Keema Pav

Mutton Mince with Pav bread, Irani Cafe style

Keema pav is mutton mince is served with buttered bread. The dish perhaps originated in the Irani Restaurants of Mumbai and then became popular across the country as street food. Before I decided to cooked Keema Pav for my son who wanted to have it, I tried to research and find the most authentic Keema Pav recipe. This is the one I found which comes closest to the taste I remember from my trysts at Irani Cafes in Mumbai. I did modify the recipe a bit, like I always do by blanching the tomatoes before chopping them.

Tip:

Remember to pick out the khada masala from the keema before serving to make the eating experience blissful.

Irani Cafes -Trivia

There are several stories written about Iranis and Irani Cafes, but this one is really an interesting read.
In the 1890s, while escaping the great famine of Persia in which millions starved to death and hundreds fled their homeland, a long caravan of people began a desperate walk.

They crossed the Hindukush mountain range on foot, a distance that today encompasses four countries and two continents, to arrive in the land then known as Hindostan. On arrival, as along the journey, they had just one thing in mind: Survival.

It was the Iranians who migrated to India in the last 150 years or so from the Iranian provinces of Yazd and Kerman who were pivotal in setting up the chai cafes. The young men would gather in the evenings, reminiscing about their homeland, family and friends left behind, according to Mr. Mansoor. Cups of warm tea would keep the meetings flowing. It is unclear exactly when, but at some point someone at one such rendezvous decided to charge a small sum in exchange for the beverage and soon the Iranians were selling chai.

By the beginning of the 20^th century, Irani cafes had sprung up on almost every prominent street corner in Bombay, Pune and Hyderabad becoming a symbol both of Iranian cultural integration and distinctiveness. Established in 1904, Kyani & Co in Mumbai, is the oldest operating Irani cafe.

Continue reading the complete story

Keema Pav

Keema Pav

Ingredients

• Minced meat 500 gms (Mutton keema)
• Onions 3 large, finely chopped
• Ginger 1 Tbsp grated
• Garlic 1 Tbsp crushed
• Green chilies 4 chopped finely
• Tomatoes 4 blanched, skin removed and chopped
• Cardamom 4
• Whole Cloves 3-4
• Black Cardamom 1
• Cinnamon 1" stick
• Star Anise 1
• Bay leaves 2
• Turmeric 1/2 Tsp
• Red chile powder 1/2 Tsp (or to taste
• Ground Cumin 1 Tsp
• Garam Masala 1 Tsp
• Ghee 4-5 Tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Coriander 2 Tbsp chopped finely

Method