KASHMIRI CHOKHTA
AN EXQUISITE KASHMIRI RECIPE FOR CHOKHTA—ROASTED LAMB CURRY.
Chokta is a traditional Kashmiri curry recipe made with mutton or lamb. Roasting the bones and using vegetable oil for high heat cooking creates intense flavour and beautiful texture in the meat. The spice base is simple and strong. This is a special dish.
RECIPE DETAILS
Serves: 4 as part of an Indian meal
Prep time: 30 minutes.
Cooking time: 60 minutes.
Dietary Style: Gluten Free | Dairy Free
INGREDIENTS
LAMB OR MUTTON PREP
- 900 gms lamb shoulder, cubed into 2-inch pieces
- 6 to 8 lamb bones, cut 2-inches long
FIRST IN THE KADAI
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup mustard oil
- 1 1/2 cups cold water
- 1 1/2 tsp fine white salt
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- Asafoetida
- 1 tsp ginger powder
TO FINISH
- 1 tsp hot red chilli powder
- 2 tbsp cold water
- additional ginger powder
METHOD
How to make our chokhta recipe.
STEP 1
Heat the oven to 180 degree centigrade fan forced. Pop your lamb bones on an over tray and roast for 20 to 25 minutes once the oven reaches temperature. Do not add oil or seasoning.
While the lamb bones are roasting, prep the lamb shoulder by chopping into large chunks at least 2 inch by 2 inch. I reserve most of the fat on the meat. It adds sweetness to the end result.
STEP 2
In a large kadai, cast iron wok, or heavy based pot combine the water and oils and set to high heat. Once it starts to heat, add the salt, Kashmiri chilli powder, a few good dashes of hing water or two strong pinches of asafoetida powder, and the first teaspoon of ginger powder. Once this reaches a roiling and spicy boil, add the cut chunks of lamb shoulder.
Cook on high heat for a few minutes, turning through the spiced oil and water liquid, before placing a lid on the cooking vessel and letting it boil down until the water evaporates to half. You will need to keep an eye on the pot, stirring occasionally. This process should take around 15 to 20 minutes. Not longer.
STEP 3
Remove the lid. Test the tension in the meat. If the water is evaporated to half (or nearly) and the meat feels very hard, then you’re there. Now it’s time to turn the heat down to a slow medium. Keep the lid off and continue to cook down. You should notice the lamb softening after around 10 minutes, and the oil and water mix becomes a little creamier looking. This part will take some time, maybe 30 minutes, but you want the water to mostly evaporate to the point where the liquid in the vessel becomes more oil-like.
STEP 3
Once you reach this point, prep your chilli water: add 1 tsp hot ground chilli to 2 tablespoons of water. Turn the heat back up to high. Add your roasted lamb bones. Once stirred through, add the chilli water on the high heat until the meat and the vessel you’re cooking in deglazes. Add a final 1/3 teaspoon of ginger powder.
STEP 4
Once deglazed, turn the heat down slightly to a medium. This will allow the fat to render into the lamb glaze and provide that missing fatty sweetness that the spice of this dish won’t provide. Taste. If the oil is making the spice, cook further until the sweetness and heat drives through.
Serve straight from the kadai with flaky paratha, and tangy raita
LEARN MORE ABOUT
CHOKHTA
Can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil?
No. Olive oil will burn at that high heat, and contribute the wrong base taste to the curry. Vegetable oil gets a bad wrap, and it isn’t healthy to eat it all the time, but when it comes to following traditional recipes it is important to not make significant substitutions.
What’s the top tip for making chokhta?
Don’t be afraid to use very high heat when cooking the lamb or mutton in the oil and water initially. If the heat isn’t high enough when the lamb is added, the oil will make the meat feel heavy and won’t offer the dish the correct tension.
Do I have to roast the bones?
Yes. Roasting the bones doesn’t take long (you can do it while cutting the meat) and doesn’t need any seasoning or attention. And it makes a big different to the end taste result because the roasting process adds a depth of taste and texture to the actual bones that is then introduced to the chokhta dish as a whole.
Is there a difference in cooking the recipe with lamb or mutton?
Yes. Mutton (particularly mutton in India) is a more tender, less fatty, and less texturally robust protein than lamb. If using mutton, reduce the cooking times. It would be beneficial to watch the video, so you can see the tension changes you need to create in the meat, instead of just relying on timing cues in the recipe.
KITCHEN HACKS
