Slow Cooked Kadai Goat (Punjabi Style)

Published: Feb 21, 2025 by Tanvi Srivastava Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links.

Simple, one pot punjabi style kadai goat recipe with an authentic seared, smoky taste. This dish features tender goat meat pieces slow cooked in a fragrant & thick onion- tomato masala redolent of homemade kadai masala powder. Cook the meat low and slow on the stovetop for that classic flavor or use the Instant Pot or pressure cooker for a quicker, partially hands-off approach.

Kadai Goat

The term kadai (also spelled karahi) refers to a traditional wok-like vessel used in South Asian cuisine. This heavy, deep, and slightly curved pan is where the magic of dishes like kadai gosht (meat), kadai chicken made with boneless chicken, and kadhai shrimp unfolds. Smoky flavor and seared meat is the characteristic of traditional pakistani karahi cooking.

Traditionally, meat is slow cooked start to finish with onions, tomatoes, ginger & garlic and whole spices in the kadai and finished with kadai masala. At home, this process takes 1-1.5 hours for ~ 600g of goat meat. But you can always half cook the meat in a pressure cooker and finish it in kadai (cuts cooking time significantly).

Goat Curry Versus Kadai Goat

In the past few years, I have had amazing feedback on my north indian style goat curry recipe from many of you and I truly appreciate you. If you have cooked my goat curry, you will notice that lot of spices and ingredients overlap with this recipe. But there are quite a few differences in kadai goat and hence the taste is quite different.

1. I use tomatoes + yogurt in this recipe for the perfect sweetish acidity & rich tang that balances the smokiness of kadai masala.
2. Kadai masala powder is intense as compared to basic spices that I use in regular goat curry. Hence kadai mutton is bolder & smokier!
3. Kadai goat is cooked in two stages. First, the meat is boiled over low heat until it tenderizes. Then, it is seared on high heat with spices and yogurt to develop deep flavors.This differs from goat curry, where the meat is left to slow-cooking after preparing the onion masala so that it absorbs the flavors gradually.

My Recipe

• I am using goat meat, but you can use mutton, lamb or beef in this recipe.
• My preperation is punjabi style (with generous use of onions and distinct kasuri methi flavor). which is slightly, different from pakistani style karahi gosht.
• Many Pakistani recipes I studied while developing this recipe and writing this post either omit onions or use them sparingly. However, I am generous with onions in my recipe. They not only contribute to a thicker, more substantial masala but also add sweet, caramelized flavors that balances the heat of the kadai masala.
• Most restaurant style kadai dishes add bell peppers and onion petals, while I do love them with kadai chicken, I omit them in my meat version.

Ingredients

• Goat Meat – I purchase something called a “goat mix” from my middle eastern butcher and it has portions from goat shoulder and leg. The goat shoulder is a well-marbled, flavorful cut, perfect for slow cooking. The goat leg, on the other hand, is a lean cut with a mildly gamey taste. When cooked properly, it stays tender and succulent. Don’t worry about the gaminess, the ginegr, garlic and spices will take care of it.
• Ghee – Ideally, punjabi style kadai goat is cooked in mustard oil. But I use ghee for a nutty rich flavor. You can use either.
• Onions – I use red onions, yellow will work too.
• Tomatoes – Use ripe juicy tomatoes. I use roma or tomatoes on the vine. If using canned, choose whole canned tomatoes and chop them before adding.
• Ginger & Garlic – We need crushed ginger while cooking and ginger juliennes to finish. Try to use fresh ginger and garlic instead of frozen or bottled pastes.
• Yogurt – Thick plain yogurt, well beaten. I use whole milk dahi(indian curd).

Spices

• Whole Spices – You need cinnamon stick & bayleaf while boiling the meat. For kadai masala powder we will need coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, black peppercorns and dried kashmiri red chili powder.
• Ground Spices – Turmeric Powder and Red chili powder for color and heat. I use degi mirch (non-affiliate link) in most of my curry recipes. Degi mirch is a blend of kashmiri red chili powder & red capsicum. It is medium spicy. The heat is milder than cayenne pepper powder but spicer than just kashmiri chili powder.

How To Make Kadai Gosht

Boil The Meat

• Choose a heavy bottomed cooking pot with a tight fitting lid for this recipe. I use my 4 qt braiser. Heat up ghee on medium heat and add bay leaf and cinnamon sticks. Fry spices in ghee for 8-10 seconds taking care they don’t burn.
• Add the onions and mix with ghee. There is no need to brown the onions.

• Next, add the goat meat, ginger & garlic, tomatoes and salt to the cooking pot. Pour water.
• Close the lid and cook the meat until it is 90–92% done. This takes about 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on the quality of the meat, size of the pieces, and other factors. Check occasionally while meat is boiling to ensure there’s enough liquid in the pot. Add hot water as needed to prevent the meat from drying out during cooking.

Grind The Kadai Masala

• While the meat is cooking, make the kadai masala powder. Dry roast the whole spices in a small pan until lightly smoky. Do not let the spices blacken else your kadai masala will become bitter.
• Cool the spices and transfer to a small blender jar (I use a coffee grinder). Grind to a powder (not too coarse, nor too fine).

Bhunai

• Once the meat is tender, it’s time to begin the bhunai—the crucial step where smoky, seared flavors develop. This process takes about 20–25 minutes, so be patient and don’t rush.
• Remove the lid and set the pot over medium heat. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, and 1.5 tablespoons of kadai masala powder.

• Increase the heat to medium-high and start frying the meat and masala, stirring continuously. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the excess liquid evaporates, the flavors intensify, and the masala clings to the meat. Don’t dry off the masala too much—it should be thick and coat the meat well.
• Once the masala thickens and most of the liquid has evaporated, reduce the heat to low and add the beaten yogurt to the meat and masala. Stir continuously for 1–2 minutes to prevent curdling.

• Continue frying until a thin layer of oil and small oil bubbles appear on the surface. By this stage, the meat should be tender but not falling apart, as kadai goat tastes best with a slight bite.
• Turn off the heat and finish with ½ teaspoon kadai masala, crushed kasuri methi, ginger juliennes, sliced green chilies (I use serrano peppers), and chopped cilantro. I also add 1-2 teaspoon ghee at this stage for added richness. Serve hot with homemade naan, roti, or steamed basmati rice.

Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker Instructions

You can boil the meat in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker on high for 8–12 minutes, followed by a natural pressure release for 5–7 minutes, until it is 90% cooked.

For the bhunai and the remaining steps of the recipe, I recommend transferring the boiled meat to a wide-mouthed kadai or skillet. Cooking in a wide pan helps the liquid evaporate quickly while developing a rich, well-caramelized masala and deep flavor.

Recipe Tips

1. Your kadai gosht is only as good as the kadai masala, which is why I prefer making my own. You can certainly use store-bought kadai masala, but since the intensity varies, start with ½ to 1 teaspoon, then adjust to taste.
2. Don’t skip the ginger and green chili garnishes—they are signature elements of kadai gosht and enhance both the flavor and texture of the dish.
3. We love such punjabi-style dishes like this with Indian flatbreads, but jeera rice also makes a great pairing. For a refreshing side, consider serving it with a crunchy kachumber salad.