Lamb Mince Capsicum / Keema Capsicum … a one wok / kadhai dish which is certain to tantalise the taste-buds, keep you warm this winter, basically comfort food at its best. The dish has origins in India & Pakistan, a recipe that’s changed hands several times over. It’s quite different from how I used to cook a similar recipe earlier, and this one tastes loads better. It’s quite fuss free, a recipe I from an old aunt.Very often, you’ll find curries and lamb dishes that originate from the Indian subcontinent to have loads of ghee / clarified butter, fried onions, lots of ‘bhunoing‘ or roasting over low flame etc. Often too, the list of spices and ingredients are not everyday pantry ingredients. This Lamb Mince Capsicum / Keema Capsicum is different by way of process and also by way of ingredients. It uses simple everyday spices, the only exception being dried mint. That in any case is a great addition to any kitchen pantry and adds great oomph to food!I love that this is flavoured simply by 3-4 spice powders, coriander {dhania}, turmeric {haldi}, roasted cumin {bhuna zeera}and Kashmiri red chili {degi mirch}. Also, just two herbs here, the more fascinating of them being dried mint. Dried mint adds a certain earthiness and depth to the recipe, one that I haven’t experienced before. I usually use fresh mint since I have loads growing in my patch the year round. Dried mint was refreshing this time around!The rest of the ingredients are very common to Indian curries and stir fries … onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, green chilies, yogurt {Greek yogurt as that’s what I had in the fridge}, and an optional dash of lime juice. And the process is a no brainer too. Take a read!Just cook the mince over low heat for a while, add the spices and chopped ingredients, cover and cook, throw in vegetables if you like. I added capsicum since that’s all I had. Alternatively, you could use flat beans {sem as we call them here}, peas, potatoes, green chilies or even bitter gourd if you like. Towards the end, Greek yogurt, more fresh coriander {I like to add LOADS}, a dash of lime if you like tangy.Then just give it a squeeze of lime {optional}, slit green chilies {very optional} and a nice drizzle of clarified butter/ghee {MUST}… and enjoy!
I served the Lamb Mince Capsicum / Keema Capsicum with parathas one time, some toasted sheermal {sweetish Indian flatbread} another time. You could even give this a fusion and scoop them up with nachos for a snack with tea or drinks! More ideas … filling for lamb mince samosas!
Lamb Mince with Capsicum / Keema Capsicum ... a one wok / kadhai dish which is certain to tantalise the taste-buds, keep you warm this winter, basically it's comfort food at it's best. The dish has origins in India & Pakistan, a recipe that's changed hands several times over. The recipe uses simple pantry ingredients, is fuss free and gluten free as well!
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour15 minutesminutes
Servings 4people
Ingredients
500glamb mince
1tbspclarified butter {ghee}
2large onionsfinely chopped
2tomatoesfinely chopped
5-6clovesgarlicfinely chopped
1piecegingerfinely chopped
2-3green chiliesfinely chopped
1small bunchfresh coriander, finely chopped
2tspdhania powder/ coriander powder
tsp½Kashmiri red chili powder / degi mirch
tsp½haldi powder/ turmeric
2tspbhuna zeera powder/ roasted cumin powder
Salt to taste
2capsicumsdeseeded, chopped
cup½Greek yogurtwhisked
Juice of ½ lime
Fresh coriander to garnish
1tbspghee to finish off
Instructions
Heat the glee in a heavy bottom wok. Add the lamb mince, stir well to break up any clumps. Allow to cook uncovered over low heat for 30-45 minutes until it cooks through and begins to change colour.
Add the onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chilies, dhania powder, haldi, degi mirch and bhuna zeera powder. Mix well, season with salt, ten cover and leave to cook over low heat for about 30 minutes.
Stir in the chopped capsicum, then the whisked Greek yogurt. Cook again covered over low heat until the liquid has evaporated 15-20 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning, add the lime juice if desired, more fresh coriander if you like. Drizzle over a tbsp of ghee.
Serve hot with naan, parathas, sheermal or tandoori roti.
“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.”
