Chicken Keema Masala Recipe ~ Indian Minced Chicken Curry

This is fresh, spicy, and homemade minced chicken or chicken keema for the winter-struck soul. 

Quite recently I happened to have Chicken Keema Dosa at a local Indian Chettinad restaurant. The minced chicken or ‘keema’ that was cooked perfectly motivated me to make my own version at home. I tried my own blend of spices to get the South Indian version with a small portion of ‘keema’ first and swiftly moved on to make a bigger batch after the successful first attempt!

The best thing about minced meat is that it cooks fast. If you slow cook it, you can occasionally check in, give it a stir or two, and let the flavors marry and cook on it’s own. You don’t have to constantly monitor it, it’s not caramel!

{Note: You can adjust the spice level of this dish according to your tolerance. Feel free to tweak the measurements of all the chilies and peppers that I have used.}

Ingredients you will need:

2 lbs/ 1 kg chicken keema or minced chicken
2-3 tbsp mustard oil
2-3 bay leaves
1 stick whole cinnamon
5-6 whole cloves
3-4 whole cardamom
1 whole star anise
½ tbsp whole black peppercorn
4-5 dry red chilli
8-10 curry leaves
1 cup chopped onions
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 ½ medium size tomatoes, chopped
4-5 fresh green chilies, chopped
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp paprika powder
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves
¼ cup fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped
Salt, according to taste

Method for cooking:
   

1. In a mortar and pestle, crush the whole black peppercorn and dried red chilies     together.
2. Heat a medium to large size ‘kadai’ or pan. Add mustard oil.When oil is hot, add curry leaves, whole spices (bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise), crushed peppercorn and red chili, and chopped green chilies. Let this flavor the hot oil for 30-40 seconds.
3. Add ginger and garlic paste, chopped onions, sugar, and some salt. Saute this till ginger garlic is cooked and onions are golden brown.
4. Add chopped tomatoes, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and paprika, stir well, cover and cook on medium heat for 15-20 mins. Slow cooking will make this more flavorful and will completely cook the raw ingredients.
5. Once the onion-tomato mixture is cooked, it will reduce in size and the onion-tomato will blend together. At this point, add the minced chicken or keema and salt. You may add more paprika. Mix well and cook for 20 mins or till fully cooked on medium-high heat. There is no need to add water as the meat will release some.
6. Before removing from heat, add kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves and freshly chopped coriander or cilantro.Accompany this dish with plain steamed white/brown rice, homemade ‘roti’ or whole wheat Indian flatbread, or even plain dosa and enjoy a hearty meal on a cold cold winter evening…!

 

Accompany this dish with plain steamed white/brown rice, homemade ‘roti’ or whole wheat Indian flatbread, or even plain dosa and enjoy a hearty meal on a cold cold winter evening…!