Kaccha Keema Curry(Kola Urundai Kozhumbhu)

A few things have changed at home. I used to be the one who would do grocery shopping all the time. There is a reason I chose to do the shopping. This happened a couple of times. A few years back, I used to call up hubby while he was returning home from work and ask him if he could buy some coriander leaves.  After checking where would he get it and how much to buy he agreed to buy. He comes back home while i’m in the middle of preparing dinner. He hands out the packet and when I open, first I get shocked, then the feeling changes to confusion. I asked him what he bought, and instantly replies, “coriander”. But what I see in the packet is mint leaves! For once I thought I got confused and asked him to buy mint leaves instead of coriander. But it turns out that I said the right name and he was the one who made the mistake.  A few days later when I asked him to buy mint leaves, he came back home with palak(spinach). {face palm}. So this repeated a few times where the veggies got mixed up, the type of dal I asked for never reached home and of course, mint and coriander leaves were always the biggest enemies.

The problem was hubby does not recognize the different types of greens and dal and he never asks the shop guy for help. He picks whatever he thinks is right, which actually is not. He hates vegetable, grocery shopping for this particular reason. After arguing with him for a couple of times I gave. So I decided to do it all by myself. It’s not that hubby didn’t wanted to help me, but it’s just not his thing and he could never differentiate between mint leaves and coriander or be it any herbs. Or dal.

Sundays are meat eating days in my family. A few weeks back,one Sunday I was held at home with some routine work. So hubby agreed to buy chicken. He came back home with minced chicken (oh yes, it was chicken and not mutton as I doubted: P). He explained to me how he used to enjoy a green curry that his neighbor would prepare on Sundays and share it with his family when he was young. He asked me is if I knew the recipe and cook the minced chicken that way.(though the typical green curry that he used to enjoy in his childhood was made of mutton). I immediately called my mom, as I remembered eating similar kind of curry ages back. Mom reminded me that it was one of the curry that she learnt from her sister in law and they call it as “pacchai kari kurma”(raw meat kurma/curry). She gave a brief introduction to the recipe and I was all set to try it.

The curry is green in color as it uses a lot of mint and coriander leave and green chilies for the spice. Red chili powder is never used in this recipe. And the meat balls are never deep fried. They are cooked in the gravy. The curry turned out yummy, but hubby preferred it spicier. Next Sunday he bought minced mutton and I repeated the same recipe, but made it a spicier. It was truly delicious.

 

If you are a spice lover, then you definitely have to try this at home. Vegetarian’s kindly excuse, as I don’t know any vegetarian option for meat. You may try with paneer(cottage cheese), but I’m not ure if you will get the same taste and texture.

Kaccha Keema Curry recipe ingredients

Ingredients

2 ½ cups mint leave (tightly packed)

2 ½ cups coriander leaves (tightly packed)

12 to 15 numbers green chilies (adjust as per your spice preference)

2 big onions

1 tomato

½ cup grated coconut

500 grams minced meat(mutton or chicken)

Salt to taste

2 tablespoon oil

4 cloves

1 inch cinnamon

2 cardamoms

1 tablespoon coriander powder

½ + ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

Water as required

Instructions

1.Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan. Sauté sliced onions until translucent. Add roughly chopped tomatoes and cook until tomatoes turn soft. Next add chopped 12 green chilies, 2 cups mint leaves and 2 cups coriander leaves and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add a teaspoon of salt and mix well. Remove from flame and allow it to cool.

2. In the same pan add grated coconut and sauté till it turns golden brown. Remove from stove and let it cool completely.

3. Grind roasted coconut and mint-coriander-onion-tomato mixture with little water into smooth paste. Keep aside.

4. Wash minced meat well. Add salt to taste, turmeric powder, finely chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves(½ cup each), 4 green chilies(finely chopped) and mix well. Make small balls and keep aside.

5. Add the remaining oil to a wide pan. Add cardamom, cinnamon, cloves. Add ground green paste and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.

6. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt to taste and mix well. Add water as required. Bring it to boil.
7. Now add the raw meat balls to the curry. Cover and cook in low flame until the meat balls are completely cooked{for about 45 minutes(mutton) and about 20 minutes(chicken)}.

8. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed. Turn off flame and serve this kaccha keema curry with piping hot rice.

Below are my kaccha chicken keema curry(same recipe)