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    Home » Recipes » Lamb

    Mughlai Lamb

    Published Sep 13, 2016, modified Jul 26, 2021 by Nicole Shroff / This site uses cookies. See the privacy policy linked in my footer. This site generates income via ads/ 38 Comments /

    303 shares
    Jump to Recipe
    Pin image of mughlai lamb.

    This mughlai lamb is tender and succulent with a browned exterior and has a wonderful rich flavour.

    (This post has been updated with more information. The recipe remains the same but was previously called Kashmiri Dry Lamb.)

    cooked lamb in iron skillet.
    Mughlai Lamb

    This is an old family recipe which was given to me by my mother who received it many years ago from a wonderful lady who belonged to one of the old families of Kashmir, tracing their heritage back to Mughal times.

    It quickly became one of our favourite recipes and we have made this dish so many times over the years for friend and family get togethers, holidays and special occasions.

    The lamb is cooked slowly over a low flame in just a few aromatic spices and buttermilk, then lightly fried (or roasted, see recipe notes) to brown the exterior.

    The result is a lamb that is soft, tender and aromatically spiced with delicious browning of the maillard reaction.

    The wonderful aroma, rich flavours and tenderness of the meat are typical of mughal cuisine where aromatic spices and butter, milk, yogurt and cream were often used.

    This recipe uses buttermilk to tenderise the lamb so it is soft as butter whilst remaining moist after cooking.

    This dish is incredibly easy to make and absolutely delicious!

    Jump to:
    • Kashmiri cuisine
    • Kashmiri spices
    • Kashmiri meats
    • Cook’s tips
    • How to make it
    • Optional variations
    • Serving
    • More lamb recipes
    • 📋 Recipe
    close up of lamb in cast iron skillet
    Close-up Kashmiri Dry Lamb

    Kashmiri cuisine

    The incredibly beautiful region of Kashmir remains divided between two countries; India and Pakistan.

    Kashmiri cuisine is influenced by three main cooking styles: that of the Kashmiri Pandits (the only remaining Hindu community native to the Kashmiri Valley in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir), the Muslims and the more ancient style of the Mughals.

    Kashmiri spices

    As most of their economy is centred around agriculture, the cuisine is rich in flavour and diversity.

    Warm spices such as cardamom, cloves and cinnamon are commonly used, along with other fragrant spices such as fennel seeds and saffron.

    The famous Kashmiri red chillies are a great deal less pungent than other varieties of chilli, but they add a wonderful flavour.

    Kashmiri meats

    A great deal of meat is consumed in Kashmir, in particular slow cooked meats, which are often cooked in yoghurt or milk due to the mughal influence.

    This is one of the very few regions in India where lamb meat is used, as elsewhere what is commonly termed as ‘mutton’ is in fact goat meat.

    Read my article on mutton and goat meat in India.

    lamb with bread and coriander garnish

    Cook’s tips

    In Kashmir, dishes are usually cooked in Ghee (clarified butter) which adds to the rich flavours. I use sunflower oil for this recipe, but you could substitute with ghee.

    The original recipe for dry Kashmiri lamb uses mutton, but I prefer to use lamb. Read more about the difference between mutton, lamb and goat meat.

    I used a leg of lamb cut into small pieces, but you could also use shoulder – some pieces are boneless and some on the bone.

    How to make it

    1. Lightly fry the onions till golden brown and set aside.
    2. In a large pan combine the rest of the ingredients (not the fresh cilantro/coriander). Then partially cover and simmer on a low heat for 60 minutes, till tender.
    3. Remove the lamb and set aside. (Strain and reserve the remaining liquid for a tasty stock for pilau/rice.)
    4. In the same pan, heat the oil and return the pieces of lamb to the pan to brown (be careful to drain the lamb as any excess liquid will spit during frying). If you prefer not to fry the lamb, transfer it to a baking dish and roast on full heat for 5-10 minutes.
    5. Remove the lamb from the pan, season and garnish with the fried onions and chopped cilantro/coriander.

    Optional variations

    Add around 8-10 strands of bloomed saffron to the pan when slow cooking the lamb.

    If you prefer not to fry the lamb, transfer it to a baking dish and roast on full heat for 5-10 minutes.

    Stir in ½ teaspoon of crushed dried fenugreek leaves with the lamb in the pan towards the end of cooking.

    Serving

    Kashmiri Dry Lamb goes well with warm bread and plain yogurt, or raita.

    More lamb recipes

    • Lamb Tikka
    • Shami Kebabs
    • Turkish Meatballs

    ⭐️ Are you making this Mughal Lamb recipe? I’d love to know how it turned out in the comments!

