White Mutton Karahi Recipe (1 kg, Shinwari Malik Agha Style)

White mutton karahi is the mild, creamy cousin of the red karahi: no tomatoes and no red chilli, just mutton cooked soft, then finished with yogurt, black and white pepper and a little cream. We filmed this 1 kg version at Shinwari Malik Agha Restaurant on the Super Highway in Karachi, where the white karahi is the dish people come for.

Watch the White Mutton Karahi Video

The full video plays inside the recipe card below. To jump straight to one step, open it on YouTube:

• 0:18 Where the restaurant is
• 0:43 1 kg mutton and salt
• 0:59 1 cup oil
• 1:05 Water
• 1:08 Ginger garlic paste
• 1:14 Cover for 40–45 minutes
• 1:53 Taking out extra water
• 2:06 Drying on high flame
• 2:12 Green chillies
• 2:34 1 cup yogurt
• 3:01 Black pepper and white pepper
• 3:36 Cream
• 4:11 Ginger to finish

What Makes Malik Agha White Karahi Different

Yogurt and cream, not tomatoes. The gravy is built from 1 cup of yogurt and a few spoons of cream, which gives it the pale, creamy look.

Two peppers. Black pepper gives the heat and white pepper gives a softer, earthy bite. There is no red chilli, turmeric or garam masala.

Boiled first, then dried. The mutton cooks covered in oil and water until tender. At home, the cook suggests spooning out extra water instead of boiling it all away, then frying the meat in the oil that is left.

Cream on low flame. Cream goes in last with the flame turned down, otherwise it splits and the karahi looks grainy.

Ingredient Notes

• Mutton: bone-in karahi cut. Young mutton becomes tender in 40 to 45 minutes; older mutton needs longer.
• Yogurt: plain, full-fat and not too sour. Whisk it smooth before adding.
• Cream: packet cream or fresh malai both work.
• White pepper: if you do not have it, use a little more black pepper.

White Mutton Karahi Ingredients for 1 kg and 2 kg

The 1 kg column is what the cook says in the video. *The black and white pepper are shown going in, but the cook does not say how much, so 1 tsp each is our suggestion. Taste and add more if you like it sharper.

Step-by-Step: How White Mutton Karahi Is Made

1. Mutton, salt, oil, water and ginger garlic

Put the mutton in a karahi with the salt. Add the oil, water and ginger garlic paste.

2. Cover and cook until tender

Cover and cook on medium flame for 40 to 45 minutes, until the mutton is soft.

3. Dry off the water

Spoon out any extra water, then cook on high flame, stirring, until the water is gone and only oil is left.

4. Add green chillies and yogurt

Add the green chillies, cover for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the yogurt. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes, cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

5. Add black and white pepper

Add the black pepper and white pepper and mix well.

6. Finish with cream and ginger

Turn the flame to low or medium and stir in the cream for 2 to 3 minutes. Top with julienne ginger and serve.

The Complete White Mutton Karahi Recipe

White Mutton Karahi (Malik Agha Style)

1 kg white mutton karahi from Shinwari Malik Agha Restaurant, Karachi: mutton cooked tender, then finished with green chillies, yogurt, black and white pepper and cream. No tomatoes or red chilli.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Servings: 5 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Karachi Style / Shinwari, Restaurant Style

Calories: 550

Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

Mutton

• 1 kg mutton bone-in karahi cut
• ½ tbsp salt or to taste
• 1 cup cooking oil
• 1–2 cups water
• ½ tbsp ginger garlic paste

White masala

• 4–5 medium green chillies
• 1 cup yogurt whisked
• 1 tsp black pepper powder our suggestion
• 1 tsp white pepper powder our suggestion
• 4–5 tbsp fresh cream
• ginger julienned, to garnish

Method

 

Karahi

1. Put the mutton, salt, oil, water and ginger garlic paste in a karahi. Cover and cook on medium flame for 40 to 45 minutes until tender.
2. Spoon out extra water, then cook on high flame until only oil is left.
3. Add the green chillies and cover for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add the yogurt, mix for 2 to 3 minutes, cover and cook for about 10 minutes.
5. Add the black pepper and white pepper and mix.
6. Lower the flame, stir in the cream for 2 to 3 minutes, top with ginger and serve.

Video

Notes

Keep the flame low to medium when the yogurt and cream go in, so they do not split.

White Karahi Problems and How to Fix Them

• The yogurt or cream split: the flame was too high. Add yogurt and cream on medium to low heat and keep stirring.
• The mutton is tough: it needed more time in the water. Add a little hot water, cover and cook longer.
• Too sour: the yogurt was sour. Use fresh yogurt, or add an extra spoon of cream.

Serving White Mutton Karahi

Serve hot with naan or tandoori roti and a simple salad. Leftovers keep for 2 days in the fridge; reheat gently on a low flame so the cream does not split.

White Mutton Karahi FAQs

What is the difference between white karahi and red karahi?

Red karahi is made with tomatoes and red chilli. White karahi uses yogurt, cream and black and white pepper instead.

How long does the mutton take?

About 40 to 45 minutes covered on medium flame for 1 kg, as in the video.

Is white karahi the same as sulemani karahi?

Both are white, but sulemani karahi has no yogurt or cream and relies on black pepper and ginger. See our sulemani mutton karahi.

Can I make it with chicken?

Yes. Use less water and cook the chicken for about 20 minutes before drying it off.

Where is Malik Agha Restaurant?

The cook says it is a few kilometres past Sohrab Goth on the Super Highway, on the left-hand side.

More Shinwari Karahi Recipes

• Sulemani Mutton Karahi: a peppery white karahi from Khyber Shinwari.
• Mutton Rosh: namkeen mutton slow-cooked in its own juices.
• Cholistani Chicken Karahi: a red, tomato-based street karahi.