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Dal Gosht is deliciously flavourful, thick, and full-bodied with pieces of red meat, mostly bone-in lamb, beef, or goat, nicely woven with yellow split peas, also called chana dal.
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Your preferred piece of red meat is the main ingredient that'll make the deep flavours of this recipe more intense.
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Start by heating three tablespoons (45 ml) of oil over medium heat in a large pot, then add two medium chopped onions weighing 220 g; saut them until golden brown.
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This will give the dish a lot of flavour and goodness.
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When cooked, add in 8 cloves of garlic-just chop the limp pieces. You do not need to mince; they will provide enough flavour when cooked.
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This can be followed up with two medium chopped tomatoes (250 g), stirring them in until they soften and blend with the onions and garlic, thus forming a rich, aromatic sauce.
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Season the mixture with 2.5 teaspoons of salt, or to taste, with 0.5 teaspoons of turmeric, one teaspoon of cumin powder, and two teaspoons of coriander powder.
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These spices add colour and flavour to this dish.
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Add the meat to the pot; in the case of a large amount of meat, ensure that every little bit of that meat is coated with the spice mix.
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Sear that for about 5 to 7 minutes. It must be browned and caramelised on the outside. While the meat browns, soak the 1 cup (180 g) of chana dal and rinse; ideally, this should be done at least an hour ahead so it cooks evenly and absorbs all the flavours.
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When the meat has browned, add the rinsed chana dal to the pot along with enough water to cover everything, about 4 cups or 1 litre.
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Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a very low simmer, covered, for around 1.5 to 2 hours.
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Important in this dish, which is slow cooked, is to take care of the meat and let the good flavours meld into a delicious union.
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For a couple of hours, you may need to check on it a few times while stirring gently with a spoon to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan and maybe dilute it with some water as needed until you attain the consistency you like.
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For an optional yet very much recommended process, you can prepare a flavouring tadka to flavour the dish. In a small pan, heat 1/2 cup of oil, 125 ml, over medium heat, then add 1.5 finely sliced medium onions, about 165 g. Stir-fry the onions until they turn golden yellow and fragrant.
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Then add one heaped tablespoon of cumin seeds and 2-4 green chillies. You may add more chillies for a spicier taste or less for mild flavour; cook for another minute until fragrant.
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Pour this tadka over the cooked dal gosht just before serving and stir it gently to incorporate the extra flavours.
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Garnish the dal gosht with freshly chopped coriander for an element of freshness and a burst of colour.
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This delicious recipe of dal gosht is ready to eat hot, along with a platter full of hot steaming basmati rice, naan, or roti, for a perfect meal to savour the richness of traditions in South Asian delicacies.