Chinioti Mutton Kunna gosht recipe that is delicious and meaty flavourful. This is a very simple recipe with few steps and very easy to cook. Kunna gosht is traditionally made in an earthen pot so it is also called Matka Gosht.
Updated: 12th, October 2020
Originally, kunna is made from the mutton shank or mutton leg cut in pieces. But with innovation and an increase in demand, kunna is made commercially with beef and chicken too.
I've made kunna gosht in a regular pot on the stove but the taste is delicious. It is somewhat similar to Nihari. I personally felt it is very easy to cook and a great escape from the regular mutton stew.
Origin
Kunna is a Punjabi dish from the city of Chiniot in Punjab. Chiniot is famous for handcrafted furniture and Kunna. This is not an original recipe of kunna gosht or matka gosht, this recipe is adapted for easy home cooking with a few more spices. The original kunna recipe has very few ingredients like mutton, green chilies, garlic, ginger, and onion.
The technique
In the Punjabi language, an earthen pot is called 'Kun-na' or 'Mat-ka'. That's why this curry is also called 'Matka gosht (gosht means meat.) The technique is slow, underground cooking.
You put all ingredients in kunna pot and place the sealed pot in the soil. Then lit a bonfire on the soil above the pot. The distant heat cooks the meat for 4-6 hours and makes it very tender.
Ingredients
Kunna gosht or Matka gosht is best cooked with lamb shanks. And that's the traditional way of doing it. But I've tried the recipe with pieces of mutton leg and other parts too. It still turns out good with a little compromise on taste. What is more important is that you use bone-in mutton or lamb. It is the bones that give a lot of flavor to this Pakistani lamb shank curry.
How to make it?
- Fry onions and slice on medium heat for 10 minutes. Then increase heat and fry them until lightly golden.
- Now add the whole spices in oil and crackle it so it releases the flavors.
- Mix in mutton and remaining spices. Fry for 4-5 minutes on medium-high heat until meat changes its color and you see oil separating on the sides of the pot. (This is called bhunna and gives amazing flavor to Kunna gosht recipe).
- Add about 2 cups of water or as much required to cook meat and make gravy. Cover the pot with a tight lid and cook for 45 minutes until the meat is very tender and comes off the bones. (You may use a pressure cooker for quick cooking.)
- Meanwhile, roast the wheat flour in another pan on medium heat with constant stirring until you can smell a lovely toasted aroma.
- Remove from heat and transfer roasted wheat flour to a bowl. Add 1 cup of water to it and make a smooth slurry. No lumps, please.
- When the meat is tender, add wheat flour slurry and yogurt to it. Mix well. You might need to add about 1 cup of water to reach the desired consistency of gravy. ( Skip water if gravy is already thin.)
- Cover the pot again and let the gravy simmer for 5-10 minutes on low heat so yogurt and slurry are cooked and don't have a raw taste.
- Finish with a dollop of butter and transfer to a serving bowl. (preferably handi). Garnish with ginger slices and serve with naan and lemon wedges.
Hungry for more mutton?
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📖 Recipe
Chinioti Mutton Kunna recipe
Ingredients
- 750 gram Mutton/lamb, (preferably mutton leg with bones, cut in pieces)
- ⅓ cup oil
Whole Spices
- 1 teaspoon black cumin, (shah zeera)
- 6-8 black pepper
- 4 cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 large black cardamom
- 1 large onion, thinly slices (or ½ cup fried onions.)
Grounded Spices
- 1 tablespoon green chilli paste
- 1½ tablespoon ginger/garlic paste
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli, substitute with paprika for color
- ½-1 teaspoon red chilli powder, less or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Salt, to taste
Other
- ½ cup wheat flour,
- ½ cup yogurt, whipped
- 1 tablespoon butter, optional
- Water , as required
Garnish
- Ginger , cut into julienne
- Lemon , wedges
- Naan or other bread, to serve
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot and fry onions until golden.
- Add whole spices and fry until spices crackles.
- Mix in grounded spices, stir for few seconds, then mix in mutton pieces. Cook on medium heat for another 5 minutes until the meat has changed its color.
- Next, pour 2 cups of water in the pot. Close the pot with a tight lid and cook on medium heat for 45 minutes until meat is very soft and coming off the bones. ( You can pressure cook too.)
- Dry roast wheat flour on medium heat with constant stirring. Remove flour from heat. Mix wheat flour with 1 cup of water to form a slurry without any lumps. Set aside.
- When the meat is cooked add wheat flour slurry and yogurt to it. Mix well and add 1 cup of water (less or more ss needed for desired consistency). Cook for another 5-7 minutes until oil separates.
- Add butter in the last and simmer for 1 minute. Garnish with ginger and serve with hot naan and lemon wedges.
Umm-e-Aimen says
Recipe was delicious I tried the video one, I added few pieces of Paya as well, someone told me that it's basically called Paya Kunna.
Recipe 52 says
Thanks for leaving a lovely comment. Kunna taste best with fatty bones. With paya it would be delicious. You’ve heard it right then it will be called kunna paya.