Ruth Reichl
Dhungaar-e-Keema or Smoked Indian Lamb Mince is a quintessential recipe from the Indian subcontinent, one that is as simple as it is flavourful. The recipe is quite basic, the underlining key words characteristically ‘andaaz‘ and ‘bhuno‘, terms very familiar to how we cook in this region. Andaaz referring to eyeballing ingredients, and bhuno, ‘the quintessential stirring and roasting’ that gives Indian cuisine its essential character. Be it kebabs, kormas, bhuna gosht or then keema like this, the spice mixes are generally region specific. This Dhungaar-e-Keema or Smoked Lamb Mince is minimally adapted from an old one from @ My Tamarind Kitchen, a blog written by Scotland based Sumayya.It’s an old familiar recipe, one that has roots across this region, North India and Pakistan. It’s strange how similar the culinary vocabulary and cooking methods are.My mother and her friends, who I owe a lot of my initial recipe repertoire to, always had the same two favourite words, ‘andaaz’ and ‘bhuno’. The story was the same with my aunts who I used to pursue relentlessly in an attempt hone my abysmal cooking skills. These words were firmly rooted in the North Indian cooking lingo of the past, a reflection of how recipes have evolved down the ages. We’re down to measures now – teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, grams, ounces in cookbooks, yet ‘andaaz ‘or eyeballing in Indian cooking still rules the kitchen!For recipes other than baking I still pretty much eyeball what goes in, merrily tasting and tossing as I stir. Andaaz is my way to go too. No better way to cook I’d say, though maybe not the ideal ‘cookbook’ for newcomers on the scene, or for people alien to a particular cuisine. The good thing is that I am an obsessive ‘picture taker’ for steps of cooking, and especially when cooking with spices as they keep me fascinated. As a result of that, I usually know how the recipe has progressed and what went it.
This time was of course no different even though I followed Sumayyas recipe pretty much. The steps were familiar since most of our curries follow the same pattern. The only thing different about her recipe was that no powdered spices were included, something that I found quite interesting. I don’t think I’ve cooked often with only a smattering of whole spices and not even a single teaspoon of coriander powder or turmeric.
I did add a few whole spices of my own though. Star anise for one. A new found love for a spice I barely cared for. Shooting for our Masala Dabba series I fell in love with it because of the way it looked. So I included it in a sangria, then in a panna cotta. Then one trip into the heart of South India to Karaikudi,and I was sold on it. It’s quite an integral part of Chettinad cuisine, often thrown in in wild abandon, the aromas filling the air the minute star anise hits hot oil.
Also in went bay leaves, a gift from the garden of my mother’s friend who lives in the UK, but grew up here in India. She carried a bag for us, for me especially, since she knows how fond we are of her recipes, a lot of them inspired from Pakistan. She influenced a lot of my recipe and cooking processes when I had just got married, gingerly stepping into the kitchen for the first time. The rest of course is history … the recipe follows!
Dhungaar-e-Keema or Smoked Indian Lamb Mince is a quintessential recipe from the Indian subcontinent, one that is as simple as it is flavourful. The recipe is quite basic, the underlining key words characteristically ‘andaaz‘ and ‘bhuno‘, terms very familiar to how we cook in this region. Andaaz referring to eyeballing ingredients, and bhuno, the quintessential 'stirring and roasting’ that gives Indian cuisine its essential character.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Servings 4
Ingredients
Keema
500glamb mince
1cuphomemade full fat yoghurtwhisked smooth
3medium tomatoesfinely chopped
2medium onionsfinely chopped
1tspginger paste
1tspgarlic paste
Whole garam masala
1cinnamon stick{dalchini}
3-4cloves{long}
3-4small green cardamom{elaichi}
1tbspfennel seeds{saunf}
1tspwhole cumin seeds{zeera}
1tbspwhole coriander seeds{dhania}
2star anise
2bay leaves
2-3green chilies
1big bunch fresh corianderchopped
1lime
3tbspGhee/ clarified butteror oil
1pieceof coal
Instructions
Heat some ghee/clarified butter in a heavy bottom and add the khara masala/whole spices and saute until fragrant. Throw in the chopped onions and stir fry until light golden brown on the edges. Add the ginger garlic and saute for a further 2-3 minutes, until the raw smell has disappeared.
