Goat slow cooked in aromatic spices until fall of the bone tender and delicious.

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Dhaba style goat curry

An American friend who recently went to India told me that she found Indian restaurants very intimidating. The long menus with unpronounceable names of dishes that offer little to no description of the individual items on the list demand a certain familiarity with the place, she said. But then she said that she totally felt at home when she stepped into a dhaba. Dhabas are these ubiquitous truckstop eateries found along highways in India that are defined by their busy and loud atmosphere, cheap plastic chairs and tables, worn walls, and thatched roofs that attract visitors from all walks of life. Dhabas are meant to be these nondescript casual restaurants with loud music where passerby can be anonymous, away from the stares of judging people. I totally get what my friend felt in that dhaba. In fact, when in India and jet-lagged (or not), I regularly go to dhabas late at night particularly because I can literally be in my pjs and nobody would care. I also go there for exceptional food, of course. 

All sorts of travelers in India from all over the world depend on dhabas, because not only do they offer a relaxed atmosphere, but they also offer a familiar spread—butter chicken, tandoori, lentils, roasted eggplants, chicken bharta, dal tadka, eggs and toasts—not just for Indian but all travelers alike. I personally have’t had the opportunity to go to any quintessential rural dhabas along less-traveled paths of India with their dusty fields and their barest structures framed by concrete back walls and low-slung thatch roofs held up by bamboo poles. I have only ever eaten at urban dhabas or in dhabas close to the city limits, which do serve dhaba foods but have concrete structures with air conditioning. But perhaps there will come an opportunity in the future to embark on a road trip with friends on cratered roadways and chaotic traffic, lumbering livestock and hair-raising detours, which will all be made joyful and memorable with the discovery of a real dhaba. 

Dhaba style mutton

Goat slow cooked in aromatic spices until fall of the bone tender and delicious.

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Prep Time 2 hours hrs

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

• 1 kg lamb or goat meat
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp mustard oil
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• salt to taste
• 2 cups water
• 2 slit green chilies
• 4 tbsp mustard or vegetable oil
• 4-6 cardamoms
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 black cardamoms
• 4-5 Cloves
• 2 tbsp ginger paste
• 2 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 cup beaten yogurt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 2 tbsp meat masala powder
• 1 cup fried onion paste*
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 3 tbsp cashew nut paste
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp crushed kasuri methi
• 1/4 cup cream

Instructions

 

• Add turmeric powder, mustard oil, lime juice, and salt to the washed and dried pieces of meat and refrigerate for 2 hours. Now transfer to a pressure cooker, add water and green chilies and cook until tender.
• Heat 4 tbsp mustard oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add the whole spices. When they start spluttering, add ginger paste and garlic paste. Sauté for a minute and add the beaten yogurt.
• Now add the powdered spices and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add onion paste and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add tomato puree and cashew paste and cook until oil separates (8-10 mins).
• Now add the precooked meat (I didn't use the drippings) and cook for 15-20 more minutes over low heat.
• Adjust salt, sprinkle the crushed kasuri methi and cream and remove from heat.
• Serve with roti, parantha or rice.

Notes

For the onion paste, fry 2 cups of sliced onions in ghee or canola oil until golden brown. Remove from heat and make into a paste using a food processor. You can also use the store bought fried onions. but make sure they are not dusted with flour.
Most restaurants also put diced bell peppers and tomatoes in the gravy, but I prefer it without any distractions.

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