Kid Nu Gos | Baby Lamb and Nut Curry
As a way to describe the best type of mutton or meat in this dish, the Parsis have referred to the title as "kid" nu gos, meaning young baby lamb.
Since most of our food is red rather than white, this is also specifically labelled as a white roast! The lack of red chilli powder makes this particularly intriguing. The meat should be extremely tender, falling off the bone. The gravy is thick and rich, and it's served with fresh, warm rotis rather than rice. Small cubes of roasted potatoes, finely chopped coriander, and boiled eggs are typically served with it.The flavour is robust on its own without add-ons.
Interestingly, our dishes prepared in Pakistan usually call for almonds and are cooked in yoghurt, whereas those prepared in India ask for cashews and are cooked in milk or naryal nu dudh (coconut milk) and pure ghee. Each country made use of what was readily available and economically priced.
I am sharing both options.
Recipe #1
Serves 6
2 kg | 4.4 lbs lamb, mutton, or goat meat—with bone, shanks, or in pieces
The Marinade
Grind the spices and nuts before stirring them into the yoghurt
1 medium-sized onion
2 tsp crushed ginger
4 tsp crushed garlic
2 tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
14 green chillies
2 tsp poppy seeds
2 tsp sesame seeds
1 cup almonds—skinless or cashews
454 g | 1 lb yoghurt
pinch of sugar
To prepare it on the stove-top
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet, then add the meat and marinade. Allow it to sizzle before covering and cooking on a low heat until tender. Add milk or coconut water if you need more liquid.
Cooking it in the oven
In a big dish, place the marinated meat. Heat the oil and pour it all over. Cook for 45 minutes, covered, in a 180 °C | 350°F oven. Remove the cover, turn the roast, and continue to simmer for 45 minutes, or until tender. Serve with roasted potatoes and cooked eggs, diced.
Tips
Cooking it in whole milk, naryal nu dudh, or a combination does work well.
You can add a cup or two of meat broth for added flavour.
Cumin is a substitute for poppy and sesame seeds.
Recipe #2
My aunt liked to add whole dried red chillies and whole warm spices like cloves and cardamom and cook it in pure ghee for flavour.
2 tbsp ghee
500 g | 1.1 lb onion, lightly sautéed in ghee
2 kg mutton, lamb or goat, bone-in
grind to a paste
2 tsp fresh ginger
4 tsp fresh garlic (1.5 pods)
2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
Whole warm spices – a cinnamon stick, 2 whole green cardamoms and 6 each of clove and black pepper, You may add one large black cardamom-elcha.
9 red chillies, whole, not ground
2 cups narial nu dudh (coconut milk)
1/2 cup nut powder (cashew or almonds)
400 g | 1 lb potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into large chunks
Warm the ghee and cook the onions to soften, and add the meat to just gently stir-fry; again, don't allow it to be brown if you want a white kid nu gos.
Add the ground masala. Add all the warm spices.
Add 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Cover and cook on a low flame until the meat is half done and all the water has evaporated. Add the coconut and nut mixture. Bring this to a boil and add the potatoes. Cover and continue to cook until the meat is the right consistency and the potatoes are soft. Serve with fresh warm rotlis.
Tips
To make coconut milk at home, take the flesh of one coconut and 2 cups of hot water. Macerate it and sieve it.
Use the discarded coconut flesh for another recipe like jhinga ni khichri.
Keep the meat and the onions very light in colour to keep the gravy creamy rather than brown in appearance.
Photo courtesy: Niloufer Mavalvala
My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself via email, in independent book stores across the world and on Amazon India.
The Route to Parsi Cooking: From Pars to India and Beyond is an award winning book. It has been self published in June 2024. Email at theroutetoparsicooking@gmail.com
The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022.
The Vegetarian Parsi, inspired by tradition is an award winning cookbook. It was published by Spenta Multimedia India and is available on Amazon India and through email order at thevegetarianparsi@gmail.com.
The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.
