Gushtaba
pounded mutton meatballs poached in a white yogurt gravy, the closing course of wazwan
Allergens in Gushtaba: milk.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 600g boneless leg, minced twice and completely free of sinew Mutton
- 4, very finely chopped Shallotpraan, the small Kashmiri shallot
- 600g full-fat, whisked smooth Yogurt
- 5 tbsp Ghee
- 2 tbsp Fennel Powder
- 1 tbsp Dry Ginger Powder
- 6 green, seeds ground Cardamom
- 2, cracked Black Cardamom
- 4 Cloves
- 1 stick, 5cm Cinnamon
- 1 tsp, finely ground Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp dried, crushed Mint
- 1/4 tsp Baking Sodahelps the mince bind and stay tenderoptional
- 100ml Milkfor a softer, whiter finishoptional
- 400ml Water
- to taste Salt
Cookware
stovetop
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Traditionally the meat is pounded on a stone with a wooden mallet for half an hour. Twice-minced leg plus ten minutes of working the bowl by hand gets you close; a food processor makes it pasty rather than springy.
- Trim out every strand of sinew before mincing. One thread is enough to split a ball open in the gravy.
- Whisk the yogurt smooth and let it come to room temperature. An hour out of the fridge.
Method
- Work the mince with 2 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp of the fennel powder, 1/2 tsp dry ginger, the ground green cardamom, black pepper, baking soda and 1 tsp salt for a full 10 minutes, until it turns pale, tacky and springy.It is ready when a pinch stretches between your fingers instead of crumbling.
- Chill the mix 20 minutes, then wet your palms and roll 8 balls the size of a small orange, smoothing away every crack.Any crack on the surface opens up during poaching.
- Heat the remaining ghee in a wide pan and cook the shallot on low for 6 minutes until soft and translucent.Do not let the shallot colour. Gushtaba gravy must stay white.
- Add the black cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, then the remaining fennel powder and dry ginger, and stir for 30 seconds.
- Off the heat, whisk in the yogurt and the water, then return to a low flame and stir constantly until it reaches a bare simmer, about 8 minutes.Constant stirring right up to the simmer is the only thing standing between you and a curdled gravy.
- Slide the meatballs in one at a time. Do not stir for the first 10 minutes. Swirl the pan by its handle instead.
- Simmer uncovered on low for 40 minutes, spooning gravy over the balls now and then, until they are firm and the gravy is the thickness of single cream.
- Stir in the milk and crushed mint, season, and give it 5 minutes more.
- Rest 10 minutes off the heat and serve one gushtaba per person with plain rice.
Safe temperatures: Minced meat is done at 71°C / 160°F all the way through. Reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F. FoodSafety.gov
Storage
Keeps 2 days refrigerated with the meatballs fully submerged in their gravy; reheat them in it over a low flame. Do not freeze. The yogurt gravy separates on thawing.
Nutrition Low estimate
One serving of Gushtaba (428 g) is about 445 calories, or 105 calories per 100 g.
High protein: 38 g a serving, 35% of the calories
| Per serving428 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 445 kcal | 105 kcal |
| Protein | 38.4 g | 9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 14.0 g | 3 g |
| of which sugars | 8.3 g | 2 g |
| Fibre | 3.5 g | 1 g |
| Fat | 26.3 g | 6 g |
| of which saturated | 14.7 g | 3 g |
| of which unsaturated | 9.6 g | 2 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Nearest database match used for mutton. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Gluten-free Indian recipes · Kashmiri recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.