Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Kandahari Gosht Tikka
Kandahari Gosht Tikka (Spiced Lamb Skewers with Black Pepper, Cumin & Dried Mango)

Kandahari Gosht Tikka

Spiced Lamb Skewers with Black Pepper, Cumin & Dried Mango
Non-vegetarianOrigin Kandahar

Kandahari gosht tikka is lamb marinated with yoghurt, garlic, ginger and warm spices, then grilled on skewers and basted with smoked butter. It tastes peppery, cumin-scented and lightly tangy from dried mango.

Marinade spices

6 gMixed into the yoghurt marinade (step 2)
01
1.1 g½ teaspoon
spice
02
Cumin seed · Jeeracoarsely crushed
2.1 g1 teaspoon
spice
03
2.6 g1 teaspoon
spice blend
Stir into the yoghurt mixture.

Dried mango garnish

6 gMixed with salt for the final sprinkle (step 5)
01
6 g2 teaspoons
spice
Mix with sea salt to taste.

Everything else

01
Garlic · Lehsunroughly chopped
9 g3 cloves
aromatic
02
Fresh ginger · Adrakroughly chopped
12 g3 cm
aromatic
03
15 g1 tablespoon
dairy
04
5 g1 teaspoon
other
05
Lamb rump · Muttoncut into bite-size pieces
650 g
meat
06
Salt · Namakto garnish
to taste
salt
07
Smoked butterfor basting
to taste
dairy

Method

  1. Blend 9 g garlic, 6 g ginger and a splash of water to a smooth paste.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the garlic-ginger paste, 15 g greek yoghurt and the marinade spices (1.1 g black pepper, 2.1 g cumin seed, 2.6 g garam masala).
  3. Stir 5 g meat tenderizer into the bowl.
  4. Add 650 g lamb rump pieces and stir to coat; do not add salt at this stage.
  5. Cover and refrigerate for 6–8 hours to marinate.
  6. Mix 6 g dried mango powder with sea salt, to taste, in a small bowl; set aside.
  7. Thread the marinated lamb onto soaked wooden skewers.
  8. Heat a griddle pan over medium heat and cook the skewers for 4 minutes.
  9. Baste with smoked butter, to taste, turn the skewers and cook for a further 4 minutes.
  10. Sprinkle the dried mango-salt mix over the skewers and serve warm.

Don't have something?

Garlic
  • Garlic paste

    Use equal weight. Fry gently in oil or ghee with the ginger; incorporates smoothly into curries without visible minced bits.

  • Garlic powder

    Use 15% to 20% of the weight (about 1 g for every 5 to 6 g fresh cloves). Whisk into sauces; gives a savoury, toasted garlic flavour without raw pungency.

  • Shallot

    Use 1.5 times the weight, very finely minced. Sauté until golden; provides savoury allium sweetness, though it lacks garlic's pungent sulphur bite.

Fresh ginger
  • Ginger paste

    Use equal weight. Sauté in hot fat until the raw allium smell disappears; slightly wetter, but provides identical warmth and pungency.

  • Ground ginger

    Use 20% to 25% of the weight (1 g for every 4 to 5 g fresh). Stir into the gravy; adds peppery heat and warmth, though it misses the crisp, zesty kick of raw root.

Greek yoghurt
Black pepper
  • Black peppercorn

    Use the same weight and crush or grind as the recipe needs; whole peppercorn is the same spice.

  • Ground black pepper

    Use the same weight; add nearer the end if the recipe calls for whole pepper, as ground loses aroma faster.

  • Ground white pepper

    Use about 75–80% of the weight; it is milder and earthier, with less bite.

Cumin seed
  • Ground cumin

    Use 70% of the weight; add with ground spices or sauce bases rather than hot oil tempering, where it scorches quickly and turns bitter.

  • Black cumin seeds

    Use equal weight for oil tempering. Delivers an earthy profile with an additional musky, smoky, and slightly bitter edge.

  • Fennel seed

    Use 60% of the weight for tempering; offers comparable warm aroma, but leans sweet and liquorice-like rather than savoury and earthy.

Garam masala
  • Ground cumin

    Use 50% of the weight mixed with equal parts ground coriander and a pinch of ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground green cardamom. Sprinkle near the end for a warming finish.

  • Lentil stew spice mix

    Use 75% of the weight. Simmer briefly in the gravy; imparts roasted warmth and complexity, though it adds a slight tang and earthy lentil undertone.