    ⭐️ And if you like it, please give it a 5 star rating below! ⭐️

     Instagram – I love seeing your creations, so post a picture, tag @endofthefork and hashtag #endofthefork

    ⚜

    📋 Recipe

    cooked lamb in iron skillet.

    Mughlai Lamb

    Nicole Shroff
    This mughlai lamb is tender and succulent with a browned exterior and has a wonderful rich flavour.
    5 from 9 votes
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 10 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 20 mins
    Course Mains
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 866 kcal

    Ingredients

    Metric | US Customary
    • sunflower oil for frying
    • 1 large onion finely sliced
    • 1 kilos lamb leg of lamb/lamb shoulder, cut into small pieces
    • 2 cups buttermilk
    • 5 cloves
    • 4 green cardamoms whole and crushed
    • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
    • 1 tablespoon ground fennel
    • 2 whole green chillies broken in half
    • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Paste or 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
    • coarse sea salt to taste

    for the garnish

    • fresh cilantro/coriander a few sprigs

    Instructions
     

    • sunflower oil, 1 large onion
      In a large frying pan over medium heat, add a tablespoon of oil and sauté the sliced onions. Once golden brown, remove from the pan and set aside.
    • 1 kilos lamb, 2 cups buttermilk, 5 cloves, 4 green cardamoms, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon ground fennel, 2 whole green chillies, coarse sea salt, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Paste
      In a large heavy saucepan combine the rest of the ingredients, including the lamb (but not the cilantro/coriander).
    • Partially cover and simmer on a low heat till the meat is soft and tender (approx. 45 minutes-1 hour). Remove the lamb from the remaining liquid.
    • fresh cilantro/coriander
      In the same pan, heat the oil on medium-high heat, reducing to medium-low, and fry the lamb pieces until well browned all over, approx 8 minutes in total (see notes below to roast the lamb instead). Transfer the lamb to absorbent paper to drain the excess oil. Garnish with the onions and chopped cilantro/coriander.

    Notes

    • Use leg of lamb leg or shoulder, cut into small pieces.
    • Be careful to drain the lamb as any excess liquid will spit during frying.
    • If you prefer not to fry the lamb, transfer it to a baking dish and roast on full heat for 5-10 minutes.
    • After simmering the lamb, strain and reserve the liquid to use as a tasty stock for pilau/rice.
    • This recipe can be made ahead and reheated on a low heat before serving.

    MEASUREMENT NOTES

    The ingredients here on EOTF are set out in grams & milliliters and in US cups & spoons.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 866kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 47gFat: 66gSaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 195mgSodium: 284mgPotassium: 936mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 350IUVitamin C: 7.6mgCalcium: 239mgIron: 5.6mg
    Did you make this recipe? I’d love to know how it turned out! Let me know by leaving a review below, or snap a photo and share it on Instagram tagging me @Endofthefork.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Hina

      November 19, 2019 at 5:08 am

      5 stars
      Made this today as i needed to make some defrosted lamb but didn’t want it to be curry based. Turned out good except the thickened gravy stuck to the meat was more pronounced for me in the final result than in your pic. But its probably because i ended up putting in more milk to get the meat to soften. I’ll try again to try and perfect it. Definitely a keeper. Thanks so much for sharing this gem.

      Reply
      • Nicole

        November 19, 2019 at 6:28 pm

        Thanks Hina, 2 cups of buttermilk should be sufficient to soften the meat. Let me know how it turns out next time you make it.

        Reply
    2. Ambita Chenai

      June 14, 2019 at 7:33 am

      5 stars
      Hey Nicole,

      What a fantastic recipe! Made it last night and it was polished off. On my list of 5 star recipes. I used ghee. have tried many Kashmiri recipes but this is by far our favourite. Looking forward to trying some more.

      Cheers

      Reply
      • Nicole

        June 15, 2019 at 3:30 pm

        Thanks so much Ambita, I’m so glad you liked it. I’d love to know how you get on with the others you try.

        Reply
        • Ambita Chenai

          August 21, 2019 at 11:30 am

          sure will. Do we simmer the Kashmiri meat uncovered?

        • Nicole

          August 22, 2019 at 3:25 pm

          No, it needs to be covered. Thanks for asking, I shall update the recipe. I hope you enjoy it!

    3. Shalini

      May 08, 2019 at 1:37 pm

      I have made this dish twice and it is a favorite with my family !!

      Reply
      • Nicole

        May 08, 2019 at 3:21 pm

        Thank you Shalini, this is one of our favourites too!

        Reply
    4. E-World Cooking

      November 19, 2018 at 8:26 am

      5 stars
      Very tasty and spicy dish I tried it two times all of my family member also loved it ,thanks for sharing with us.But I observed that it’s a time consuming dish.

      Reply
    5. Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine

      August 31, 2017 at 11:54 pm

      All of those delicious spices– this has to smell heavenly when cooking!

