Mutton Mince Kababs – Made 2 ways

Mutton Mince Kababs – Made 2 ways

The world calls them kebabs but we Parsees call them kababs. We bawas usually have these 'babies' with Dhanshak or Masala na Dar Chawal. This recipe is from the time when Grumpy Tomcat (read: husband) used to cook for his angelic better-half (read: me ;) ). The lazy lump of lard does absolutely no cooking these days. Yes, both these recipes are courtesy, the person you all have come to know as, Grumpy. :D

Mutton Mince Kababs - Recipe 1 

Ingredients:

500 grams mutton mince

4 medium-sized potatoes, boiled and mashed

1 medium onion, finely chopped

8 green chilies, slit and finely chopped

1½ tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

1/3^rd cup coriander leaves, finely chopped

A handful mint leaves, chopped

2 teaspoons red Kashmiri chili powder

¾ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon coriander-cumin powder

Salt, to taste

1 cup semolina / rava / suji

3 eggs, seasoned and beaten with a wee bit of salt

Oil, for deep frying

 Method:

1. Mix everything EXCEPT semolina, eggs and oil.
2. Heat oil in a kadai/wok.
3. Make balls of the mixture, about 2  to 2½ inches in diameter.
4. Gently roll the kababs in semolina, dip in beaten egg and fry in oil, in batches.
5. Once you add the kababs to the hot oil lower the heat and allow the kababs to cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. As they begin to turn light golden and are cooked from inside, bring the heat back up, to high, and allow them to turn a deeper shade of golden. 
7. Immediately drain on kitchen towel. Serve hot with ketchup, chutney or tomato compote.
   
   

Mutton Mince Kababs – Recipe 2

Ingredients:

500 grams mutton mince

4 potatoes, boiled and mashed

2 onions, finely chopped

3 green chilies, finely chopped

Handful coriander leaves, finely chopped

Half handful mint leaves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

2 teaspoons red degi mirch chili powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon Dhanshak masala

½ teaspoon garam masala powder

2 teaspoons coriander-cumin powder

1 teaspoon red dry Kashmiri chilies-cumin seeds-garlic paste

2 eggs, beaten

Salt, to taste

1 cup fine bread crumbs

Oil, to fry

Method: 

1. Mix everything EXCEPT bread crumbs and oil.
2. Heat oil in a kadai/wok.
3. Make balls of the mixture, about 2  to 2½ inches in diameter.
4. Gently roll the kababs in bread crumbs and fry in oil, in batches.
5. Once you add the kababs to the hot oil lower the heat and allow the kababs to cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. As they begin to turn light golden and get cooked from inside, bring the heat back up to high and allow then to turn a deeper shade of golden and immediately drain on kitchen towel. Serve hot with ketchup, chutney or tomato compote.
   
   

Chef Notes:

1. We bawas (Parsees) usually serve these as a side accompaniment with Dhanshak, but you may serve these as snack/starter at a party.
2. If you don't have potatoes at home, remove the sides from sliced white bread, soak them in water for a few seconds, squeeze them out and mix well with the mince mixture till smoothly blended. The kababs won’t be as soft as with potatoes, the ones with bread will be slightly crisper.
3. Do NOT overcrowd the wok when you fry these babies, patiently fry them in batches.
4. The first recipe is a soft variety of kababs whereas the second variation has a crisper exterior because eggs are directly added into the kabab mixture and because they are only coated with bread crumbs.
5. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism. 

Alu-Peyanj-Deem Bhaja with Fried Green Chilies - Potatoes-Onions-Eggs Fried with Green Chilies

Alu-Peyanj-Deem Bhaja with Fried Green Chilies - Potatoes-Onions-Eggs Fried with Green Chilies

This is a take-off on Pritha Sen’s favorite childhood dish. It is usually had with fresh phulkas (puffed chapattis) or triangular parathas. When her Ma made it, it was just soft fried onions and julienne potatoes. When the railway cooks made it, it became something else with crisply fried onions, julienne or cubed potatoes, a little turmeric powder and chili powder. It was made in mustard oil and was served as breakfast on the saloons with triangular whole wheat parathas smeared with a bit of ghee/clarified butter. You could have a fried egg or omelet on the side if you wished. She has kind of built on all of it and made this her own recipe. Today I share her recipe with you all. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 large potatoes, cut into thin chips
3 large onions, sliced fine
4 green chilies, slit
1-2 teaspoons chili powder (adjust according to spice level desired)
3 hard boiled eggs, shelled
Salt, to taste
100 mils oil
1 tablespoon clarified butter/ghee

