gourd both are completely done but not over cooked. Lastly garnish Daal gosht with Coriander leaves and serve hot with flavored rice or plain rice and lemon wedges.

NOTE:

Pass a knife in between the bottle gourd to check weather its completely cooked or no, if it passes very smoothly that means it is done and if it is hard that means you need to cook for some more time.
If you are running late that you can prepare the mutton in cooker.
If you want to prepare mutton in cooker, firstly when the daal is cooked, transfer it from the cooker to a thick bottomed pan and add bottle gourd with salt and let it cook until its 3/4 done. In the same cooker add clean and washed mutton pieces. Add 3-4 tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, pepper corns, roughly chopped onions, roughly chopped peeled tomatoes, salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, red chilly powder and coriander powder. Cover with the lid and make 2 -3 whistle on high flame, then slow down the flame and let it make 2-3 whistles more. Off the gas, let the pressure release, check if the mutton pieces are done or not. If Mutton not cooked then add 1/2 -1 cup water if needed, cover the lid and make 2 -3 whistle on high flame, now slow down the gas and let it make 2-3 whistle more.(make sure you cook the mutton pieces until its almost done and not over cook it). Off the gas, let the pressure release and add the prepared mutton with gravy to the daal. Crush green chillies, garlic and cumin seeds in a mortar pestle and add to daal gosht followed by soaked dry mango leaves ( with the water) and lastly sprinkle garam masala powder and cumin powder. Let it simmer for 10 -15 minutes or until mutton and bottle gourd both completely done.
Lentils, if kept for a very long time, they tend to take a long time to get cooked, so if you using that then it will take time to be cooked in pot as well as in cooker, much more than the new ones, so avoid such daals.
Do not mash the daal , once the daal is cooked you will notice that almost three fourth portion of daal is mashed by itself where as there would be few whole soft bengal gram ( chana daal ) visible , I simply love it, I feel it gives a better taste to my daal and caterers/Restuarant’s chef also do not mash them.
In step 3, I have said cover and cook bottle gourd until its almost done. Here I used the word “almost”, means make sure that bottle gourd do not gets cooked completely because after that you still have to simmer for 10 more minutes toward the end and if before only, you cook bottle gourd completely then by the time your daal gosht is prepared, bottle gourd will break into pieces, which should not happen, bottle gourd should be cooked completely but with due respect retaining its proper shape till the end.
If you do not want to add lemon juice , you can skip it, but serve with lemon wedges for best results, But if you have added then , there is no point serving with lemon wedges.
Do not add lemon juice as adding of dry mango leaves will give you the same taste.
If you do not want to add crushed chilies, garlic and cumin seeds, skip it. I always add it as it enhances the flavor.
Increase or decrease the number of red chilly powder and green chilies as per your preferences.