      Reply
    6. Debra C.

      August 31, 2017 at 11:48 pm

      Love your descriptive writing for this lovely dish, it sounds just mouthwatering! I’d definitely love a plate!

      Reply
    7. Jillian

      August 31, 2017 at 11:01 pm

      Amazing recipe! So many wonderful flavors!

      Reply
    8. Lisa Bryan

      August 31, 2017 at 10:58 pm

      Love lamb and all the spices you’ve used. Sounds delicious!

      Reply
    9. Karen @ Seasonal Cravings

      August 31, 2017 at 10:52 pm

      I know that marinating chicken in buttermilk makes it so moist so this looks so good to me. I’ll bet my kids would love it too.

      Reply
    10. Lynne Curry

      April 24, 2017 at 5:22 pm

      Oh, this technique is so amazing! It’s one I haven’t used in quite a while, but the braising in buttermilk followed by frying in oil somehow magnifies all of the flavors of the spices. Wonderful to have such a succulent recipe handed down to you. Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    11. Derek @ Dad With A Pan

      April 24, 2017 at 3:08 pm

      Love the look of this! It’s got a gyro vibe to it and looks super tasty!

      Reply
    12. Nicole

      April 23, 2017 at 5:56 pm

      Thanks Sarah, I hope you enjoy it 🙂

      Reply
    13. Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed

      April 22, 2017 at 5:17 pm

      How delicious, I love cooking with aromatic spices. The crispy exterior sounds perfect, pinning for later 🙂

      Reply
    14. The FoodOlic

      April 22, 2017 at 12:50 pm

      Kashmir is dispute by many but it also sounds like a nice melting pot of flavors from all those surrounding countries. The recipe sounds nicely seasoned and I love that the meat is crunchy yet moist! Love to learn about different cultures and their food! Great post!

      Reply
      • Nicole

        April 23, 2017 at 5:55 pm

        Thank you 🙂

        Reply
    15. geekswhoeat

      April 22, 2017 at 6:12 am

      I love lamb and this is definitely a preparation I have never tried! Sounds really wonderful!

      Reply
      • Nicole

        April 23, 2017 at 5:54 pm

        Thank you 🙂

        Reply
    16. Lynn | The Road to Honey

      April 20, 2017 at 10:05 pm

      This sure does look tasty. My hubby is Persian and he always has a craving for lamb. I’m pretty sure he would be excited to see this beauty show up on the dinner table.

      Reply
      • Nicole

        April 23, 2017 at 5:52 pm

        The flavours are amazing!?

        Reply
    17. Traditionally Modern Food

      April 20, 2017 at 4:03 pm

      i am big fan of kashmiri cusine flavours, you have made it perfectly. being a vegetarian i m not familiar with the dish but looking at the pic i bet its delicious

      Reply
      • Nicole

        April 23, 2017 at 5:48 pm

        Thank you

        Reply
    18. Gloria Duggan

      April 20, 2017 at 3:22 pm

      We really enjoy lamb. The spices in this recipe sound delicious. Having fun experimenting with all the wonderful flavours of the world it a tasty experiment.

      Reply
      • Nicole

        April 23, 2017 at 5:47 pm

        I absolutely agree Gloria 🙂

        Reply
    19. Laura | Wandercooks

      March 01, 2017 at 5:27 am

      This recipe sounds delicious but I’m most thankful for the description of kashmiri cuisine. It’s always fascinating to gain insight into where recipes came from and how they were originally cooked!

      Reply
      • Nicole

        March 03, 2017 at 1:08 am

        There’s so much to explore in regional cuisines. Thanks Laura.

        Reply
    20. swayam

      March 01, 2017 at 5:23 am

      Sounds good!

      Reply
      • Nicole

        March 03, 2017 at 1:09 am

        Thanks Swayam

        Reply
    21. Khadija

      March 01, 2017 at 5:00 am

      You have made me want to visit this place that has three different cultures; imagine the food options there! in the meantime this recipe will have to do, please share more 🙂

      Reply
      • Nicole

        March 03, 2017 at 1:22 am

        Thanks Khadija, I will do, please drop by again.

        Reply
    22. brandidcrawfordgmailcom

      March 01, 2017 at 3:30 am

      I’m sure this is loaded with flavors. I love those seasonings!

      Reply
      • Nicole

        March 03, 2017 at 1:20 am

        Absolutely, and the aroma while its cooking is amazing.

        Reply
    23. CookingOnTheWeekends (@cookingweekends)

      March 01, 2017 at 3:29 am

      Oh how I want this! The crispy outside with the juicy interior sounds so divine! And all of those delicious spices! Oh my!

      Reply
      • Nicole

        March 03, 2017 at 1:35 am

        Thank you, the flavours really are amazing.

        Reply

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