Gustaba Kashmiri Recipe: Do you know Kashmiri cuisine is often dubbed as a meat-lover’s paradise? Yes, meat plays an important role in this cuisine. From rogan josh to tabakhmaaz, there is a long list of meat-based dishes from Kashmir. One such popular traditional dish is gustaba, or as often called goshtaba. It is basically tender meatballs cooked in milk-based gravy. It is said, gustaba is served towards the end of the meal, before dessert, and is an integral part of Kashmiri wazwan. For the unversed, wazwan is a multi-course meal in Kashmir and is treated with utmost respect.

For gustaba preparation, first and foremost a soft and spongy meatball needs to be prepared. Traditional process of making this meatball is quite a tedious job, where the red meat needs to be beaten well with a wooden pestle and then mixed with spices. It is said that the meatballs should be so soft that they melt in mouth in no time. Although rice is the staple food of Kashmiris, gustaba is best enjoyed with naans and rotis.
Here’s The Written Recipe For Gustaba:

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

Mutton keema: 500 gm

Cumin seeds: 2 tsp

Black pepper: 1 tsp

Garlic pieces: 1-2

Oil: 1 tbsp

Milk: 2 cups

Water: 6 cups

Ghee: 1 tbsp

Dried fenugreek leaves- 1tsp

Salt- to taste

Method:

Mince the mutton finely with a wooden pestle.

Simultaneously, add cumin seeds, black pepper, pieces of garlic and oil to it.

Make round balls of the minced meat and set them aside.

In another vessel, add water and milk to it. Add some salt and bring to a boil.

Then, add the meat balls one by one into it and cook for a while.

In a pan, add ghee, cumin seeds and some milk.

Add the meat balls into the pan. Then pour ghee and some dried fenugreek leaves to it.

Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Serve hot.