Keema Mince Meat Pickle
Keema Achar
Written By Mamta Gupta
I first had this pickle in 1970's, when we used to live in a hospital flat in Oxford Gardens, London. The couple in the Flat above were from Nepal. His wife taught me how to make it. We loved it and made it together regularly! Then we moved and I did not make it for years. I have made it again recently and it still tastes as good. Unfortunately, I do not remember the name of the lady who taught me how to make it. She used to say that this pickle was very popular in her family!
Ingredients
1/2 kg. mince meat (lamb or beef)
2 level tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. salt, adjusted to taste
1 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder or haldi
125 gm. mustard oil
10 cloves of garlic, peeled
4 inch piece ginger, peeled
250 ml. mustard oil
1 tsp. mustard seed*
1/2 tsp. nigella*/kalaunji/kalownji seeds (nigella sativa)
1 tsp. fennel* seeds
1/2 tsp. fenugreek* (methi) seeds
6-7 green chillies, stalks removed and chopped roughly
2 tsp. chilly powder, adjust to taste
100 ml. vinegar or bottled lemon juice
Instructions
Place meat in a bowl, add pepper, salt & turmeric, mix and keep aside for half an hour.
Heat 150 ml. of the oil and fry the minced meat in it, until it looks crisp and most of the water has evaporated. This may take a while, meat has a lot of water. Keep aside.
Grind/finely grate garlic and ginger & keep aside.
Heat remaining 250 ml. oil, add all seeds marked*. When they crackle/splutter, add garlic and ginger and fry until light brown and oil separates.
Add green chillies and chilli powder, stir fry for half a minute or so.
Add vinegar and fry for a minute.
Add the fried meat, stir and simmer for 5-10 minutes or longer, until it has a thick consistency.
Cool and bottle. I keep the bottle in the fridge, but I am sure she kept it at room temperature.