Now add all the chopped tomatoes and roast well until almost dry, then add the mince. Stir in well to mix, then roast over high heat until the meat is no longer pink. Season with salt.
Then add the yogurt, stirring constantly to roast/bhuno until the yogurt has been absorbed and is no longer white.
Cover the wok/pan with a tight fitting lid, reduce heat to lowest, allowing the mince to slow cook in it's own juices.
Check once in a while to make sure it isn't catching the bottom, giving it a quick stir. A heavy bottom good quality pan really works well here. cook until the liquid has evaporated and the colour is nice and reddish brown. As Sumayya says, 'bhuno-ing the keema is key!'
Add loads of fresh chopped coriander and green chilies. Cover and allow to dam for a about 5 minutes, then turn off heat and let it stand. I f you wish to smoke the mince, please see instructions below.
Smoking the Keema: Light up a piece of coal over the gas fire. Make a tiny bowl with an aluminium foil. Place the hot burning coal in it and quickly drizzle a few drops of melted ghee/clarified butter over it. The coal will begin smoking immediately. Tightly shut the lid and leave for about 15-30 minutes.
“Without ice cream, there would be darkness and chaos.”
Don Kardong
Wholegrain Cinnamon Oat Waffles with Clove Ice Cream. It’s no secret that I have a deep love for spices, for styling them, experimenting with them and of course including them in my dishes. While I don’t like over spicing my food, it is fascinating to discover how far you can go with them. My favourite spices of course are cinnamon, star anise and clove especially since they work so well with desserts and bakes. The spice infused Gur Panna Cotta With Candied Walnuts that I developed for askme with cinnamon, star anise and cloves was a runaway winner. … as was this Sangria Mocktail.
While I use the three together often, the last was just 2 days ago in this finger licking good Gosht Do Piaza or Mutton Stew, it’s rare for me to go solo with clove. I love the flavour, but find it difficult to capture the essence stand alone. Things I love clove in – mulled wine, spice infused sangria, spice shortbread, infused orange juice, preserves. Cloves are also packed with goodness they say. So when I heard of the Baskin Robbins Clove Candy Crunch Ice-cream from a friend, I just had to go and experience it for myself. Cloves in ice cream? Never heard of that before, and am so glad I tried some. Cloves have a deep lingering flavour, something I struggle to recreate at home. One icy bite down and I just knew it was magic! Intriguing, exciting, different, in fact so unique! The cloves shining through, I knew this would pair beautifully with Wholegrain Cinnamon Oat Waffles that I make so often when it rains. Kill two birds with one stone they say. Romance the monsoons with the best of both worlds I’d say – clove and cinnamon, ice cream and waffles, indulgent and healthy. Doesn’t get much better than this. And of course if you have ‘ouch’ super sensitive ice cream teeth like I do, then makes sense to reach out for this new clove toothpaste. Yes, you heard me right. Clove there too! Colgate Sensitive Clove helps you enjoy your favourite ice cream without worrying about sensitivity. Reminds me of the ‘laung ka tel‘ {clove oil} that my aunt used to recommend using years ago!So here you go. Hope you enjoy this magical combination as much as we did. We even had some in Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches, then a Cookie Ice Cream Cake. Simple and fun. Line a baking tin with cling wrap. Crumble cookies, press into a baking pan to make a layer, top with softened ice cream, followed by another crumbled cookie layer. Freeze for 6-8 hours, better overnight. Spread over with unsweetened mascarpone cream, a dusting of cocoa powder, and chocolate shavings! Enjoy!These Wholegrain Cinnamon Oat Waffles {GF} with Clove Ice Cream turned out to be the perfect pairing while it rained a few days ago. Hot crisp waffles and delicately flavoured clove ice cream, try them now. You can thank me later!