Method:

1. Heat oil in a non-stick wok/kadhai. Add half the quantity of sliced onions and the potatoes and allow them to cook. Do not add any water.
2. When the potatoes are about 60 percent cooked, remove the excess oil, leaving in just about a tablespoon or two with the semi-cooked potatoes.
3. Add the salt and chili powder and mix well with the potatoes.
4. Using a sharp knife, make slits in the boiled eggs and add them to the potatoes.
5. Allow the potatoes, onions and eggs to cook to a golden crisp. Cut each egg in half.
6. Take 1 or 2 tablespoons of the residual oil, previously removed, add the ghee and reheat.
7. Add the remaining onions and the slit green chilies and fry them to a golden crisp.
8. Pour over the eggs and potatoes. Serve with phulkas or parathas.
   
   

Chef Notes:

1. Crisp onions, crisp potatoes and boiled eggs, do these ingredients really need chef notes?? We all know the answer to that. I followed Pritha’s recipe to the T and roped in the compliments, even from Grumpy Tomcat (read: husband). I suggest you do the same. What are you waiting for, get into that kitchen. Pronto! ;) 
2. Ahh ok, there is one thing I need to say. The onions have to be fried to a lovely crisp brown. Please do not burn them because if you do they will border, in taste, on the burnt-bitter side. 
3. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.

Keri nu Gosht – Mutton cooked with ripe Alphonso Mangoes

Keri nu Gosht – Mutton cooked with ripe Alphonso Mangoes

Among uncommon recipes, this one is king. I had been itching to lay my paws on this recipe. Finally, I got my sister-in-law to send it to me. This happens to be an old Parsee recipe. It comes down to us from the time when our grandmas ruled the kitchen. Unfortunately I don't have my grandma’s version because I wasn't fortunate enough to spend time with either of them in the kitchen. The first time I heard of this recipe I was extremely intrigued. Never before had I attempted a dish that combined sweet ripe fruit and mutton. This was a new one for me and I was skeptical in regard to whether the flavors would marry. I was wrong, marry they did! Who am I to be skeptical about a recipe handed down through the generations? I should have known better!

Ingredients:

½ kilo mutton, cleaned and cut into chunks

4-5 large onions, finely sliced

5 ripe Alphonso mangoes, peeled

4 cardamoms
1 inch cinnamon

4-6 black pepper corns

2 cloves

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

 2-2½ teaspoons red chili powder

½ teaspoon Parsee Sambhar masala

Salt, to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

4-5 tablespoons oil

 Method:

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add the cumin seeds, cardamoms, cinnamon, black peppercorns, cloves and allow to splutter.
2. Add the onions and fry till golden.
3. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté till it gets aromatic.
4. Add the turmeric powder, red chili powder, Parsee Sambhar masala and sauté.
5. Add the mutton pieces and sauté till well roasted and mixed with the masala.
6. Add salt and sugar and sauté till well blended.
7. Add the whole, peeled mangoes and gently sauté them for a while. Ensure they don’t break.
8. Add ¾ to 1 cup of water and pressure cook the meat and mangoes. If you own a cooker that whistles, then cook for two whistle and then lower the heat and cook for 7-9 minutes more. Allow the cooker to cool down and release the pressure on its own.
9. Open the cooker when all the pressure is released. If there is too much water simmer till the gravy is semi-thick and sufficient enough to ‘sop-up- with bread. Nope, no fancy-shmancy garnish for this hardcore 'bawa' dish. Enjoy!
   
   

Chef Notes: 

1. When you cook this you have to peel and keep the mangoes whole so select the best mangoes because you can't cook with mangoes that are rotten from the within. If at all you are unsure of the quality of mangoes, the next best option is to peel the mangoes, then cut the large cheeks of the mangoes from either side to check the mango from within and then use them. Do not chop the mango any smaller than this.
2. Ripe mangoes are sweet hence the quantity of chili powder used is on the higher side to achieve a balance of flavours. Feel free to reduce it if you prefer a milder flavour.
3. For those of you who know what Parsee Sali Gosht is, the consistency of this dish should be similar to the same. 
4. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.