📍 Where this dish comes from: Srinagar, Kashmir · Dal Lake
Discover the history of this region →
Discover the history of this region →
Shorba is the Mughal court’s answer to consommé — a clear, fragrant meat broth that demonstrated the cook’s skill through clarity and depth of flavor rather than richness and thickness. A royal amber broth built over hours from lamb bones, whole cardamom, cloves, and dried rose petals, this Mughal court soup is so impossibly fragrant and deeply comforting that it feels like it should arrive in a golden bowl, by candlelight, after a long journey. Every gram of bone was coaxed into the liquid.
What You’ll Need
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 285kcal
Ingredients
- 500 g lamb neck or shanks bone-in
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 cm ginger sliced
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- Salt
- Fresh mint and coriander
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Brown lamb in ghee on all sides, 8 minutes.
- Add onion, garlic, and ginger; cook 3 minutes.
- Add all whole spices and ground spices.
- Cover with 1.5L water; bring to a boil.
- Skim foam; reduce heat and simmer 90 minutes.
- Remove lamb; shred meat and return to broth.
- Season with salt and lemon juice.
- Serve with fresh mint and coriander.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 285kcal | Protein: 28g | Fat: 18g
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Health Benefits
- Bone-in lamb releases collagen during the long simmer, which converts to gelatin, a compound studied for its potential role in gut lining health.
- Long-simmered bone broth contains glycine, an amino acid studied for its role in liver function.
- Whole spice simmering extracts fat-soluble aromatic compounds not as readily available from ground spices.