Wholegrain Cinnamon Oat Waffles are the best treat for breakfast and for a snack, even doubling up as a quick delicious dessert. Pair them with clove ice cream and watch the flavours come alive on your palette! I keep a jar of ground oats on hand in the pantry. These waffles are the best ever!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 8 minutesminutes
Total Time 13 minutesminutes
Servings 2
Ingredients
3/4cupoat flour
1tspbaking powder
1/2tspcinnamon powder
90mlbuttermilk {or 2% milk}
1egg
30gclarified buttre/hee
15ghoney
1tspvanilla essence
Instructions
Place buttermilk, cinnamon powder and clarified butter in a measuring jug and microwave for 30-45 seconds until butter melts. Whisk in the egg and honey.
In a large bowl stir together oat flour and baking powder. Pour wet mix into dry and stir until just mixed. Leave to stand for 10 minutes while you turn on the waffle maker to preheat it.
Pour half the batter in and cook according to manufacturer instructions, 5-8 minutes, until golden brown and firm to touch.
“Chili, spice of red Thursday, which is the day of reckoning. Day which invites us to pick up the sack of our existence and shake it inside out. Day of suicide, day of murder.”
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, The Mistress of Spices
Time for The Masala Dabba #4 & Chettinad Chicken Curry. Both very delayed yet finally here. This time I’m lagging behind royally. Chilies was the pick for the month of April, and we’re well into May now June. I can’t say I didn’t try because I began writing this in May, but life happened! One month ran into another, time racing at an alarming pace. It was just yesterday, in January 2016, when we began the spice journey. June already! Really? Where did April and May go?
Only me to blame even as I thought April was going to be the most explosive spice journey ever as Dolphia picked chilies. Just back refreshed from a very exciting trip from down south in Karaikudi {do read about it here}, chilies was all I had on my mind. The vibrancy of the region we had just visited added to it. Heritage, colour, culture, architecture, art, cuisine, shopping…As I rather belatedly enter month #4 of our collaborative spice journey exploring or rather ‘shooting’ spices, a fun interaction with Dolphia, Simi, Meeta and me, April was for chilies. I really love the spice journey and the stories it carries with it. Personal tales, heritage recipes, travelogues and all sorts of inspiration that connect us as community. My story this time comes from Karaikudi, a region deep in the heart of South India.Our stay at Chidambara Vilas, then a masterclass on world famous Chettinad Chicken Curry, stops at other heritage properties in the region and local market jaunts, that included shopping for guntu chilies, inspires this post. Not least, my companions in crime, the two vegetarian bloggers Sanjeeta and Madhuli, who were more than ready to dive into chicken curry as the chef stirred it up, chilies and all!This is just what Chettinad cuisine is all about, freshness and simple local flavour. Pure delight – the aromas of whole spices and shallots hitting hot oil, the curry leaves crackling, the colours, fresh simple ingredients, the location an outdoor heritage courtyard kitchen, the company, the curry! The women of the Chettinad community were instrumental to managing the vast estates and running kitchens, often while the men were away. {More about the region here}. Easily available local spices and ingredients, traditional cooking methods and a deep interest in food led to a vast repertoire of recipes collectively called Chettinad cuisine. Chettinad chicken is the regions most popular export to the culinary world, and it was nowhere fiery and spicy as I believed. A traditional recipe, it’s made with very basic ingredients. Spice mixes from roasted spices, ginger, garlic, shallots, tomatoes, curry leaves and coconut paste. Red chilies of course!Shooting spices is therapeutic, inspiring and always fun. I mean, can you not fall in love with an ingredient that promises so much colour, character, variety and texture? Consider the fact that there are as many uses as varieties around the world and the charm multiplies! I’m thinking chili chocolate.Mmmm…Cooking curry is equally therapeutic and fun. You just need a basic recipe in your head, then go about throwing in as much spice, or as little, as you like. Taste as you go. I do loads of North Indian chicken curries at home, so this authentic South Indian one was even more engaging. Of course I deviated here and there. Bay leaves tossed in, fresh mint tossed over. That’s just the charm of curries. Follow your palate.