Meat tenderizer
  • Raw papaya paste

    Use about 10 g per 500 g meat, rub in and leave 30 minutes; do not overdo or the meat turns mushy.

  • Lemon juice

    Use about 15 ml per 500 g meat, leave 20 minutes; acidic and lightly tenderising.

  • Yoghurt

    Use about 100 g per 500 g meat, leave overnight; mild tenderising and adds tang.

Lamb rump
  • Boneless leg of lamb

    Use the same weight; similar lean texture, cook 5-10 minutes less if the piece is thin.

  • Lamb fillet

    Use the same weight; very lean and tender, so cook briefly and add later.

  • Lamb shoulder

    Use the same weight; more fat, so cook 20 minutes longer and skim the gravy.

Amchoor powder
  • Ground dried mango powder

    Use the same weight; same sour mango flavour. Add early so it can soften into the dish.

  • Dried mango powder

    Grind to a powder and use the same weight. Slightly coarser unless finely ground.

  • Lemon juice

    Use 5–6 times the weight, e.g. 1 tsp powder to about 5 tsp juice; add off the heat. Wetter and fresher-tasting.

Smoked butter
  • Salted butter

    Use the same weight; melt with a pinch of paprika for colour. No smoke flavour, and salt is already included.

  • Unsalted butter

    Use the same weight; add a pinch of salt and paprika. No smoke flavour.

  • Ghee

    Use the same weight; nuttier and keeps longer, but no smoke. Add paprika for a smoky look.

Similar dishes

Chaamp Masala
Spicy Lamb Chops Marinated in Garlic, Chilli & Garam Masala
Chaamp Masala tastes hot and smoky with a chilli-garlic edge, while this dish is tangy from dried mango and yoghurt with warm black pepper and cumin.
  • Same: Chaamp Masala shares lamb, garlic, ginger, garam masala and smoked butter with this dish, and both finish smoky.
  • Different: Chaamp Masala uses lamb chops with green chilli, chilli-garlic sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ground coriander and Kashmiri chilli powder, while this dish uses lamb rump with yoghurt, black pepper, cumin, meat tenderizer and dried mango powder; it is marinated overnight, roasted and basted, whereas this dish is skewered and griddled.
Tawe Ka Tikka
Stir-Fried Lamb with Garlic Green Chilli & Garam Masala
Tawe Ka Tikka tastes tangy from lemon and yoghurt with green chilli heat and ghee-rich onion-tomato warmth, while this dish is smoky and tangy from dried mango with black pepper, cumin and smoked butter.
  • Same: Tawe Ka Tikka shares lamb, a yoghurt marinade, garlic, ginger, cumin seed and meat tenderizer with this dish.
  • Different: Tawe Ka Tikka uses lamb shoulder, ghee, onion, tomato, Kashmiri chilli, green bird's-eye chilli, lemon, cinnamon, black cardamom and clove, and it lacks this dish's dried mango powder, black pepper, smoked butter and skewers.
Shami Kebab (Tandoori Home Cooking)
Lamb Kebabs with Cardamom, Chilli & Mint
Shami Kebab is soft inside and crisp outside with cardamom, chilli and mint and a dried mango tang, while this dish is smoky, tangy and warm-spiced from black pepper and cumin.
  • Same: Shami Kebab shares lamb, garlic, ginger, cumin, garam masala and dried mango powder with this dish.
  • Different: Shami Kebab is minced lamb with chana dal, onion, egg, mint, green chilli, cardamom, mace and bay leaf, shallow-fried in ghee or oil and served with green chutney; this dish is yoghurt-marinated lamb rump skewered and griddled with smoked butter.
Lamb Burra Kebab
Tandoori Lamb Chops with Yoghurt, Chilli & Nutmeg
Lamb Burra Kebab tastes more vinegar-tangy, chilli-hot and warmly spiced with nutmeg and cardamom, while this dish is smoky and tangy from dried mango with black pepper and cumin.
  • Same: Lamb Burra Kebab shares lamb, garlic, ginger, Greek yoghurt, cumin seed, black pepper, smoked butter and salt with this dish, and both are yoghurt-marinated and cooked over high heat.
  • Different: Lamb Burra Kebab uses lamb chops, malt vinegar, Kashmiri chilli powder, mustard oil, clove, black cardamom, mace and nutmeg in a double marinade and is grilled, while this dish uses lamb rump, dried mango powder and meat tenderizer and is skewered and cooked on a griddle.