This recipe had been waiting for a long time to get a place in this spot.
I make sure whenever we get minced meat from the butcher, tell him what I want to cook – keema curry, tasty kebabs or simple meat meat balls. For keema curry, the minced meat is coarser than that for meat-balls and kebabs. It is the goat meat keema that brings taste to the keema curry...my choice.
How can I forget our regular butcher making keema in his own way. In small towns where I grew up the butcher’s chopping board was the trunk of a tree cut to the size of a low stool. He sat on his small low bench placing the piece of meat on the wooden board and with his huge knife he hit the meat constantly with the knife cutting it again and again from small to smaller pieces. Nowadays a butcher’s shop has a neat and tidy look and a machine to mince.
For the Keema curry:
Keema (minced meat): 500 gms
3 potatoes peeled, washed and cubed. 1 tomato washed and chopped into small pieces.
Make a paste of 3onions, 5-6 garlic flakes and 1 inch ginger.
3-4 tej pata (bay leaves), 5 cardamom, 2-3 cinnamon sticks, 4-5 cloves.
Haldi powder, red chilli powder (the heat that suits your taste buds), salt to taste, sugar ½ tsp and cooking oil (about 6 tbsp). I’ve used mustard oil. You can use the oil you feel comfortable with.
Heat oil in a pressure pan. Add the cubed potatoes once the oil is hot. Lightly fry the potatoes and take them out. Tip in the tej pata and half crushed cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. These spices will release their aroma. Now add the onion, ginger garlic paste and sauté. Lower the flame and cook the masala for 4 minutes. Once it is half cooked add the tomato. Within a short time the tomato will start giving out its juice. Time to add the haldi and chilli powder. Stir the masala regularly. After 2-3 minutes add salt and sugar and then add the keema to it. Cook till the masala mixes well with the keema and oil leaves the side. Add the potatoes and cook for a little time. Add water enough for the gravy. Pressure cook for 4-5 minutes. Open the lid once the cooker cools down and serve.
Eat and relish your keema curry with khasta parathas or Luchis (puris). Rotis will do and with rice the taste buds will tell the tale –yum yum yummy...
