Gushtaba
Finely pounded mutton meatballs poached in a smooth white curd gravy, traditionally the final and most honoured dish of a wazwan feast.
- Prep
- 60 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 105 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Calories
- 390 kcal
Equipment
- •Wooden mallet or grinder
- •Heavy pot
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- fat
- 29 g
- carbs
- 4 g
- fibre
- 0 g
- protein
- 27 g
- calories
- 390 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Pound the mutton and fat together on a stone slab until smooth and sticky. Traditionally, this is done using heavy mallets.
- 2
Wet your hands with water. Shape the meat paste into large, smooth balls.
- 3
Bring lightly salted water to a gentle boil. Cook the meatballs gently until they hold their shape, then take them out.
- 4
In a separate pot, heat the ghee (clarified butter). Add the asafoetida and cardamom.
- 5
Whisk the curd (plain yoghurt) until smooth. Take the pot off the heat and stir the curd in continuously.
- 6
Put the pot back on low heat. Add fennel powder, dry ginger powder and salt, then bring to a gentle simmer.
- 7
Slide in the cooked meatballs. Simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes, spooning the gravy over them occasionally.
- 8
Serve hot as the final course of the meal.
Chef's tips
Pound the meat by hand instead of using a machine to get a silky texture. Keep the gravy simmering gently rather than boiling hard so it stays smooth.
Ingredient substitutions
- hand-pounded mutton → finely minced mutton pulsed to a smooth paste in a food processor
Storage
Refrigerate up to 2 days in an airtight container.
Reheating
Reheat gently on low flame without boiling.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Not pounding the meat enough, which makes the meatballs break apart.
- •Boiling the curd gravy too hard, which splits and curdles it.
Serving suggestions
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