Pakistani Bhuna Gosht

Salaam and Ramadan Mubarak to you all!!! Before I say anything else I want to extend a huge Thank you to Lubna for inviting me to join “Joy From Fasting to Feasting”. I only actively started blogging this year and didn’t know about this event before, but have absolutely loved reading along and discovering other bloggers and their mouth watering food. Brilliant idea Lubna!

Every woman in my family has a version of this dish – more tomato, less tomato, more garam masala, less garam masala, etc. This is mine, but you should absolutely feel free to play around with the ingredients to suit your family. I frequently make this without ginger and it is still yummy. Usually we have it with roti/bread, but it is lovely inside a wrap or atop a salad.

Pakistani Bhuna Gosht – Spicy Shredded Beef 

• 1 pound beef boti | cubes boiled
• 1 black cardamom
• 5-8 whole black peppers
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 2-3 whole cloves
• 7 cloves garlic crushed – 1 heaped tbsp garlic
• 1 inch piece ginger grated – ½ tbsp ginger
• ½ to 1 tbsp red chilli powder (use according to taste)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• Salt
• Half an onion diced
• Two tomatoes diced
• ½ cup whipped room temperature yoghurt
• 4-5 green chillies
• Lemon juice
• For garnish: Cilantro leaves, mint leaves, thinly sliced sticks of ginger
• Oil for the pan

• Shred your boiled beef boti/cubes by hand and set aside. If you have wok/karhai then that is ideal for this dish. Otherwise any saucepan with raised sides will work. Heat about 1/3 cup oil in your pan on medium high heat and put in your whole spices i.e. cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and whole black pepper.

• After a minute add your onions and when the edges start to brown then add in your garlic and ginger and fry for a bit. Then add the spices and salt and cook for another two minutes. I recommend starting with the lower amount of red chilli powder as you can always add more later. You will be adding green chillies to this dish as well and they can be pretty spicy.
• Add the beef to the pan and stir to ensure that it is well coated by the spice paste. Add tomatoes and let them cook down and become mushy with the pan of medium heat. When the tomatoes have softened – takes me 5-7 minutes then turn the heat all the way up and start stir frying the mix to dry it up and help incorporate the tomatoes into the beef.
• If the beef starts to stick/burn then add more oil. The shredded beef mixture will darken significantly and there should be next to no visible pieces of tomatoes left. At this point add your yogurt and mix. Cook on medium heat for another two minutes then taste for seasoning. Adjust if necessary. Add half the cilantro, the juice of half a lemon and cook for another minute. Turn the stove off.

•  Serve this Pakistani Bhuna Gosht topped with cilantro and/or mint leaves and sliced green chillies with some extra lemon on the side. Goes very well with yoghurt or raita and naan or paratha.

NOTE: You can find updated list of entries @ Joy From Fasting To Feasting – VII.