Our Taar Gosht recipe is a prized gem from Rampur, a small city in western Uttar Pradesh known for its distinct style of Awadhi - Mughlai food. This Rampur mutton curry recipe is a gastronomic delight and is known by connoisseurs’ as a “big” dish, one that is at the pinnacle of lamb or mutton recipes. Our Rampuri taar gosht recipe comes directly from the kitchens of Rampur; it is a recipe we reserve for special dinners when we want to indulge ourselves as well as our guests. So, if you’re ready to treat yourself and your family, then give the best taar gosht recipe a try right here!
Gosht taar korma gets its name from the taar or string consistency that is formed once the gelatinous mutton stock made from paya or trotters is ready. While mutton or lamb stock made from bones is often substituted for paya stock in many kitchens nowadays, in the past, paya stock was essential. Earlier, in the Nawab’s palaces, a bit of the previous day’s taar was added to the next day's gosht taar korma and was believed to make the dish even more delicious. Royal cooks took pride in their taar gosht, which had a 'taar' that had carried over several years.
Mutton stock (yakhni) is a key ingredient that will elevate your taar gosht recipe to the next level. You can prepare it by boiling water to which cleaned paya (trotters) are added and simmered for two to three hours. Pressure cooking can make this process faster if you are short on time. The other option (if you are not comfortable handling paya or they are not available) is to use mutton or lamb bones and follow the same process described above to make a rich stock. This yakhni can be made two to three days in advance and refrigerated so that your taar gosht making time is reduced substantially.
Rampur, a small city (erstwhile principality) in western Uttar Pradesh is home to one of the lesser known and highly underrated Nawabi cuisines of India. Rampuri cuisine has over the years been overshadowed by Awadhi cuisines but has a distinctive of its own and deserves to be highlighted. It is a genial marriage of Awadhi and Mughal cuisines along with (supposed) influences of Iranian and Afghani cuisines.
Over the years several attempts have been made to popularise Rampuri food but only a few know the secrets to the Rampuri kitchen’s magic. These have been vehemently guarded by the masaalchis and bawarchis, who have passed their recipes down generations.
Rampuri cuisine encompasses a range of kababs, biryani, qormas, salan, mutton stews, breads, desserts, among others. Some of the culinary breaded treasures of a true Rampuri kitchen include naan-e-tanak, kishmishi parantha, gilafi kulcha et al. However, the star of Rampur table is this taar gosht recipe, one of the most treasured delicacies of Rampur cuisine that needs to be shared.
Making taar gosht is a four-step process. The first two steps are making the yakhni or stock and the taar gosht masala powder. Both these can be done in advance and kept ready for the big day. The third step involves sautéing (bhunao) the mutton and the masalas till nicely browned. And the fourth and last step is adding the yakhni and slow cooking it all till the meat is tender. We do this in a pressure cooker for expediency, though do try it once in a deghchi – it’ll take an extra 30 minutes or so, but the resulting taar gosht will be superb.
To make the best taar gosht recipe, you need fresh masala ingredients for the taar gosht masala powder - dried red chillies (preferably kashmiri), cinnamon, star anise, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, black cardamom pods, and green cardamom pods. These are dry roasted till aromatic and then ground to a fine powder. The masala powder can be stored in an airtight container in a cool dark place for a few weeks, though we would advise making this fresh if possible.
The next set of ingredients needed are whole spices - bay leaf, cloves, and green cardamom pods which are sautéed in ghee in a deghchi or pan. Then ginger and garlic pastes, raw onion paste and green chilli paste, which are sautéed till brown. Good quality mutton or lamb from the leg or shoulder is essential as that is the star of our Rampur mutton curry recipe. The meat goes through the bhunao process (sautéing) till it has browned well evenly. Powdered spices i.e. turmeric and red chilli along with salt and the previously prepared taar gosht masala powder, garam masala powder, and fried onion paste are added too. Whisked yogurt is added and cooked till the ghee leaves the masala – it rises up and glistens. That’s when you know it’s time to add the prepared yakhni or mutton stock. And then cooking it till it is ready.
Though our taar gosht recipe specifies using mutton or lamb, cut into approximately 1½ to 2-inch pieces with bone, some chefs like to use mutton chops for the same. You could use either for the recipe.
It is highly advisable to dry roast the masala ingredients for the taar gosht masala powder till aromatic as it helps the flavours of the spices to shine. Be careful not to let the spices burn – stir them continuously over low heat so that they roast evenly.
Keep an eye on the mutton after adding it to the pan so that the masala doesn't catch the bottom of the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan – the brown bits add tons of flavour.
If you have time in hand then skip the pressure cooker and use a heavy deghchi or another heavy bottomed vessel with a lid to make this Rampur Taar Gosht recipe. Seal it with a dough paste just as you would make a dum biryani. And if you really want to go traditional, cook it over a wood fire and you have yourself a masterpiece of a dish.
Serve taar gosht hot with roti of your choice – tandoori roti, lacchha parathas, sheermal, bakarkhani, or any other Indian bread you like. You could also serve it with aromatic saffron rice but we prefer roti with this recipe.
Learn how to make Taar Gosht with step by step images, video, and our detailed Rampuri taar gosht recipe including all ingredients and cooking on this page.
Take a look at all our Mutton and Lamb Recipes right here!
Or If you have an interest in learning about Indian cuisine, read our guide to Traditional Indian Cooking Techniques.