Stranger Foods

IndianKeema pau

Serves 3-4 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 50 mins

Keema (lamb mince) is well spiced, studded with green peas and usually served with pau (pillowy fresh bread buns), for much mopping. For us, this dish is synonymous with many places in Bombay: Olympia Coffee House and Café Paris on Colaba Causeway, and Radio Restaurant behind Crawford Market (supposedly where the local Muslim gangsters hang out). A good dish of this keema is guaranteed to transport us back to these places.

Source: Dishoom

Ingredients

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Imperial

x0.5

15 g fresh root ginger
6-7 cloves garlic
20 g spring onions (about 2), trimmed
20 g coriander leaves, roughly chopped
10 g mint leaves, roughly chopped
2 whole green chillies, plus an extra 10 g roughly chopped
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely diced
3 tsp ground coriander
100 g full-fat Greek yoghurt
450 g lamb mince
1¼ tsp fine sea salt
2 bay leaves
⅓ tsp plain flour
50 g frozen peas

To serve

3 soft white bread buns, sliced in half
Butter, for spreading
A little chopped red onion
A few coriander leaves

Instructions

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Grate the ginger and garlic, using a microplane or the finest section of your grater, into a small bowl; set aside.
Blitz the spring onions, coriander, mint and 10 g chopped green chilli together to make a paste, using a blender or mini food processor.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and sauté gently for , stirring regularly, without browning. Add the grated ginger and garlic and cook for , stirring almost constantly. Add the ground coriander and cook for .
Turn the heat up, stir in the yoghurt and sauté for , by which point the yoghurt should start to separate. Turn the heat back down to medium, add the lamb mince, salt and bay leaves and mix well. Sauté, stirring regularly, until the moisture starts to leave the meat, then sprinkle the flour over the surface and stir well; this helps to lock in the moisture.
Add the green paste, turn the heat down low and simmer gently for .
Add the peas and whole green chillies and simmer over the lowest possible heat for a further , stirring occasionally. When the time is up, put the lid on, turn off the heat and allow the keema to stand for before serving.
Lightly toast and butter the cut sides of the bread buns.
Divide the keema between 3 or 4 bowls and garnish with the red onion and coriander. Serve with the toasted buns and lime wedges.

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