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Bakra Eid and Barri Eid are the two loving nicknames of Eid-ul-Azha in the subcontinent and, having grown up in Pakistan, that is exactly how I referred to it until I moved to the west, where it is almost always referred to as Eid-ul-Azha. Still think Bakra Eid has a cuter ring to it.

Since this Eid is a celebration of eating red meat, here are a few recipes to share. One is a signature Kashmiri dish where small pieces of goat or lamb leg are braised in aromatic spices, while there are also two specialties from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Cooking qorma and karhai from scratch adds richness of flavour; the DIY technique is simple and the following recipes don’t require too many ingredients.

Make a tender roast leg of mutton the centre-piece of your Eid feast and, for guests who prefer lightly spiced meat, try the namkeen gosht. Happy eating and Eid Mubarak to all.

Roghan josh

Ingredients

• 1 kg goat meat (preferably leg meat, cut in small pieces)
• ½ cup oil
• 2 to 3 bay leaves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 to 3 sabut lal mirch (dried red pepper)
• ½ teaspoon level heeng (asafoetida)
• Salt to taste
• 1 ½ to 2 cups yoghurt
• 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons Kashmiri or Deghi red chilli powder
• 1 to 1½ teaspoon level ginger powder
• 1 to 1 ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• 8 to 12 green cardamom
• ½ to 1 teaspoon Kashmiri garam masala
• 2 cups of water

Method

Heat oil and fry bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and sabut mirch for a minute. Add meat. Stir, and add salt and asafoetida. Stir until the water released by meat dries; add a little water stirring constantly.

Add yoghurt and red chilli powder, stirring constantly until meat is half done (20 to 25 minutes), add a little water as needed; add ginger powder and coriander powder.

Cook until meat is completely tender (adding a little water if required), sprinkle freshly ground Kashmiri garam masala and cardamom, stir and initiate sealed pot cooking for 10 minutes. Your deliciously aromatic roghan josh is ready.

Mutton karhai

Ingredients

• -2 kg goat leg, cut in small cubes
  • 1 kg tomatoes
  • 7 to 10 green chillies or to taste (chopped)
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup oil, but with fresh qurbani meat, animal fat should suffice

Method

Braise meat on high heat, adding green chillies and salt, cook for a few minutes adding tomatoes. Cook until meat is tender and tomato juice has evaporated through cooking and orange-red tender meat is ready to be served with hot delicious naan.

Namkeen gosht

Ingredients

• 1 kg goat leg, cut in small cubes
• 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons freshly chopped ginger
• ½ to 1 freshly diced tomato
• 4 to 5 green chillies, slit lengthwise, (optional, but preferable, this gives it a real kick)
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• Salt to taste
• ¼ to ½ cup oil, but with freshly slaughtered meat the animal fat should suffice

Method

Heat oil in a heavy-lidded wok. Fry green chillies and ginger for a minute, adding meat, salt, tomato and black pepper, stir on high heat for a few minutes, until the heat causes the meat to release juices. Seal pot with lid and simmer on low to medium heat for a few minutes, turning the heat to low and cook until meat is tender and falling off the bone.

The meat juices gradually steam and evaporate, sealing in the juices. Slow cook to perfection. Avoid adding water if possible but, if need arises, add a little water to complete the cooking process.

Serve with naan, lemon wedges and sliced onions.

Raan roast

Ingredients

• At least 3 kg to 4 kg goat leg. Wash it thoroughly and make deep cuts and set aside

Marinade

• 4 tablespoons each minced ginger and garlic
• Crushed red pepper according to taste
• Salt to taste
• 8 crushed green chillies
• 2 teaspoons Kashmiri Mirch powder
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 1 packet, any pre-packaged store bought dry barbecue masala, tikka masala, qorma masala
• ½ cup oil
• 1 tablespoon turmeric

Method

Mix marinade in a bowl. Taste marinade to ensure flavour is according to taste, the flavour of the marinade is what the taste of the gravy will be like. Rub marinade on to the goat leg massaging it well and ensuring that the marinade has penetrated into the cuts on the goat leg.

Cover and marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 36 hours. Preheat oven at 450 degrees, pour two to three cups of beef stock onto the goat leg, for moisture, seal with foil and bake for an hour and a half. Remove the pan from the oven, adding red onions sliced in rings, sliced green chillies, six large tomatoes cut in fours and garlic cloves.

Set oven temperature at 400 degrees and bake for another two hours. Important note: check every 30 minutes for tenderness and appearance of goat leg.

Once the meat starts separating from the bone the leg is done. Serve as a centrepiece at your dinner party, it’s a sure shot hit.

Shahi qorma

Ingredients (serves 6 to 8)

• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 ½ kg mutton or chicken
• 1 teaspoon heaped, finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon heaped, finely chopped fresh garlic
• 3 medium-sized onions (finely sliced)
• 2 or 3 cinnamon sticks
• ½ teaspoon cloves
• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 or 3 black cardamoms
• 14 to 16 green cardamoms, split
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons kewrra water
• 2 to 3 tablespoons almonds (optional)
• Salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons red chilli powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons cumin powder
• 1/4 cup yoghurt
• 7 to 8 cup water if cooking mutton; 2 to 3 cups if cooking chicken

Method

Heat oil, fry onions until golden brown, drain onions and set aside. In the same oil fry whole garam masalas and green cardamom for a couple of minutes, adding meat.

Maintaining high heat, fry meat, and add ginger, garlic, yoghurt, powdered masalas, salt and fried onions. Braise meat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring constantly. In a separate pan, bring water to boil and add to the meat, let the qorma boil for a few minutes and then lower the heat to medium.

Let cook, add bay leaves and kewrra water. Once the curry thickens, meat becomes tender and oil separates, your qorma is ready to be served.

Optional: Garnish with fried almonds once qorma is cooked or add blanched almonds to qorma 15 minutes before taking off the fire.

Originally published in Dawn, EOS, August 11th, 2019