Keema Bhare Karelay Bitter Melon Stuffed With Minced Chicken Recipes

KEEMA BHARE KARELA (STUFFED BITTER GOURD)

Steps:

• Scrape the bitter-gourds and give a slit each lengthwise. Remove the seeds.
• Apply salt properly outside and inside the bitter-gourd. Keep aside for ½ an hour.
• Then rinse and remove as much water as possible. Take a pan, put water with 1 tbsp of tamarind, and heat it up until it evaporates, then add bitter gourds and boil for 5 minutes.
• Then drain and heat some oil and fry the bitter gourds for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Now add the onions to the pan and again fry to a golden brown, then add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, red chilli powder, cumin powder and salt to the same oil and sauté for a few minutes before adding the tomato.
• Now add the chopped tomatoes and a little water. Cook covered until tomatoes are just about done.
• Then add mince, fry and cook with some water until done. Then add green chillies, tamarind pulp, fresh coriander and garam masala powder and mix well.
• Now stuff the bitter-gourds with this stuffing. Tie each bitter-gourd with thread properly.
• Now arrange stuffed bitter gourd in remaining mince and add ¼ cup of water and cook on very low heat for 5 minutes.
• Serve with chopped fresh coriander.

KEEMA BHARE KARELAY (BITTER MELON STUFFED WITH MINCED CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Make a slit along the length of each melon, leaving about an inch intact on the ends. Remove the seeds and discard (see Tip 1). Rub 2 teaspoons of salt evenly on the surfaces and insides of the melons. Set aside for at least 20 minutes while you prepare the stuffing (see Tip 2).
• In a medium pot heat 1/4 cup mustard oil for 30 seconds. Add onion, ginger and garlic, and cook on medium for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent and fragrant.
• Add chicken and remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and cook on high, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, and some bits of the minced chicken start to crisp, about 7 to 10 minutes.
• Lower heat to medium and add cumin, coriander, chile powder and turmeric. Stir and continue cooking for 30 seconds.
• Add 1/4 cup water and chopped tomato. Cook on high, stirring occasionally until the oil starts to separate, about 5 minutes. Stir in green chiles and lemon juice. Turn off the heat. (The stuffing can be made up to 2 days ahead and brought to room temperature before assembly.)
• Squeeze and drain the reserved salted melon. Thoroughly rinse the inside and outside with cold water. Pat dry. (The drier the melon, the easier it will be to fry.)
• In a frying pan large enough to comfortably fit the five stuffed melons in a single layer, add the remaining 3/4 cup mustard oil and heat for 30 to 45 seconds.
• Gently place the melons into the pan and shallow fry on medium until the bottom and sides are deep golden brown, but mostly brown, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Place the melons on a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up any excess oil. Remove the paper towel. Using a teaspoon, stuff the melons with the stuffing. Serve with the rest of the prepared stuffing and roti, store-bought pita or by itself.

ALOO ANDAY (POTATOES AND SCRAMBLED EGGS)

Steps:

• Peel and quarter the potatoes, then cut into ¼-inch slices. Submerge the potatoes in a bowl of water and set aside.
• Heat the ghee in a heavy nonstick medium pot over medium-high. Add the garlic paste and ginger paste. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the smell of raw garlic and ginger dissipates, less than 1 minute. Add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to turn golden, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Lower the heat to medium and add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, chile powder and green chiles. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the ghee is thoroughly infused with the spices, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the salt. Continue cooking on medium until most of the tomato liquid has evaporated and the ghee has separated, about 7 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes and add them to the pot. Add ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir as needed to prevent the mixture from browning. Uncover and cook on medium-high until the potatoes are tender all the way through and most of the water has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Beat the eggs just until the egg whites are incorporated into the yolks. Stir them into the pot. Continue stirring until the eggs are scrambled and form delicate curds, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Garnish with slivered ginger, chopped cilantro and garam masala. Serve with chapati, pita, naan or rice.

KEEMA SAMOSAS (CHICKEN SAMOSAS)

Steps:

• Make the filling: Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring, until the raw smell dissipates, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the cumin seeds, ground chile, coriander and turmeric. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not burned, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the chicken, salt and vinegar, and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring to break up the chicken, until all the liquid has evaporated and the chicken is cooked through but still retains some moisture, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the garam masala and fresh chiles, and stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Turn off the heat and add the cilantro. Stir until well mixed and let stand until cool enough to handle.
• Meanwhile, prepare to assemble the samosas: Line a sheet pan with wax paper or plastic wrap. Stack the wrappers and cut evenly in thirds to create 42 rectangles, 8 inches long by 2 2/3 inches wide. If your wrappers are not 8 inches square, aim to cut 42 rectangular shapes in a 3-to-1 ratio. Place a damp clean cloth over your pastry sheets to prevent them from drying. Place the flour in a small bowl and add enough water (about 3 tablespoons) to make a smooth paste that's the consistency of craft glue.
• Take a pastry rectangle and place it with the long side facing you on a flat work surface. Replace the damp cloth over the remaining pastry sheets to keep them from drying out. Take the bottom-right corner of the rectangle and fold it over the top, with the short side extending 1 to 2 inches past the top. The overlapping pastry at the bottom right of the sheet will form an equilateral triangle with sides that are about 3 inches long. This triangle will be the final shape and size of the samosa. Fold the triangle so its right outer edge is aligned with the horizontal bottom edge of the sheet. There should now be a triangular pocket with two flaps sticking out to the left. Pick up the pocket so it is open and upright like a cone. Fill the cone with 2 teaspoons of the filling. Using the back of a small spoon, spread the flour paste in a thin layer over the remaining strip of pastry. Fold it over the stuffed triangle to seal the samosa. If the corners of the samosa have any gaps, fill them with the flour paste and pinch them to seal. Repeat with the remaining filling and rectangles (you may have leftover wrappers) and lay on the lined sheet pan, spacing apart. They can be fried or baked right away, or frozen on the pan until firm, then sealed in an airtight container or freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 2 months before frying and go straight into the hot oil from the freezer.
• To fry the samosas, fill a frying pan with oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. Heat the oil over medium-high until it ripples. Add enough samosas to fit without overlapping and shallow-fry until golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes per side (longer, if frying directly from the freezer). Transfer to a cooling rack or plate lined with a paper towel to prevent them from getting soggy. Repeat with the remaining samosas, replenishing and reheating the oil between batches.
• To bake the samosas, heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 1-inch-deep sheet pan with foil and add a thin layer of oil to the pan (about 1/4 inch). Coat the samosas with the oil in the sheet pan and arrange them on the pan in a single layer in rows. Bake, turning once halfway through, until evenly golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a cooling rack or plate lined with a paper towel to prevent them from getting soggy.
• Serve hot or warm with the mint chutney for dipping.

KEEMA SHIMLA MIRCH (GROUND CHICKEN WITH BELL PEPPERS)

Steps:

• In a medium (9-inch) pot or wok, heat ghee over medium-high until it has melted, about 30 to 45 seconds. Add onion and cook on medium, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add chicken, ginger, garlic and salt, and cook on high, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and some bits of the chicken start to crisp, about 7 to 10 minutes.
• Lower heat to medium and stir in cumin seeds, chile powder, coriander and turmeric. Add tomatoes and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to break down, about 5 minutes.
• Add bell pepper and green chiles. Continue cooking on medium, stirring occasionally, until the bell pepper starts to soften but still maintains some crunch, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the stove, then sprinkle with garam masala, lemon juice and fresh cilantro.