January 2022 – Nandini's Blog : Spice & Secret

Keema pav has gradually become an iconic street food of Mumbai that initially originated from the famous Mumbai’s Irani restaurant. Keema in any form has been my favourite childhood indulgence and my mom would often cook it for me. My love for keema has been genetically passed on to my foodie ” chota beta” who just loves it in any possible way. As a result my experiment with keema has always been an integral part of my culinary journey. Keema along with pav tastes absolutely amazing and is a combination to die for. It is normally cooked with mutton keema but I have tried with chicken keema and believe me it tastes equally amazing.

Ingredients

Chicken keema : ½ kg

Onion : 2

Tomatoes : 2

Ginger garlic paste : 2 tsp

Coriander seed : 2 tsp

Turmeric powder : ½ tsp

Red chilli powder : 1 tsp

Garam masala powder : ½ tsp

Apricot paste : 1 tsp

Green chilli : 2

Cinnamon stick : 1

Cardamom : 1

Coriander leaves : 4 tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil : 3 tsp

Step 1

Wash the keema in a stainer.

Step 2

Grind together coriander seed, onion, cinnamon, cardamom, green chilli and coriander leaves.

Step 3

Heat oil in a pan and fry onion until golden brown. Add the diced tomatoes and saute them together until the tomatoes are soft.

Step 4

Add the ground masala along with ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt and saute until the oil leaves the side of the pan.

Step 5

Put the keema and combine it together with the rest of the masala.

Step 6

When the oil leaves the side, add apricot paste along with a cup of water and cook it for another ten minutes until the gravy reaches the desired consistency.

Step 7

Garnish with coriander leaves and lemon wedges and serve it along with pav.

Tip

The apricot paste adds a sweet and tangy flavour to the keema.

Pani puri ( Ghup Chup)

Pani puri does not need any introduction since it tops the chart among the Indian street food. The crunchy Puri’s along with flavourful stuffing and sweet chutney filled with spicy Pani is to die for. Believe me the burst of flavor in your mouth is so heavenly that you want to eat unstoppably and eyes become bigger than the stomach. A perfect balance of sweet, tangy and spicy, trust me pani puri can never go wrong. Although it is found in almost every nook and corner of Indian streets but due to unhygienic ways it eventually puts you at health risk. So here is a mouth watering recipe that can be easily prepared at your home so that it could be enjoyed within your comfort zone. The puri is easily available throughout the length and width of the country.

For the pani

Mint leaves : 1 cup

Coriander leaves : ½ cup

Green chilli : 4

Garlic : 4 pods

Cumin seed : 1 tsp

Tamarind pulp : 2 tsp

Chat masala : 2 tsp

Black salt : 2 tsp

Chutney

Tamarind : 100 gms soaked and deseeded

Jaggery : 100 gms

Chili powder : 1 tsp

Salt : ½ tsp

Stuffing

yellow peas : 250 gms soaked overnight

Potato : 2 large

Turmeric powder : 1 tsp

Red chili powder : 2 tsp

Coriander powder : 2 tsp

Cumin powder : 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste : 2 tsp

Salt as per taste

Step 1

Pressure cook the soaked peas along with turmeric powder, salt and water for about 5 whistles. Separately boil the potatoes.

Step 2

Heat oil in a kadai and add the ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw smell disappears. Next add the coriander powder, cumin powder, chili powder and chat masala and salt and cook them all together.
Add the boiled peas and stir till it comes to the boil, put the boiled and mashed potatoes and cook them together for a couple of minutes. Ragra is ready for the stuffing.

Step 3

Make the tamarind chutney by cooking together tamarind with jaggery, chili powder salt and chat masala. Cook them all together until the chutney reaches the desired consistency. Once done, keep it aside and let it cool.

Step 4

For the pani, grind together mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chili, garlic, cumin seed, tamarind paste, salt and chat masala.

Step 5

Transfer it in a large bowl and add about 3 to 4 cups of water whisk it together with the help of a spoon. The pani is ready. Put it in the fridge for some time before serving it.

Step 6