Achar Gosht aka Achari Gosht, is a delightfully tangy, sour and spicy mutton curry that is sure to take your taste buds on a ride. This dish is inspired by my favorite green chili pickle, that I like to batch make every few months.
If you’ve ever tried a traditional Indian pickle and have experienced the tantalizing flavors and textures, you’ll love every bite of this wickedly delicious dish. With tender goat meat and a curry that packs in the punch of pickle spices, this dish truly has an unforgettable taste and aroma.
Unlike most other curries, this one doesn’t need a marinade - all you need to do is cook the lamb pieces with the coarsely ground spices on high heat for a while, and then cook on low until the meat is well done.
Every time I have some mutton to work with, I always end up making this curry, or my other favorite Bhuna Gosht.
Quick Look: Achar Gosht
- 🔪 Prep time: 5 minutes.
- ⏲️ Cook time: 30 minutes.
- 👪 Servings: 4.
- 📋 Main ingredients: Mutton or goat meat, yogurt, onions, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, achari spices, lemon juice.
- ♨️ Cooking method: Sauté → cook the meat → roast and grind the achari spices → simmer → garnish and serve.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣 Serving ideas: Pair with naan, roti, Indian cumin rice, Laccha Pyaaz, mix veg raita, or minty Indian buttermilk.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
- If you can't resist a good rustic curry, this recipe ticks all the boxes- just like my goat Paya.
- The balance of sour, spicy and salty flavors that this curry packs in is unlike anything I’ve tasted.
- You can batch-make the spice base and store it for months.
Recipe Ingredients
Mutton: We’ll be starting off with juicy, tender cuts of mutton. I like to stick to shoulder cuts.
Ginger garlic paste: The flavor builder! I always use homemade ginger garlic paste whenever I can.
Yogurt: To tenderize the meat and lend the curry that richness and creaminess.
Tomatoes + onion: The base of any classic Indian curry.
Whole spices: I used a mix of dried red chilies, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds.
Seasonings: Some turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala seasoning.
Green chillies: To add an extra bit of heat to the curry.
Lemon juice: To balance out the other flavors and add a bit of tanginess to the curry.
Oil: Any good cooking oil can work well.
Cilantro: To garnish.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, you can add tomato puree or fire roasted tomatoes instead.
- Don’t have all the whole spices that you need for the Achari masala? You could just use some store-bought Achari masala instead!
- You can also swap the mutton in the recipe for chicken, use the same spices and make some Achari chicken instead!
How to Make Achar Gosht
Heat oil in a pot and add onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the meat, ginger-garlic paste, yogurt, salt and turmeric and sauté for a few minutes. Cover and let it cook for 15-20 minutes on low heat.
Now add the tomatoes, chillies, red chili powder and garam masala powder and cook on medium heat.
Meanwhile, dry roast the coriander seeds, nigella seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and dried red chili on a pan for 5-6 minutes on low heat.
Remove from heat and allow it to cool down. Use a mortar and pestle or a food processor to grind the species to a coarse powder.
Add 2 tablespoons of this to the curry and give it a good mix. Cover and cook on low heat for 2-5 minutes, until the curry is simmering.
Serve it in a bowl with some lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves.
💭Top Tip
Like most Indian curries, this dish tastes best the next day, so it makes sense to make it a day in advance.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- If you can, use mustard oil for the recipe. It really adds to the flavor of the dish and gives the curry that intense, smoky flavor.
- Make sure you drain all the excess water from the meat after you’re done cleaning it, before you add it into the curry.
- I’ve used my regular pot to make this curry, but you can totally use your Instant Pot or pressure cooker if you want to cut down the cooking time.
- While it isn't traditional, you can add some green peas and chopped potatoes into the curry to bulk it up, like with my Karahi Keema recipe.
How to Serve Achari Gosht
I love pairing this hearty Indian curry with my bullet naan- a spicy, wholesome Indian flatbread, or parathas. If you love rice, you can also team up this flavorful curry dish with some pilau rice, garlic turmeric rice or even some biryani if you’re up for it.
I also love teaming up my Indian curries with some Indian buttermilk to wash it all down, or a nice cucumber mint raita or Dahi Boondi.
And if you're looking for a simple side to go with it, try my classic cashew pakoras or baked potato samosas served with tandoori mayonnaise or a nice tangy date tamarind chutney.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
You don’t actually need to, but if you really have a few extra minutes, you can coat the mutton pieces in a mixture of yogurt, salt and red chili powder for 30 minutes or more.
The best way to store your leftovers is to transfer it to a clean container with a lid or an airtight container and refrigerate it. The curry can stay fresh for 2-3 days, and you can reheat it whenever you want to.
I would recommend reheating it in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop on low heat. You might also want to add some water into the curry to loosen it up a bit.
More Indian Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Achari Gosht or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Achar Gosht (Achari Gosht)
Ingredients
- 350 g mutton
- ½ cup Yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 ½ tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 75 ml oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 tomato chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander chopped
- 1-2 green chillies
- 1-2 red chillies
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 3-4 dried red chilli
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried pomegranate seeds optional
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ½ teaspoon nigella seeds
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot and add onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Now add the meat, ginger-garlic paste, yogurt, salt and turmeric and saute for a few minutes. Cover and let it cook for 15-20 minutes on low heat.
- Now add the tomatoes, chillies, red chili powder and garam masala powder and cook on medium heat.
- Meanwhile, dry roast the coriander seeds, nigella seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and dried red chili on a pan for 5-6 minutes on low heat.
- Remove from heat and allow it to cool down. Use a mortar and pestle or a food processor to grind the species to a coarse powder.
- Add 2 tablespoons of this to the curry and give it a good mix. Cover and cook on low heat for 2-5 minutes, until the curry is simmering.
- Serve it in a bowl with some lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves.
