Instant Pot Achar Ghost with Shan Masala

This is one of the first Desi dishes I learned how to make back when I had no idea what I was doing and TRUST me when I say it has come a long way. I have really worked out this recipe so that it tastes perfect and is also easy to make. This is another instance where the Instant Pot is a game changer. This dish is traditionally made on the stove and has to be cooked for many hours to reach tenderness. The Instant Pot changes everything and makes this genuinely easy to make. While this dish will always have some level of heat, you can adjust it slightly by the amount of jalapeños you put in. I also like to make a big pot and freeze some of the leftovers for lunches later on.

For this Instant Pot Achar Ghost with Shan Masala recipe you will need:

6 servings:

• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
• 1 packet of Achar Ghost Shan – This is the brand Ii use but you can use whatever you prefer. This can be found at most local desi grocers or online.
• 3/4 tablespoon ginger paste – see substitutions
• 3 minced garlic cloves – see substitutions
• 2.5 cups whole milk yogurt
• 2 pounds of boneless chuck roast beef – see substitutions
• 6 Roma tomatoes – around 600 grams – the tomatoes are an essential part of the salan and are key to reaching the desired texture and consistency.
• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice – fresh pressed is best. This adds a lot of zest to the dish and brings out other flavors.
• 1/4 – 1/2 sliced jalapeño – While this does add wonderful flavor, it also has a big impact on the level of spice and you will want to adjust to your preference.
• Basmati rice for serving

How to Make Instant Pot Achar Ghost with Shan Masala:

Step 4. Put the lid on your instant pot, set it to pressure cook, and cook it on high for 40 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. This is a perfect amount of time for the beef to get very soft.

Step 5. While your beef is cooking, you will take your six Roma tomatoes, slice them into 8ths, and pulse them in a food processor or blender. You will want to pulse it until the tomatoes are in small pieces but still chunky. You do not want to blend it all the way as you will lose a lot of the juice in the straining process. The goal is to end up with a thick chunky kind of paste after straining in the next step. This is also a good time to cook your rice if you are serving it with rice. Basmati rice with a sprinkle of cumin seeds, salt, and oil pairs very well with it.

Step 6. Transfer your tomato mix into a mesh colander over the sink and shake it gently from side to side until most of the juice has left. You can also do this over a bowl if you would like to save the tomato juice for something else. Set this aside for now.

Step 7. Prepare your 3 tablespoons of lemon juice by squeezing your lemon and your jalapeño slices. The jalapeño can add a lot of heat, so it is best to de-seed it and add as little or as much as you would like. If I am using a particularly spicy pepper, I will use only one or two slices.

Step 8. Once your Instant Pot is done cooking and you have allowed for a 10-minute natural release, open the pot and set it to sear/saute on high heat. You will now stir in your remaining ingredients which are the lemon juice, jalapeño slices, and tomato mix

Step 9. Keep your pot on high heat and stir periodically for about 20 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached. You want to allow a lot of the liquid to cook out so that it is not runny.

Serve with Basmati rice and enjoy!

• Ginger paste can be traded out for minced ginger, but you will want to use double the amount as minced ginger is less concentrated.
• Minced garlic on the other hand can be substituted for garlic paste, and you will want to use half of the amount due to the higher concentration.
• For the meat, you can also use boneless mixed beef which is found at most local Desi grocers. Some prefer to use goat instead of beef. The same cooking directions apply for goat meat.