Indian goat curry

Don't let the two types of chilli I've used here intimidate you, as the end result is still on the mild end of the chilli scales.

One of the top search terms that bring people to my site is goat curry. It's something that has puzzled me for almost a year now and seeing I've only had one recipe on the site using this tasty animal, it was time to grab a kilo of it from my local butcher and come up with another one. It's actually been a little while since I cooked anything Indian at home so with my extensive selection of spices constantly on hand, well, it was time to get stuck into them.

Many folk are scared of making Indian food at home as the list of spice ingredients seem endless. I can understand why people gravitate towards premade sauces in tins and jars and while there are many good ones on the market (mainly the ones inported from India), making it yourself is way better. Plus you can regulate the quantities of ingredients, specially salt.

Don't let the two types of chilli I've used here intimidate you as the end result, depending on the heat of the fresh red chillies, is still on the mild end of the chilli scales. Add more chilli if you like or just omit the teaspoon of dried powder I've suggested. That's the beauty of Indian cooking. It's versatile, easy and always rewarding at the end. Also, if you're just not that keen on goat, use lamb or even beef. Goat meat is usually sold on the bone so just leave it there as a lot of the flavour comes from it.

indian goat curry

Serves 4

  • 1 tsp each of turmeric, fennel seeds, garam masala, anardana (dried pomegranate)
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 onion, peeled & chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp ground fresh coriander roots
  • 1 tsp fenugreek leaves
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 kg goat meat (on the bone) cut into large chunks
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp nigella
  • 500 ml water
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 large red chillies, seeded and roughly chopped
  • ½ cup grape tomatoes
  • 1 cup coriander leaves

Place the turmeric, fennel seeds, gram masala, anadana & coriander seeds into a mortar and pound with the pestle until relatively fine. Place the ground spices, garlic, onion, tomatoes, ginger, salt, coriander roots, fenugreek leaves and chilli powder into a food processor. Process until a paste forms. Place the chopped goat meat into a plastic bag with the spice paste, twist the top closed and squish it with your hand to coat the meat with the spices. Set aside in the fridge for at least two hours to marinate, preferably overnight. Heat 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add the cumin and nigella seeds. Stir with a wooden spoon until the seeds begin to pop then drop in the goat meat along with all of the marinade. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the water and tomato paste and bring to the boil. Reduce to a very low simmer, cover and allow to cook until the meat is tender. About 1½ hours. In the final half hour, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a small frying pan over low heat, add the chopped red chilli and grape tomatoes. Toss the pan, or stir, as they cook for 5-8 minutes until soft. Mix this through the meat curry in the last fifteen minutes. Just before serving stir through the coriander leaves. Serve with rice.