Instant Pot Punjabi Lamb - Indian Goat Curry

Shilpa

Easy, quick delicious lamb/goat curry Punjabi style. Made with onions, tomatoes, whole and ground spices this recipe is a total crowd pleaser.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 20

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian, North Indian

4 tbsp oil of choice
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 whole black cardamom pods (kali elachi)
3 cloves (laung)
2 whole green cardamom pods (hari elaichi)
1 medium onion finely diced (3/4 to 1 cup chopped)
1.5 tbsp ginger garlic paste (freshly minced in equal quantities or packaged)
1.5 pounds pounds goat or lamb (either shoulder or leg pieces bone-in cut in about 2 to 3 inch pieces)
1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
3/4 cup water (divided)
1/2 tsp ground fennel (saunf powder)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric (haldi)
1 tbsp ground coriander (dhaniya powder)
1/3 tsp ground ginger (sonth powder)
1/2 tbsp ground cumin (jeera powder)
1 tsp garam masala
1 and 3/4 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 tomatoes (pureed) (roughly 1 cup when pureed)
2 Serrano peppers, small pureed along with the tomatoes (optional) (hari mirch)
1/4 cup cilantro (fresh and finely chopped)

Prep

Dice the onion and cilantro finely.
Puree the tomatoes and Serrano peppers. I have pureed 2 Serrano peppers along with the tomatoes. You can eliminate the Serrano peppers if you can’t tolerate heat. If you like less heat, then you can use only 1.

Cook

Select sauté on the instant pot and adjust to normal. Add oil to the pot.
When the oil is hot add cumin seeds, black cardamoms pods, cloves, and green cardamom pods.
When the cumin seeds splutter add the diced onions and ginger garlic paste. Give it a good stir.
Then add the lamb/goat and give it a good stir. Let it saute for about 8 to 10 minutes until it browns, Keep stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Add Kashmiri chili powder and 1/4 cup water. Sauté and stir for a minute or two.
Add the ground fennel, ground turmeric, ground coriander, ground ginger, and ground cumin. Give it a good stir.
Add, garam masala and salt. Give it a good stir.
Add the pureed tomatoes and let them sauté for 3 to 4 minutes to let the raw tomato odor out. Keep stirring occasionally.
Add 1/2 cup water and stir well. Make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot. Press cancel. Secure the lid on the pot and close the pressure-release valve. Select manual and cook at high pressure for 40 minutes. When cooking is complete, use natural pressure release to depressurize.
Garnish with cilantro and serve hot over steamed rice or with tortillas.

On a scale of 1 to 5 in terms of spice levels I would say this dish is a 3.5 with the Serrano peppers. You can reduce the heat by reducing or eliminating the Serrano peppers.
The Kashmiri chili powder imparts a beautiful red color to the dish and is not spicy.
The whole spices (cardamom pods, and cloves can be discarded, they don't need to be consumed).