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Indian cooking / Dishes / Sindhi Elaichi Gosht Ki Curry
Sindhi Elaichi Gosht Ki Curry (Soupy Cardamom & Black Pepper Lamb Curry)

Sindhi Elaichi Gosht Ki Curry

Soupy Cardamom & Black Pepper Lamb Curry
Non-vegetarian

A brothy Sindhi lamb curry in which cardamom and black pepper lead the flavour over a thin, tomato-thickened gravy. It is warming and peppery rather than chilli-hot, with tender lamb on the bone.

Cardamom and black pepper powder

12 gStirred into the hot ghee before the lamb goes in (step 2)
01
3.8 g1½ teaspoons
spice
02
9 g1 tablespoon
spice
Grind to a fine powder.

Ground spices for the sauce

7 gAdded to the frying lamb (step 4)
01
1.5 g½ teaspoon
spice
02
5 g1 tablespoon
spice
Keep as they are: add both to the pan and stir.

Everything else

01
53 g4 tablespoons
oil/fat
02
Lamb shoulder · Dastcut into bite-sized pieces
800 g
meat
03
348 g350 ml
liquid
04
to taste
salt
05
Tomato · Tamatarfinely chopped
200 g
vegetable
06
Coriander · Dhaniafinely chopped
3 g2 tablespoons
herb

Method

  1. Grind 3.8 g green cardamom seed and 8.7 g black peppercorn to a powder and set aside.
  2. Melt 52.8 g ghee in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Stir in the cardamom and black pepper powder and let it sizzle for a few seconds.
  3. Add 800 g lamb shoulder and fry for 5 minutes, turning the pieces as they seal.
  4. Add the ground spices for the sauce and keep frying for 5–6 minutes, stirring.
  5. Pour in 348 g water, season with salt and bring to the boil.
  6. Turn the heat down low, cover the pan and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
  7. Add 200 g tomato and cook uncovered for a further 40 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened, the gravy has thinned and thickened again and the lamb is tender.
  8. Scatter over 3 g coriander and serve warm.

Don't have something?

Green cardamom seed
  • Green cardamom pod

    Weigh roughly 2.5 times the seed requirement; crack pods open and discard the fibrous green husks.

  • Ground green cardamom

    Use 75% of the weight; stir in off the flame or near the end of cooking to maintain its fragrance.

Black peppercorn
  • Coarsely ground black pepper

    Use 75% of the weight. Add midway through simmering; spreads heat evenly through the dish instead of delivering isolated bursts.

  • Ground black pepper

    Use 50% of the weight. Stir in near the end of cooking; significantly darkens light gravies and provides an immediate, sharp bite.

Ghee
  • Unsalted butter

    Use 120% of the weight; melt gently over low heat to avoid burning the milk solids, which will yield a softer, creamier richness rather than a nutty aroma.

  • Vegetable oil

    Use 85% of the weight; holds high cooking temperatures without smoking, but the final dish will lack traditional dairy depth.

  • Mustard oil

    Use equal weight; heat to smoking point and cool slightly before cooking, bearing in mind it introduces an assertive, pungent edge.

Lamb shoulder
  • Lamb

    Use equal weight of diced lamb leg; cooks 15 minutes faster but has less gelatinous richness in slow braises.

  • Pork

    Use equal weight of pork shoulder; slow-cooks in roughly three-quarters of the time and produces a slightly sweeter gravy.

Ground turmeric
  • Ground ginger

    Use 50% of the weight. Mimics turmeric's warm, earthy, rhizome background, but provides none of the golden-yellow colour.

  • Saffron

    Steep a tiny pinch (0.1 g per 2 g turmeric) in 2 tbsp warm water; use to match the rich golden hue. Contributes an aristocratic, honeyed floral flavour rather than earthy bitterness.

Ground coriander
  • Coriander seeds

    Dry-roast lightly in a pan and grind to a fine powder; use equal weight (1:1). Offers a noticeably fresher, brighter citrus note.

