Slow Cooked Spicy Lamb – Kosha Mangsho

Kosha Mangsho-Slow Cooked Spicy Bengali LambThis dish is inspired by a signature class Bengali preparation of goat meat called Kosha Mangsho or Slow Cooked Mutton Curry. I have had loads of requests for doing this in an instant pot. I finally have adapted it for the instant pot. The original post was done on December 14, 2015.   The instant pot simplifies the recipe and reduces the time by more than half.

What is Kosha Mangsho and some tweaks

My other variations to this dish are to add baby carrots and use lamb instead of the goat meat. I feel this helps in keeping the recipe a little more accessible.

The term kosha refers to a cooking process, called bhuna in Hindi.  This refers to slow cooking without any additional water. The result is a gorgeous and bold marriage of meat and the spices.

There is no place for rush or hurry in this dish. The classic recipe needs about 3 hours of cooking time and attention. A special occasion dish that is the domain of the Bengali home cook. Lighter curries such as this one here are more everyday and mainstream.

So why mess with perfection and use an Instant Pot?

The instant pot helps you cut that down to an hour, and about half that time is hands on. 

I have tested this on many purists and they approve.

How to enjoy this dish

Luchi is the preferred partner for Kosha Mangsho. Other flat breads are fine, but pairing this with rice is usually a faux pas.

Kosha Mangsho

The results of Instant Pot Kosha Mangsho

Between Bengali spices and the Instant Pot, you get a dish that is savory perfection. This dish consists of a fairly potent level of heat from both black peppercorns and some red cayenne pepper. The other beautiful fragrant spices such as cinnamon, cardamom and cloves that are so perfect for this time of the year.

Elevated Sunday Suppers

The last two months of Sunday supper food have been nothing short of spectacular.  Despite all my complaints about the time that it takes for them at their FLL, the trade off is indeed an afternoon of undisturbed cooking. These Sunday afternoons of peaceful uninterrupted cooking are also the antidote to the busy weeks we have had at work.

Kosha Mangsho Growing up, while Sunday mornings were leisurely and relaxed there was nothing especially promising about Sunday evenings.

Nostalgic Memories of Sunday

As a child Sunday evening included prepping for the week.  There was always mountains of homework that needed to be done. While Sunday breakfasts were a big deal, not necessarily the dinner. So my Sunday dinner tradition is just something I have created. It is my way of compensating for the busy and rushed weeknight dinners.

Sunday include lots of kitchen time. I am still grateful that I am able to sustain the household and find solace in my kitchen. If you are looking for that special recipe for your holiday table, consider giving this recipe a try.

Similar recipes on this site includes my kosha moorgi or chicken and lamb with whole spices.

If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot Facebook group and Legume Love Group. Of course Instant Indian is ready for pre-order, joining its siblings The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.

Do not forget to get social with me, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and even Youtube.

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Slow Cooked Spicy Lamb – Kosha Mangsho

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes

A beautiful slow cooked spicy lamb curry, inspired by a traditional goat version called Kosha Mangsho. A perfect meal for a special occasion.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons oil (such as mustard or grape seed oil)
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
  • 3 medium sized red onions, diced (about 1/2 pound)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoon ginger, grated
  • 2 and 1/2 pounds of cubed leg of lamb
  • A few pieces lamb on the bone (optional, but helps with the flavor)
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons yogurt
  • 2 to 3 pods of green cardamom, gently bruised
  • 2 to 3 bay leaves
  • 8 to 10 cloves
  • 1 large (3-inch) stick cinnamon, broken into smaller pieces
  • 10 to 15 fingerling potatoes (note, if you are using organic potatoes, you can leave the skin on)
  • 2 medium sized carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon clarified butter (ghee)
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • Optional Garnish
  • Sliced Red Onions
  • Chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large pot (this should have a good tight fitting lid) and add in the turmeric and the red cayenne pepper. This first step adds a nice deep color to the gravy and to the aromatics as we saute them.
  2. Add in the onions and sugar and saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions are wilted and soft.
  3. Add in the garlic and ginger and mix well and cook for about a minute.
  4. Add in the lamb and stir well.
  5. Add in the black pepper, yogurt, cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and mix well.
  6. Cover the meat and let the meat cook on low heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally if desired. Remove the cover and you should the lamb much softer in a fairy saucy gravy.
  7. Add in the potatoes and the carrots and mix well and cook for another 30 minutes.
  8. Remove the cover, at this point, the meat and vegetables should be tender. If you feel there is some extra fat in the pan at this point you can skim some of it out.
  9. Increase the heat just a notch to allow the sauce to begin evaporating.
  10. In a separate pan heat the clarified butter (ghee) and begin cooking the sliced onions and cook them for about 15 minutes, until the onions are fairly golden. These onions will impart a sweetness to the sauce.
  11. Stir in the onions and mix well. You should have meat of an almost reddish chocolate hue, coated in a onion spicy thick sauce with tender potatoes and carrots for company.
  12. Turn off the heat.
  13. Garnish with sliced onions and cilantro and serve with your preferred choice of bread.

Notes

Instant Pot Instructions

Turn the instant pot onto saute mode, and add in the oil. After a minute, add in the turmeric and the red cayenne pepper. This first step adds a nice deep color to the gravy and to the aromatics as we saute them.

Add in the onions and sugar and saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions are wilted and soft and stir in the garlic and ginger.

Add in the lamb and stir well. Add in the black pepper, yogurt, cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and mix well. Turn off the saute mode, and stir well to ensure that bottom of the pot does not have any residual spices sticking to it.

Set on 20 minutes pressure and release the steam after 5 minutes.Remove the cover and you should the lamb much softer in a fairy saucy gravy.

Add in the potatoes and the carrots and mix well and pressure cook for another 5 minutes with a natural release.

Remove the cover, at this point, the meat and vegetables should be tender. If you feel there is some extra fat in the pan at this point you can skim some of it out. If there is too much liquid, turn on saute mode to evaporate most of it.

While this is cooking, in a separate pan, heat the clarified butter (ghee) and begin cooking the sliced onions and cook them for about 15 minutes, until the onions are fairly golden. These onions will impart a sweetness to the sauce.

Stir in the onions to the cooked lamb and mix well. You should have meat of an almost reddish chocolate hue, coated in a onion spicy thick sauce with tender potatoes and carrots for company.

Garnish with sliced onions and cilantro and serve with your preferred choice of bread. Note: If you do not have time to brown the onions, you will have a lamb curry with reasonable results.

https://spicechronicles.com/slow-cooked-spicy-lamb-kosha-mangsho/

 

 

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