Kunna Gosht
کنہ گوشت
Kunna is named after the narrow-necked clay pot it is cooked in, and it belongs to Chiniot in Punjab, where cooks seal mutton, ghee and spices inside and leave it on a slow fire for hours. The gravy has no tomatoes and no onions to speak of. Its body comes from the meat, the bones and a little stirred in at the end, which gives it the smooth, almost velvety texture kunna is known for. A heavy on a low flame gets very close at home.
- ⏱ Total: 2 hr 45 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 2 hr 30 min
- Medium
- Serves 5
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Heat the ghee in a heavy over medium heat and fry the onion for 3–4 minutes until soft and pale gold. Add the mutton with the ginger and garlic paste and fry for 8–10 minutes, turning, until the meat is sealed on all sides.
Add both chili powders, turmeric, coriander, fennel, dried ginger and salt with a splash of water. Fry for 5 minutes, stirring, until the spices smell cooked and the ghee turns red.
Pour in the hot water and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 2 hours, or until the meat is soft enough to pull from the bone with a spoon. Check once or twice and add a little hot water if the gravy has reduced a lot.
Whisk the atta into half a cup of water until smooth. Pour it into the pot in a thin stream, stirring all the time, and simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes until the gravy thickens and turns glossy and the raw flour taste is gone.
Sprinkle in the garam masala and leave on the lowest heat for 5 minutes so the ghee rises to the top.
Serve hot, topped with ginger strips, green chilies and coriander, with naan or tandoori roti.
Kitchen notes
Use the lowest flame your stove has. Kunna should barely tremble while it cooks; a hard boil makes the meat stringy.
If you own a clay handi, soak it in water for an hour before using it and never put it on high heat.
Shank pieces (nalli) make the gravy richer; include a few even if most of the meat is from the shoulder.
From Chiniot’s clay pots
In Chiniot, kunna is cooked in tall clay pots buried in the embers of a wood fire, and people queue in the morning to eat it with fresh tandoori roti. The clay pot matters less than the principle behind it: a small amount of liquid, plenty of ghee, a sealed pot and very gentle heat for a long time.
What makes it different
Most Pakistani meat curries start with a long of onions and tomatoes. Kunna doesn’t. The masala is short and simple: ginger, garlic, chili, coriander and a little fennel and dried ginger, which give it a warm, slightly sweet note. The meat does most of the work. As it cooks for two hours on the lowest flame, the bones and connective tissue melt into the gravy.
The finishing touch is the atta. A couple of spoonfuls whisked into water and stirred in at the end thicken the gravy and give it its characteristic glossy, smooth body. It needs a few minutes of simmering so the raw flour taste cooks out.
Tips
- Kashmiri chili gives the deep red colour without making it too hot. If you only have regular chili powder, use less and accept a browner gravy.
- Let the ghee rise. A layer of red ghee on top is the sign of a well-made kunna; it’s skimmed off or stirred back in according to taste.
- Make it a day ahead if you can. Like most slow-cooked dishes, it tastes better the next day.
Serving
Serve kunna piping hot with tandoori roti or naan, ginger strips, green chilies and a squeeze of lemon. It keeps for 3 days in the fridge and freezes well.
Questions people ask
How is kunna different from nihari?
They look alike, but nihari uses a separate, complex spice blend and is usually made with beef shank cooked overnight. Kunna uses a simpler masala, is traditionally mutton, and is cooked for a few hours with more ghee.
Can I use a pressure cooker?
Yes. After step 2, add 3 cups of water and cook for 30–35 minutes under pressure, then simmer with the atta as in step 4. It is quicker, though slightly less silky.
My gravy went lumpy when I added the flour.
Whisk the atta into cold water first, never directly into the hot pot, and keep stirring as you pour it in.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 480
- Protein
- 34 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
