Like so many immigrant cuisines, Parsi food is a beautiful amalgamation of histories and cultures. When a community of Zoroastrians came from Persia almost 1,200 years ago and settled in Gujarat, they brought with them many traditional Irani flavours. While over the many years they adapted to the Indian palate and ingredients there are some old methods that are still an integral part of Parsi cuisine today. With such a varied history, there's so much more to Parsi cuisine than just Dhansak!
The use of dried fruit and the subtly sweet and spicy blend of Jardaloo Ma Gosht is a testament to those Persian roots. Jardaloo (or Jardalu) are dried apricots that exude a fragrant sweetness which complements the mutton (gosht) in this slow-cooked dish. Served atop rice or with soft rotis, Jardaloo Ma Gosht is a straightforward, low-maintenance recipe that’s high on flavour making it a great choice to start exploring the extended universe of Parsi food.
Ingredients:
- 850 gms mutton pieces/chops
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 2 onions
- 20 dried apricots
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 1.5 inches fresh ginger
- 8 black peppercorns
- 2 inches cinnamon stick
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Pan roast the whole spices for 20 seconds and set them aside to cool.
- Peel and chop the garlic and ginger. Now, in a small food processor or blender, grind the whole spices together with the ginger, garlic and a tablespoon of water.
- Roughly chop the onions and tomatoes.
- Heat the oil in a large pot, add the onions and fry for about 10 minutes until they caramelise.
- Add the spice paste and stir for another five minutes. If the paste starts getting stuck to the bottom of the pan, add a little hot water and scrape it off.
- Add the mutton and the tomatoes, and stir consistently for 10 minutes.
- Add salt to taste, turn down the heat and allow it to simmer for 1 hour. If it looks like it’s drying out, add some water.
- Add the apricots, stir well and continue to simmer at low heat for another hour.