Pakistan – Mutton Keema Karahi

by Dahiza Umar

INTRODUCTION TO THE DISH

This dish is a very popular dish because mince is an all-time favorite ingredient for Pakistani cuisine. This is a dish of simple Mince gravy cooked by adding different curry-making vegetables and spices. Mince is known as Keema in Urdu. Keema has different varieties to be cooked in different forms. There are many snacks like samosa, roll, patties, etc in which mince is cooked and stuffed. There are different styles of gravy cooked with adding other main ingredients like potatoes, peas, capsicum, etc. There are types of mince gravy that depend on the type of spice added. Like if this dish is cooked by adding black pepper as the spicing agent, then this dish is known as Kali Mirch Wala Keema. If a huge amount of tomatoes are added this is said to be Kema with tomatoes gravy. Keema Karahi is a dish that is named after the use of utensils that is known as KARAHI. There are also different methods of making this dish. Like curry is cooked separately, and keema/mince is cooked in another wok. Then mixed up both elements to make a unanimous dish.

This dish is very popular for breakfast. Like in Punjab, Bhuna Keema is served with Pratha and lassi. This is assumed to be the best breakfast and served for the special guests. Mutton is the most expensive meat that is also loved by people. Pakistani people usually prefer to have mutton in their meaty dishes. So mutton mince is also a favorite dish and served for special and loveable guests. But this dish is cooked by using any other meat variety popular in Pakistan like beef, chicken, etc. But fish is only consumed in winter and there are just a few dishes in which fish is popular. Although this is halal meat but has very less fish meat dishes.

To cook mutton or beef meat and mince is a very time taking procedure so we have to prepare the meat before the time to have assembling left in order to serve before. If you are using chicken meat it will take almost 15 minutes to cook but mutton and beef require more time to cook. So this dish is the special dish in which we are using expensive meat and also time taking cooking technique.

NAMING OF THE DISH

The name of any Pakistani dish depends on either the using ingredients, using cooking utensils, or origin place. So this dish has two parts in the name: Mutton Keema Karahi

• The first word elaborates which meat is using in this dish. If we are using beef, the name of the dish must be beef keema karahi.
• Other word is Keema that means Mince in English. This is the main ingredient of the dish. So the name of the dish have main ingredients in it.
• And the last word is usage of the Specific untensil in making the dish that is Karahi.

This is the dish that is more like a dry gravy with some masala and spices mixed into the Mince or keema. There are more dishes in which the gravy is thinner and have added other complementary vegetables to enhance the mince flavor. Then the name is changed like, Peas mince gravy is known as Matar Keema. Potato mince gravy is known as Aloo Keema.

COMPONENT OF THE DISH

There are two main components of the dish that is also cooked separately and then mixed together.

MINCE/KEEMA

Mince is the main ingredient of this dish and it is cooked in gravy for getting an amazing taste. This is a mince recipe and mince of any meat can be consumed except fish and seafood. Fish and seafood meat is commonly used as fried fish and other few ingredients. But in cooking traditional food like biryani, korma, mutton keema, etc. This dish is totally traditional dish and has the addition of meat in the form of mince.

Mince of different meat can be consumed in this dish :

• Mutton mince
• Beef mince
• Chicken mince

MASALA

The curry or gravy is also known as Masala in Urdu. This curry is cooked separately by adding different curry vegetables like onions, tomatoes, green chilies, garlic, and ginger. Oil or butter is added to these vegetables and cooked to form a semi-solid curry with aromatic spices.

The Indian and Pakistani curries are very aromatic because of the use of spices. In curries, spices are a must addition to any dish. Spices have a very strong flavor and aroma so these are added in minimal amounts.

Some commonly used curry spices are:

• Curry leaves
• Cloves
• Cinnamon
• Cardamon
• Black pepper cones, etc.

DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF KEEMA KARAHI

• Chicken Keema Karahi
• White masala Keema karahi
• Makhani Keema Karahi
• Lahori Mutton Keema karahi
• Lamb Keema karahi
• Beef Keema karahi
• Green chili Keemakarahi
• Mughlai Keema karahi

HISTORY OF THE DISH

This dish is supposed to be originated from the Indian Subcontinent. Every dish was originally originated from the Indian Subcontinent. So they are just ancestors of Pakistani and Indian cuisine.

At the time of the Mughals, dishes were very popular like mutton meat and beef dishes. Keema or mince is also a very popular dish of that time. Mutton mince was served after the king. All the traditional dishes from Pakistani cuisine are from the time of the MUGHAL EMPIRE from the Indian Subcontinent.

