Vegan Mince Meat Curry - Kheema not Kheema

What is the first thing that came to your mind when you look at this picture? What do you think is served on these plates?

Kheema (Mincemeat)? There is a big trend of plant-based meats in #Australia at the moment and I get a lot of requests from people who attend my cooking class to teach some Indian recipes using different types of faux meat.

It is amazing how some companies have mastered the look, texture and feel of the product that they sell. While a true meat lover would know the difference in one bite, if one manages to get past that, I feel you would be surprised how delicious it can be. Here is one such dish that I made 'Kheema, not Kheema' - here I have used plant-based meat and cooked it using your basic kheema recipe. While the resulting dish was less fatty, which a good kheema dish is, it was not bad at all. Obviously if you are not vegan, use good quality Goat or Pork mince to make this dish. The only difference will be in the cooking time which would be longer in the case of actual meat. I hope you will make this dish and enjoy it as much as I did.

Recipe :

· 500 gms mincemeat or vegan mince

· 2 tablespoon oil

· 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

· 1 1/2 tsp turmeric

· 2 tsp ginger garlic paste

· 2 large onions finely chopped

· 4 ripe tomatoes pureed

· 1 large Carrot diced (optional)

· 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder

· 1 teaspoon garam masala

· 1bsp coriander powder

· 2 tsp cumin powder

· 5 green cardamoms

· 1 stick of cinnamon

· 2-star anise

· 1/2 cup green peas (optional)

For Garnishing:

· Freshly chopped coriander

· 1/2 cup Kasuri methi – Dry fenugreek leaves

· Sliced onion and a few lemon wedges to garnish

· 2 – 3 sliced green chillies

Method:

Heat oil in a wok and add cumin seeds, cardamoms, star anise & cinnamon. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for 30 seconds.

Add onion and sauté till the onions are slightly caramelized. At this stage, add the mince and stir well—cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. The meat needs to cook in the steam created by covering the pan. Don’t be tempted to add any water.

Add all the dry spices except the garam masala and saute for a few minutes, so the raw smell of the spice disappears. Now add the carrots & tomato puree and let the mince cook on a low flame till done.

You can add the peas at this stage and cook for 5 minutes, covered. Turn off the heat and garnish with coriander, Kasuri methi, green chillies and garam masala. Serve it with bread, finely sliced onions, and lemons.

Note that this mix can be used as a stuffing for toast or pastry, and it tastes delicious.