Meat or Chicken Masala No. 2

Name: Meat or Chicken Masala No. 2
Ingredients: 2 pounds Leg of lamb or whole chicken (Original specifies 'Gost' (meat) leg piece or chicken. Keep as a whole piece or large chunks.); 1 cup Ghee (Originally '0.5 seer' (approx 450g). Reduced to 1 cup for modern preference, though traditional recipe uses more.); 1 pound Onions (Originally '0.5 seer'. Finely sliced.); 2 tablespoons Fresh ginger (Originally '2.5 tolas'. Peeled and crushed/minced.); 2 tablespoons Garlic (Originally '2.5 tolas'. Peeled and crushed/minced.); 1 1/2 tablespoons Salt (Originally '1.5 tolas'. Adjust to taste.); 2 teaspoons Coriander seeds (Husks removed.); 3 teaspoons Red chili powder (Originally dried chilies, seeds removed and pounded fine.); 1 teaspoon Garam masala (Heaping teaspoon.); 1 pinch Saffron strands (Originally '5 val' (approx 2g). Use a generous pinch.); 6 cups Water (Originally '3 seers'. Used for boiling the meat.)

This rich and aromatic Parsi-style curry features tender meat or chicken slow-cooked in two stages for maximum flavor depth. The meat is first simmered with aromatics in a muslin pouch to create a flavorful stock, then browned with caramelized onions and saffron before being finished in its own reduced juices. The result is a succulent, semi-dry masala dish that pairs perfectly with roti or can be used as a base for a luxurious pulao.

Ingredients

2 pounds Leg of lamb or whole chicken (Original specifies 'Gost' (meat) leg piece or chicken. Keep as a whole piece or large chunks.)
1 cup Ghee (Originally '0.5 seer' (approx 450g). Reduced to 1 cup for modern preference, though traditional recipe uses more.)
1 pound Onions (Originally '0.5 seer'. Finely sliced.)
2 tablespoons Fresh ginger (Originally '2.5 tolas'. Peeled and crushed/minced.)
2 tablespoons Garlic (Originally '2.5 tolas'. Peeled and crushed/minced.)
1 1/2 tablespoons Salt (Originally '1.5 tolas'. Adjust to taste.)
2 teaspoons Coriander seeds (Husks removed.)
3 teaspoons Red chili powder (Originally dried chilies, seeds removed and pounded fine.)
1 teaspoon Garam masala (Heaping teaspoon.)
1 pinch Saffron strands (Originally '5 val' (approx 2g). Use a generous pinch.)
6 cups Water (Originally '3 seers'. Used for boiling the meat.)

Instructions

1Clean the meat (or chicken) and wash it twice in cold water. Keep it as a whole piece or cut into large chunks. Peel and crush the ginger and garlic. Place the crushed ginger, garlic, and coriander seeds into a piece of clean muslin cloth and tie it loosely into a bundle (potli).
2In a large pot, pour in the water (approx 6 cups). Add the spice bundle, the meat, and the salt. Cover with a lid and cook over low heat. If the water evaporates before the meat is tender, add more hot water as needed. Cook until the meat is tender and the liquid has reduced to approximately 2 cups (1 seer) of stock. Remove from heat, take out the meat, and discard the spice bundle, reserving the stock.
3Lightly toast the saffron and grind it into a fine powder. Peel the onions and slice them finely. In a separate heavy-bottomed pot, heat the ghee and fry the onions over medium heat until they turn a golden almond-brown color.
4Add the red chili powder to the fried onions. Carefully add the boiled meat to the pot, handling it gently so it does not break. Fry the meat in the ghee and onions until it takes on a reddish-brown color.
5Mix the ground saffron into the reserved stock (from step 2) and pour this liquid over the meat. Place the pot on low heat (or embers). Simmer until the meat is extremely tender, the water has evaporated, and the ghee separates from the masala. Remove from heat and sprinkle the garam masala over the top before serving.