Wednesday 16 June 2010

Chicken Kheema / Spiced Chicken Mince



(Vegetarians & Vegans can make this with soy granules ... just soak them in hot water before using ... tastes just as wonderful).

The monsoons are here. And on time. Like a quiet and obedient child, they crept in along with the humdrum of busy days.

The skies filled up with dark, heavy clouds. No wind to disturb or blow them away. Nobody noticed when the rains started. The rains here are not the usual heavy pelting downpours. They are a quiet steady drizzle. Sometimes very strong, sometimes light. Yet so quiet you won't even know it has been raining awhile unless you look out.

Or unless your windows dull over with the fog.
I love the fresh smells the rains bring. Clean washed air and the fresh smell of green that come from the slightly bruised grass or leaves.

And when the rain stops for a while ... the chill ... and the smell of fog.
Yes ... it almost feels like you are somewhere up in the hills ... the air so sharp and clean and cold.
I recently read the big B's blog ... he drove down all the way to Pune with his car windows rolled down ... so get the idea. :-)

The perfect season for hot hot food.
I'll be coming up with a whole lot of stuff ... right from my own soups to deep fried crispies.
I'll so miss the abundant sunshine for my snaps. But then ... can't have everything at the same time.
Might as well enjoy the rains and pray they don't overstay till Durga puja. :-)



My recipe today is the basic and very quick Chicken Keema. The snaps have been sitting in my drafts for a longish time.
Saved me the horror of clicking Karela ( my lunch today ) in dull light.

I often make this kheema beforehand and freeze it. Later just have to take it out ... add what ever is needed for a particular dish I plan to make and use it.
Of course you can have it as is too.
I especially love to add some green peas to it ... unfortunately had run out of them when making this. Just adding the green peas would make this the dish of Keema Matar.

I do make a number of things from this version of the keema ... so decided to post this basic kheema first ... and then refer to it in later posts of different dishes.

Need :

500 gms Minced chicken / Chicken kheema
Around 4 tbsp curd / yoghurt
2 Chopped onions
5 tbsp Onion paste
2 tbsp Ginger paste
4 tbsp Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Haldi / Turmeric powder
1 tsp Lal Mirch / Red chilli powder
1 tbsp Dhania / Coriander powder
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
Lemon juice
Garam masala powder
Cooking oil
Water to cook

How to :

Apply a little lemon juice to the chicken kheema and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan / wok / kadahi.

Add the chopped onion and fry well for a while.

Add the onion paste and again fry for some time ... till the raw flavour disappears completely.

Add the ginger and the garlic pastes. Raise heat.

Fry well till oil leaves the sides.

Add the haldi, mirchi, a little sugar and the coriander powder and stir well.

Add the chicken and mix well ... stirring continuiously. If needed add a little water.

Add salt and a little more water ... lower heat.

Add the curd, stir well and cover and cook for around 15 minutes.

Remove cover ... raise heat and dry up whatever water is left ... this dish should be dryish.

Add the garam masala and give one final stir.

Remove from heat, cover and let it stand for a while.



Serve hot.
Great with rotis or parathas or naan.

Enjoy all !!

13 comments:

  1. Never tried so far kheema ..looks delicious..

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  2. The chicken kheema looks yummy and tempting. even I make almost like this :)

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  3. Dear Sharmila
    The introduction is very nice.
    The recipe is also very nice . I take special note of abundant use of garlic paste and no Jeera. Although, I dont eat chicken by choice, this one I am going to make for others and eat it too.
    Bhalo theko

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  4. Lovely writing Sharmila. I can envision walking in the gentle drizzle.

    As for the minced chicken it is the perfect. Those days in India minced goat was the only thing available, minced chicken was unheard of. Do you mince them or do you get minced chicken in the stores?

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  5. Few toasted bread on the side, it will make wonderful meal, Kheema looks very very good.

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  6. Thanks Priti! :-)

    Thanks Faiza! :-)

    Thanks Ushnishda! I do not use jeera arbitrarily in all dishes ... and never in chicken. And the garlic paste is in accordance to the chicken proportion. :-)

    Thanks ISG! We get Godrej Real Good's chilled packets of fresh chicken mince ... not even frozen. :-)

    Thanks Asha! Right .. crisp toasted bread on the side! :-)

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  7. Puner weather ki bhalo, Kolkatay to shob gorom e pagol hoy jache

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  8. So beautiful. pran ta thanda hoye gelo.. we need some rain here, bad!! I have lots of memories of walking in the rain with A (pre shaadi ;-) )... sweet.

    gorom gorom paratha diye keema. lovely meal.

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  9. ja hok monsoon tomar okhane BREAK koreche, kintoo Delhi-te monsoon BREAK niyeche...that's the monsoon story.
    aami chicken khayeena tai mutton keema use kori. Keema-r kotha bhable koto-je ranna kora jai...tai nah???
    Enjoyed reading your post...

    ...and keep smiling...

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  10. Will try this. Banu's chicken kheema turns out to be too try for my tastes.

    Today I had sauteed chicken kheema folded in hummus, livened with bird's eye chillies and basils, peppered with pine nuts with crusty wholewheat lavash for lunch

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  11. Haan Sandeepa ... Kolkataye toh borsha te o humidity ar gorom.


    Hope you get some showers soon Soma. :-)

    Lol Gouridi ... break niyeche. :-) Right .. kheema diye onek ranna hote pare.

    Kalyan .. the curd keeps it creamy. The key is not to fry it too much ... unless you are using it for something else.
    Tomar ei chicken hummus ta banate hobe ekbar .. pine nuts & basil & chillies ... aha ... sounds awesome. :-)

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  12. I make the soya granule version very often for my almost vegetarian husband. These days apart from fish, he has also given up chicken. (unless Chinese)
    Lovely with paathas, and rutis too. My kids love keema.

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  13. love kheema! And good idea about the vegetarian version coz my husband is vegetarian!

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