  • Ground cumin

    Use 50% to 75% of the weight. Lacks the floral, citrusy profile of coriander and turns the gravy heavier, earthier, and darker.

  • Garam masala

    Use 50% of the weight and stir in near the end of cooking. Adds warmth and depth since it contains ground coriander, but introduces stronger spices like clove and cinnamon.

Water
  • Stock

    Use the same weight in savoury dishes; it adds body, so adjust salt.

  • Milk

    Use the same weight only in doughs or creamy dishes; it makes the result richer.

  • Coconut water

    Use the same weight in curries or rice; it adds sweetness and a faint coconut taste.

Tomato
  • Tomato purée

    Use 40% to 50% of the fresh tomato weight mixed with a splash of water. Imparts a deeper red colour, thicker sauce, and slightly sweeter cooked flavour.

  • Plain yogurt

    Use 60% of the weight, whisked smooth and added on low heat. Provides rich body and sourness, though the gravy becomes paler and creamier.

Coriander
  • Coriander leaf

    Use equal weight, chopped fresh and stirred in off the heat or used as garnish. Matches the citrus-herbal profile identically.

  • Mint

    Use 40% to 50% of the weight; chop finely and add at the very end. Adds fresh herbal brightness, but shifts the aroma toward cool menthol.

Similar dishes

Tamil Black Pepper Lamb Chops
Spicy Lamb Chop Curry with Ghee, Garlic, Chilli and Black Pepper
It tastes spicier and more aromatic from garlic, ginger and chilli, with a thick ghee-rich gravy, whereas this dish is warming and peppery rather than chilli-hot with a thin brothy tomato gravy.
  • Same: Like this dish, Tamil Black Pepper Lamb Chops uses lamb, ghee, black peppercorn, green cardamom, ground coriander and turmeric, with black pepper as a main warm spice.
  • Different: It uses lamb chops instead of bone-in shoulder, adds onion, garlic, ginger, Kashmiri chilli powder, dried Kashmiri chilli and bird’s eye chilli, and has no tomato or fresh coriander, giving a thicker gravy.
Malgoba
Thick & Spicy Lamb Curry
Malgoba tastes deeply savoury, thick and chilli-spiced from its yoghurt sauce, while this dish is brothy, warming and peppery rather than chilli-hot.
  • Same: Malgoba shares lamb, ghee, turmeric, ground coriander, black peppercorn and salt with this dish.
  • Different: Malgoba uses yoghurt as the souring agent and thickener with black cardamom, clove, onion, chilli powder, ginger paste and plain flour, while this dish uses tomato for a thin broth with green cardamom and no yoghurt.
Daniwal Qorma
Lamb in Coriander (Cilantro) Sauce
Daniwal Qorma tastes tangy and oniony from yogurt and onion, with fennel and lots of fresh coriander, rather than brothy and cardamom-peppery like this dish.
  • Same: Daniwal Qorma shares lamb, ghee, black peppercorn and ground coriander with this dish, and both finish with fresh coriander.
  • Different: Daniwal Qorma uses yogurt, a large amount of onion and fennel but lacks tomato, cardamom and turmeric, and it has much more fresh coriander and much less ghee than this dish, giving it a yogurt-based qorma method rather than this dish's thin tomato-thickened broth.
Dhaniwal Qorma
Coriander (Cilantro)-flavoured Lamb
Dhaniwal Qorma tastes tangy from yogurt and sweet from onions, with fennel and fresh coriander fragrance, and is richer and thicker. This dish tastes peppery and cardamom-forward, warming rather than chilli-hot, with a thin tomato-thickened broth.
  • Same: Both are lamb curries cooked with ghee, ground coriander, black peppercorn, and salt. Both use warm spices and a slow, gentle cooking style for tender lamb.
  • Different: Dhaniwal Qorma uses yogurt and a large amount of onion as its base, plus ground fennel and ginger, and finishes with fresh coriander leaf. This dish uses tomato and water for a thin brothy gravy, with green cardamom and black pepper leading, and it uses far less ghee and no yogurt or fresh coriander finish.