You’ll Love this Authentic Lamb Achari Recipe!
Lamb Achari, also known as Achari Gosht or Achar Gosht, is an authentic Pakistani / Northern India recipe which combines a range of flavours which that set this curry aside from most other curries.
In Hindi and Urdu achar means pickle and a Lamb achari is a very popular curry from the north of India and Pakistan which is made with the spices often used to make pickles.
It was originally made using goat meat or mutton, however it can be made just as easily with lamb, chicken or even beef.
What’s the Origins of a Lamb Achari?
Achari curries take their name from the the Hindu word Achaar, which means pickle. This originates from Northern India and Pakistani, where there are a number of dishes which are made with achari spices or achari masala. These have a wonderful flavor and taste very different from the usual dishes.
Table of Contents
Lamb Achari Preparation
Lamb Achari Masala
- Add 1 teaspoon of each of the fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cumin and ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds into to a hot pan and toast for approx a minute
- After a minute or so, grind to a coarse powder. You can use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder
Lamb Achari Cooking Instructions
- In a large, heavy bottomed pan, heat the sunflower oil
- Once the oil is hot, add the nigella seeds (also known as black cumin) and remaining mustard seeds and cook until they begin to “pop”
- Add in the achari masala spices you creates earlier and cook for a minute or two until the aromas are released
- Now add the finely chopped onions and fry until they become golden
- Now add garlic and ginger paste and stir thoroughly making sure not to let it stick.
- Once the garlic and ginger paste has been cooking for approx a minute it’s time to add the red chilli powder and turmeric powder and then cook for another minute
- Add the diced lamb and fry until they begin to brown
- Once the lamb has begum to brown you can add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the lamb is cooked through. Add water as necessary to stop it from drying out
- Once the lamb is tender after about 30-45 mins add the lime or chilli chutney and mix well and leave to simmer for a couple of minutes
- Add the yoghurt bit by bit and keep it moving slowly to prevent the yoghurt from curdling
- Remove the pan from heat and mix in the garam masala
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (optional)
Lamb Achari (Achari Gosht) Recipe - So Tasty and Easy to Make
Ingredients
- 500 gram lamb diced into cubes
- 2 medium onions finely chopped
- 200 ml Chopped tinned tomatoes Or Passata
- 2-4 tablespoons plain natural yogurt Fat free works
- 2 tablespoon sunflower oil edible Mustard oil is better
- 3 teaspoon freshly ground ginger garlic paste granted and then ground in a mortar and pestle
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon nigella seeds also known as black cumin
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon Lime chutney For more a bite use chilli chutney
- water as necessary
- 1 handful freshly chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves
- Salt to taste
Instructions
How to prepare the Achari Masala
- Add 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin to a hot pan and toast for a minute or so. Then grind to a coarse powder in a mortar and pestle
Lamb Achari Cooking Instructions
- Heat the sunflower oil in a heavy bottom pan
- Add the nigella seeds and remaining mustard seeds and cook until they begin to "pop"
- Mix in achari masala spices and cook for a minute or two until the aromas are released
- Add finely chopped onions and fry until soft
- Add garlic ginger paste and mix well to avoid burning
- Add red chilli powder and turmeric powder and cook for another minute
- Add the diced lamb pieces and fry until they begin to brown
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the lamb is cooked through. Add water as necessary to stop it from drying out
- Once the lamb is tender after about 30-45 mins add the lime or chilli chutney and mix well and leave to simmer for a couple of minutes
- Start to add the yoghurt a little at a time and keep stirring to stop the yoghurt from curdling
- Remove the pan from heat and mix in the garam masala
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (optional)
Serving suggestion for Achari Gosht
It works really well with a plain white rice and is equally as good with chapatis or naan breads.
Lamb Achari Cooking Tips
- Look for good quality lamb . Rather than buying from a supermarket, you might get better lamb visiting a local butcher.
- It’s import that you dry roast / fry the achari masala, but don’t let them burn
- To be more authentic you can always use edible mustard oil in the recipe rather than sunflower oil, but if you do, you need to get the mustard oil as hot as you can without it smoking.
- As with most curries, this Lamb Achari is better if you let it sit for a a few hours or even until the following day so that the lamb can absorb all the flavours from the spices.
Try a look at some of my other Curry Recipes
My Chicken Madras Recipe is probably the the most popular Chicken Madras Recipe on the interwebs – Check out those comments, or if you want to try something different have a look at my Keema Mater (Keema Peas) recipe
Amazing curry. Had seen it on my local takeaway’s menu, but I’ve never tried an achari before. Made this recipe for me and the wife on date night and both of us loved it
Wow, tried this yesterday and I think it might be my new favourite. I thought I’d tried most curries but this Lamb achari was so good, I’ll most definitely be making it again.