Matar Gosht is a warm, comforting bowl of home-style goodness. It always takes me back to childhood memories of sitting with my mother, breaking off small pieces of roti and soaking them in the fragrant shorba. My mother used to tell me that when she was little she would pick out the peas from her shorba and save them to eat last, so she could savour their sweet burst of flavour.
Learning to make a proper shorba took a bit of practice. The gravy should be smooth, without large chunks of onion or tomato; it must be well seasoned and have the right consistency — neither too thick nor too thin. The trick is balance.
Over time I discovered you don’t need an excessive amount of onions and tomatoes to build a great shorba. Too many make it heavy and gloopy; too few leave it thin and lacking in character. A crucial step is frying the masala well so the onions and tomatoes break down and meld together into a unified, silky base — what my mother calls the yakjaan. When you achieve that yakjaan, the texture and depth of the shorba fall into place.
If you enjoy this style of curry, I also have a popular Aloo Gosht shorba recipe available on the blog.
For readers unfamiliar with Urdu, shorba simply means broth. A shorba curry is broth-based, spiced with traditional seasonings and often made with meat or chicken to create a comforting, soup-like curry.
So, without further ado, here is a warm, maternal hug-in-a-bowl — Pakistani-style Matar Gosht.
Enjoy, with love x
📋 Recipe
Matar Gosht Shorba – Meat & Pea Curry
Print
Rate
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (85 ml) oil or according to preference
- 1 ½ (165 g) onion chopped well
- 1 ½ (185 g) tomatoes chopped well
- 6 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 ½ lb (700 g) lamb, bone in
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder or to taste
- 0.25 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 cup (150 g) frozen peas
- water as needed
- 1 bunch coriander
Instructions
-
In a deep pot, heat the oil. When hot, add the chopped onions and fry until translucent and beginning to brown.
-
Add the chopped tomatoes, spices (coriander, cumin, turmeric, red chilli powder and salt) and the minced garlic.
-
Pour in a small gulp of water and immediately cover the pot. Cook on high heat, lifting the lid occasionally to stir. Use your spoon to press and smash the mixture up and down — this helps the onions and tomatoes break down.
-
When most of the water has evaporated, remove the lid and continue to sauté, stirring and smashing the onions and tomatoes until they form a mostly smooth paste. This step is essential for a silky shorba.
-
Once the masala has largely broken down, add the lamb pieces and sauté, stirring continuously until the lamb is no longer pink on the outside.
-
Add 1 cup (250ml) of water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 1½ hours, or until the lamb is tender.
-
Check occasionally and add a little water if needed. At the end of the simmer the lamb should be cooked through and the onion–tomato mixture should have broken down into a smooth, cohesive paste.
-
Add the frozen peas and 1½ cups of water (you can use boiled kettle water). Cover again and cook for a further 10 minutes until the peas are heated through and the broth comes together.
-
Uncover and check the consistency. If you prefer a thinner shorba, add more water. If you prefer it thicker, simmer on high until it reduces to your liking.
-
Stir in chopped coriander and serve hot.
Notes
You can also add potatoes for a heartier version. If using potatoes, cut them into medium cubes and add after the lamb has cooked for about one hour, then continue cooking until tender.
📩 Want me to email this recipe to you?
Enter your email and I’ll send it right over. Plus, you’ll receive occasional Pakistani recipe updates and exclusive email-only recipes from Fatima Cooks.
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails. Your details are secure and you can opt out at any time.