ORIGIN OF THE DISH

The history of traditional dishes from Pakistani cuisine is originated from the Indian Subcontinent at the time of the MUGHAL EMPIRE.

This dish is popular in different regions like

• Pakistan
• India
• Bangladesh
• Iran
• Iraq
• Turkey,etc

KARAHI UTENSIL

Nowadays Karahi is a utensil found in different forms and shapes. But the karahi was traditional the one made up by using clay. Clay pots were the old traditional cooking utensils for daily cooking. With time, clay pots are evolved into metal pots and then they are supposed to have different shapes and forms. Nowadays, Iron Karahi, Copper karahi, and steel karahi are commonly used in making these traditional dishes.

Karahi is a wok or cooking utensils that have usually a round bottom and is made up of clay, metals, etc. The pot has a wide and open mouth and usually has a lid to cover and cook food. This pot has a round and thick bottom and the width is very deep to have a lot of stuff in it.

VARIETIES OF KEEMA KARAHI

KEEMA KOFTA KARAHI

This dish has few different aspects like the mince is added in the curry in the Kabab form. Kabab is a separate dish that is cooked and added into the curry formed. This dish is very tasty because it has the addition of all two dishes spices and when they mixed up together to form a new dish, That is amazing.

• This dish has mince in the form of kabab
• Curry or masala is prepared in the karahi utensils.
• Masala is cooked as the traditional masala is cooked.

DUM KA KEEMA

This dish is cooking like a karahi keema but it has a different taste and also the cooking style.

• In this dish, water is not added.
• Mince is cooked with the curry in low heat for 1 hour.
• This dish is dry with minimal amount of curry cooked by adding few ingredients
• Dum is the low cooking procedure with lid covering so this dish is known as dum ka keema

DHABA KEEMA

Dhaba is a desi restaurant in which dishes are cooked with the old traditional style and service in clay plates. This is like pure traditional mini restaurants.

Dhaba style keema is very popular in Pakistan because they add their own freshly prepared spices into the dish. There is the use of butter and cooking on the wooden, clay stove. The taste is amazing that is not achieved in the usual kitchen routine.

CONDIMENTS SERVED WITH THIS DISH

GREEN CHILIES

These are added in the form of :

• Chopped chilies
• Pickled Green chilies
• Fried green chilies

LEMON

Lemon is added over the dish before serving in the form of lemon juice. This will makes the dish more tasty and yummy.

GINGER

Ginger is added within the dish and also be added over the top for garnishing and also for good taste.

SERVED WITH

This is a dish served with bread, roti, like the given below :

• Sada roti
• Laccha paratha
• Khameeri roti
• Roghani roti
• Naan
• Phulka
• Butter Naan

COMPLEMENTARY SIDE ITEMS

• Green chili chutney
• Mint chutney
• Zeera yogurt
• Cucumber salad
• Onions rings

TIME REQUIRED

• Preparation time : 10 minutes
• cooking time: 30 minutes
• Total time : 40 minutes

NUTRITIONAL ASPECTS

• Calories : 280
• protein : 28 grams
• carbohydrates : 17 grams
• Fat : 19 grams

INGREDIENTS OF THE DISH

• Mutton Mince : 1 kg
• Onions : 2
• Tomatoes : 2
• Garlic paste : 2 tbsp
• Ginger paste 2 tbsp
• Yogurt : 1 cup
• Cream : 1/2 cup
• Oil : 1/2 cup

SPICES

• Crushed Black pepper : 1 tbsp
• Salt : 1 tbsp
• Bay leaves : 2
• Cinnamon stick : 1
• Turmeric powder : 1 tsp
• Cloves : 3
• Cumin : 1 tbsp
• Coriander powder : 1 tbsp

CONDIMENTS

1. Lemon juice : 4 tbsp
2. Green chilies : chopped few
3. Green coriander : 2 tbsp

COOKING METHOD

• Take a mutton mince in the cooking pot with 2 liters of water and salt and let this mince to cook for 20 minutes.
• In other pan, add oil with chopped onions into it.
• Make this onions translucent then add garlic ginger paste and fry onions with it.
• When the raw smell vanished by cooking, add tomatoes into it.
• Add all the spices into the onion mixture with 2 cups of water and let this masala to cook until vegetables softens.
• Check if mince is cooked properly and water is almost dried out.
• Add cooked mince with mince water into the onion mixture and fry all the things together.
• Frying on high flame makes the mince to evaporate all the water but the juiciness of meat maintained.
• When all the water is vanished, add yogurt and cream into mince mixture.
• Now cook this mince with yogurt for 15 minutes.
• Serve it with garnishing and enjoy