Chettinad Chicken Curry; mildly hot, tangy and finger licking good. Simple basic pantry staples and a coconut paste make for a hearty good curry. This is my rendition of the curry we learnt at the masterclass.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 50 minutesminutes
Servings 4people
Ingredients
750g chicken on the bone, cut into 12 pieces {skinless}
100mlclarified butter/ghee/oil
Tempering
1stick cinnamon
2 -3star anise
1tspfennel
300gshallots
Few sprigs curry leaves
Spice 1 / Dry mix
1tsppepper
1tspfennel seeds
2tspcumin
1-2tspwhole chilies {or 1red chili powder}
1 tsp ginger paste
2tbspgarliccrushed
3-4tomatoesroughly chopped
1tbspcoriander powder
1tspturmeric powder
Salt to taste
Spice 2 / Coconut paste
Half a coconutgrated
1tspwhole coriander seeds
1tspwhole cumin
2whole red chilies
1tspfennel seeds
1tspblack pepper
1piecesmallginger
2-3clovesgarlic
2tbspcashew nuts
Oil-100ml
Instructions
First make the spice mixes. These can be doubled, and/or made in advance. Store the dry mic=x in a cool place, and the wet mix in the fridge for 2-3 days, else freeze.
Spice mix 1 / Dry mix
Roast the fennel, cumin seeds, red chili, coriander seeds and pepper gently over low heat until fragrant. Dry grind. Reserve in bowl.
Spice mix 2 / Coconut paste
Roast the cashew nuts, coriander seeds, cumin, red chilies, fennel and black pepper gently over low heat until fragrant. Grind to a smooth paste with ginger, garlic and grated coconut. Reserve.
Heat the oil in large heavy bottom pan or wok. Add cinnamon stick, star anise and fennel, followed by curry leaves. Give it a good stir and add the shallots. Sauté until the shallots are golden brown and fragrant.
Add Spice Mix 1 {dry masala mix}, ginger paste, chopped tomatoes, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Stir well and cook until the tomatoes are soft, stirring once in a while.
Add the chicken pieces and stir well to coat them with the spices, followed by crushed garlic. Add a little water, about a cup, stir well, season with salt and simmer until the chicken is cooked.
Now stir in the coconut paste or Spice Mix 2, fresh coriander. Garnish with fresh coriander {or mint as I did}
Serve hot with rice or chapatis, paratha, naan, tandoori roti etc.
“Each spice has a special day to it. For turmeric it is Sunday, when light drips fat and butter-colored into the bins to be soaked up glowing, when you pray to the nine planets for love and luck.” The Mistress of Spices
The Masala Dabba #3. We enter month #3 of our collaborative spice journey exploring or rather ‘shooting’ spices, a fun interaction with Dolphia, Simi,Meeta and me. The spices we cover for The Masala Dabba #3 are cardamom, whole pepper and turmeric. I think I love the spice journey best. March is synonymous with Spring, new beginnings and a whole lot of colour. This March also had holi, the festival of colour, which inspired me to shoot several times through the month. I did a fun version of Thandai for KitchenAid, one you can play around with endlessly. The recipe included a bit of pepper and cardamom.I’m just a little badly organised, procrastinate a lot, so I didn’t get down to editing the images for The Masala Dabba #3. Now I’m rushing to post on the last day of the month!Winter in North India means a lot of fresh turmeric root, and the colour it yields when it hits the grinding stone is amazing. Ground fresh turmeric makes for a fabulous turmeric milk. You can find the recipe for warm soothing turmeric milk on Dolphia’s blog.Our recent trip to Banaras actually brought alive and to the forefront the Indian love for spices and everything colourful.The play of spices ruled the roost. And if there are spices, can colour be far behind? Do read about Banaras and it’s beautiful culture if you find a moment. We had the most fun time ever!
March was a busy month. I haven’t been blogging too much, but I made a mean Gajar ka halwa, Rich Indian Carrot Pudding adapted from Delectable Platter. The Indian dessert, delicately laced with green cardamom, was absolutely delicious. Green cardamom is an interesting spice and works equally well in savoury and sweet recipes. I use it a lot in kormas, a delicate Awadhi lamb/chicken curry.
Not so much black cardamom. It’s a larger, more robust almost rustic spice, and you would often find it in a lamb curry or as part of garam masala, a baghar/tadka/tempering maybe, also in rice pulao. I haven’t ever heard of it in a sweet preparation ever. Have you?
