Keema Pav — spicy mutton mince slow cooked with spices and loaded between buttered pav — is one of Mumbai’s iconic street foods, right up there with vada pav, misal pav, pav bhaji, omelette pav, burji pav , and bun maska. There’s nothing like a good Mumbai style kheema pav— a complete and delicious combination of carbs and proteins to start the day, washed down with hot masala chai. The kheema (minced or ground meat) is typically mutton (goat meat). It is first marinated with yogurt ginger garlic paste , chili powder , turmeric powder, and fresh mint and cook on medium heat till kheema is done. Then make a special type of masala with finely chopped onions ,tomatoes, ginger, garlic, coriander, chilies, and seasoned with aromatics like bay leaf, cinnamon, and other whole spices (khada masala).
The Mumbai keema pav recipe consists of mutton keema that is served with pav or pao, a local white bread, light and airy, bun. Soft pav is lightly toasted with lots of butter or ghee on a griddle or tawa and is opened up and stuffed with delicious keema or is used for mopping up the gravy.
Ingredients
For Marination
- 1 kg Mutton mince,
- 2 tsp Dry fenugreek leaves, crushed,
- ½ cup Curd, beaten, दही
- 2 tbsp fresh Mint leaves, roughly torn,
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg, grated,
- 1 ½ tsp Degi red chilli powder,
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder,
- 1 tsp Coriander powder,
- Salt to taste,
- 2 tsp ginger Garlic paste,
For Sautéing kheema
- ¼ cup Ghee,
- 1 Bay leaf,
- 2-3 Cloves,
- 1 Black cardamom,
- Marinated Mutton mince,
For Keema Masala
- 3-4 tbsp Ghee,
- 5 medium sized Onions, chopped,
- 1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
- 1 ½ tsp Coriander powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 4 medium sized Tomatoes, chopped
- Little Water
- 1 tbsp tender Coriander stem, finely chopped
- Sauteed Kheema,
- 1 cup Water
- 2 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh Mint leaves, roughly torn
- 2-3 Green chilies, chopped
- 2 tbsp Butter, cube
- 2 tsp garam Masala,
Process
For Marination
- In a bowl, add mutton mince, dry fenugreek leaves, curd, mint leaves, nutmeg, degi red chilli powder.
- Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt to taste, ginger garlic paste and mix everything well.
For Sautéing kheema
- In a handi or shallow pan, add ghee once it gets hot, add bay leaf, black cardamom and let it splutter well.
- Add marinated keema and keep sauteing it for five minutes. Cover it with the lid and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf from the keema.
For Keema Masala
- In a shallow pan, add ghee once it’s hot, add onion and saute until light brown in color.
- Add ginger garlic paste and saute well. Add coriander powder, garam masala powder ,turmeric powder, red chili powder and saute well.
- Add tomato and let it cook for 4-5 minutes. Add little water and cook on low flame.
- Add tender coriander stem and mix well.
- Add little water and saute well. Add sauteed keema, water and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Add coriander leaves, mint leaves and mix everything well and cook for another 5 minutes on medium flame.
- Once keema gets cooked, switch off the flame.
- Transfer it into a serving dish, garnish it with coriander and lemon wedge.
- Serve hot with pav.
