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Qorma, salan & curries

Daal Gosht Recipe

دال گوشت بنانے کا طریقہ

Tender mutton and chana daal cooked together into one thick, comforting salan, finished with a sizzling garlic and red chilli baghaar.
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Illustration of Daal Gosht

Prep

20 min

Cook

1 hr 40 min

Marinate / soak

1 hr

Serves

5

Difficulty

Medium

Spice

Medium hot

Daal gosht is everyday Pakistani home food at its best: meat is first cooked in a masala of onion, tomato and yogurt, then chana daal is added and simmered until it softens and thickens the gravy. The daal stretches a small amount of meat to feed a family, and the meat gives the daal depth. A baghaar of garlic, cumin and whole red chillies poured over at the end is what makes it taste finished.

Ingredients

5 servings

For 5 servings

Measures

Baghaar (tarka)

To finish

Method

  1. Wash the chana daal in several changes of water and soak it in fresh water.

    ⏱ 60 min

  2. Heat the oil in a heavy pot on medium heat and fry the onions until deep golden.

    ⏱ 10 min

  3. Add the mutton and ginger-garlic paste and fry on high heat until the meat changes colour and its water dries up.

    ⏱ 8 min

  4. Add the tomatoes, yogurt, salt, red chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powder. Bhuno, stirring, until the masala is thick and the oil separates.

    ⏱ 8 min

  5. Add 3 cups of hot water, cover and simmer on low heat until the mutton is about three-quarters tender.

    ⏱ 45 min

  6. Drain the daal and add it with the remaining 2 cups of hot water. Cover and simmer, stirring now and then, until the daal is soft and starting to break and the meat is fully tender.

    ⏱ 35 min

  7. Mash a little of the daal against the side of the pot to thicken the gravy. Stir in the garam masala and green chillies and simmer for 2 more minutes; add a splash of water if it is too thick.

    ⏱ 2 min

  8. For the baghaar, heat the oil in a small pan, fry the garlic until golden, then add the cumin, dry red chillies and curry leaves for a few seconds. Pour it over the daal gosht, cover for a minute, then add coriander and lemon and serve.

    ⏱ 2 min

Tips for the best result

  • In a pressure cooker, cook the meat for 20 minutes after full pressure, then add the soaked daal and cook another 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Beef works as well as mutton; give it about 30 minutes longer before the daal goes in.
  • Some families use half chana daal and half masoor or mash daal for a creamier texture.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the daal with the raw meat. The daal turns to mush long before the mutton is tender.
  • Adding cold water to the meat. It seizes the meat and slows the cooking; always use hot water.

How to serve

Serve hot with roti or plain boiled rice, with sliced onion and lemon on the side.

Storing and reheating

Keeps 3 days in the fridge and freezes well for up to 2 months. It thickens as it cools, so loosen with hot water when reheating.

Nutrition and cost

Worked out from the ingredients, not measured in a lab. Treat both as a rough guide.

Per serving Estimate

Calories
870kcal
Protein
35g
Fat
66g
Carbs
37g
Fibre
7.3g
Sodium
1040mg

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018), public domain values for the raw ingredients (100% of the recipe by weight had data). Deep-frying oil is counted at 20%; bones and water lost in cooking are not subtracted, so bone-in and fried dishes can read high. Not medical advice. Method

Cost per servingEstimate

≈ Rs 415

Whole dish ≈ Rs 2,070 · 97% of ingredients by weight priced

From the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics weekly SPI, week ended 29 Oct 2026. Spices, herbs and some vegetables are not in the SPI and are left out unless you add your price, so the real cost is a little higher. How this works

Daal Gosht: questions people ask

Which daal is used in daal gosht?

Chana daal is the most common because it holds its shape and cooks in about the time the meat needs to finish. Masoor or mash daal give a softer, creamier result.

Do I have to soak chana daal?

Soaking for an hour helps it cook evenly and in less time. Unsoaked daal will still cook, but add it earlier and expect 15 to 20 minutes more.

Serve it with, and similar recipes

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Read this recipe in Urdu: دال گوشت بنانے کا طریقہ

https://handi.danixsoft.com/recipes/daal-gosht · Handi, DanixSoft