Kormas, curries, pulaos and garam masalas also use a lot of whole back pepper. The Thandai interestingly had some too. There are several colours in whole pepper, though the black is most widely available, and perhaps the cheapest. There is a controversial pink pepper, actually they are dried berries I hear, and it is said to be toxic. However, it is used often in the West. I use it sometimes to sprinkle over wholegrain bread, very sparingly, just for visual appeal.And that pretty much covers the spices for March. Spices are addictive to shoot. I can’t barely wait for time to shoot in April. All I know is that it’s going to be another colourful and fun month!
The other Spice Girls have been amazing with their spices this month.
Do stop by Story of Cooks and Turmeric n Spice. Meeta has yet to blog spices this month.
“He who controls the spice controls the universe.”
Frank Herbert
The Masala Dabba #2. February 2016. It’s strange how often we connect spices to savoury foods, often in India spice is synonymous with a curry! Delightfully enough, as we blog on, reading more, breaking new ground and exploring our palettes, ingredients take on new meaning. For instance, there is always so much more you can do with spices, enough to make them leap out of the masala dabba or spice box!!
Yes I’m back with the second version of our collaborative spice journey with exploring or rather ‘shooting’ spices, a fun interaction called by the ever sweet Dolphia, seconded enthusiastically by my soul sister Simi and yours truly. We’ve collected a new spice girl along the way. Meeta joins us this month as we delve into the fascinating world of spices. It’s only about styling and shooting spices, yet for me, the inspiration often goes a step further. It’s impossible to just shoot spices without following my nose to the simmering pot, hence a recipe is born now and then!
It began with shooting spices, and eventually turned into a winter inspiration. I desserted with spice! The three found their way into this absolutely smooth and delicious Gur Panna Cotta With Candied Walnuts. Talk about flavours that compliment each other! If panna cotta is not divine enough on it’s own, this version turned out to be sublime, a recipe I contributed for my column on askme.wellness.com.I couldn’t just stop there so I then drank or sangriad with it! The Sangria Mocktail was great fun to shoot. You could go down the red wine way with this of course. I mean, after all a recipe is often a springboard for further creativity. With cinnamon it’s difficult not to think of warming, comforting wafts of sweetness in the air. I plan on making bite sized cinnabons some day soon. They really call my name. I think the mini dessert trend happening now, along with my recent spice overdrive, might well be the culprit!Our spices of choice for the first month to challenge us – Cinnamon + Cloves + Star Anise. Three spices, cinnamon I use often, cloves a little rarely, and star anise possibly never. While I love how star anise looks, one of the prettiest spices ever, the flavours are often overbearing. Yet, surprise, surprise.I used star anise in a the trio of spices to make aSpiced Strawberry Wine Jam for this Chocolate Berry Wine Fallen Gateau and I was rewarded with beautiful lilting flavours. As I begin to use star anise more often, or rather infuse it, keeping it at a minimum, the gentle undertones are rather endearing.
Cinnamon The inner bark of a tropical evergreen tree, harvested during the rainy season when pliable and then dried into curls sold as sticks or ground into a powder.With its warm, sweet flavor, cinnamon is one of the biggest workhorses on the spice shelf. Cooks often use it to flavor baked goods and drinks, but cinnamon also works wonders in stews and sauces. Matches: apples, berries, chicken, chocolate, coffee, custards, fruit, lamb, oranges, pears, rice
Cloves Native to Indonesia, cloves are small nailed shaped flower buds that are dried and have a sweet, somewhat penetrating flavor. They can be bought whole or ground. Ground cloves are commonly used in baking. Matches: apples, beets, game, ham, lamb, pumpkin, sausage, tea, tomatoes, walnuts, wine
Star Anise A star-shaped, dark brown pod that contains a pea-size seed in each of its eight segments. Native to China, star anise comes from a small evergreen tree. It’s flavor is slightly more bitter than that of regular anise seed. Asian cooks use star anise to give a licorice flavor to savory dishes, particularly those with pork and poultry. Matches: duck, eggs, fish, leeks, pastry, pears, pork, poultry, pumpkin, shrimp.
Do stop by our other spice girls as well as we share this charming journey from one month to the next! Hope you enjoy it as much as we are.
