How to make Karnataka famous mince curry at home

Unplanned food stops can sometimes be more fun. My only visit to Jai Bhuvaneshwari Military Hotel in Kirangur near Srirangpatna (close to Mysuru) was an impromptu stop provoked by heavy traffic on a road trip from Bangalore to Massuru. I had heard some of my friends about this Nandscript restaurant in Mysuru, but I did not think I would have time to stay here. I had a lot of spots to travel in Mysuru, but happy that I made time to examine the popular mutton dishes of the restaurant. The term military hotel has been used for those restaurants in Bengaluru and Mysuru for decades that mainly serve non-vegetarian cuisine.

It can be a baseless restaurant, but it is a local legend. Jai Bhuvaneshwari has a loyal army of fans, including Kannada film stars, who have probably made a planned stop in this military hotel. The Mandya-Mysuru region is well known for its carnivorous recipes, and this restaurant has a long list of mutton dishes, including mutton chops, brain fry and delicious mutton curry. Some of these dishes taste the best with Ragi Mude (finger millet balls). If there is a reason, I will go back to Jai Bhuvaneshwari, this is the minced curry.

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Begar Ota is a wedding tradition in Karnataka, where the groom’s family has a non-vegetarian lunch or dinner for friends and family. Think of it as a celebration of two families coming together. Mutton dishes are staples in this large fat wedding lunch. I have tried this and mutton ball curry (Cama or Came or Came UND Saru) in restaurants and homes. Many establishments in and around Mysore and Mandya use meat from the famous Banur sheep of the area. It is one of the most prized meats in Karnataka; Banur sheep are known for their soft, juicy and flavored meat. The breed has been present for more than 500 years and has been selected by local farmers to suit the environmental conditions of the region.

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Keema Curry is a relatively simple dish, especially if you can source the right mutton (even though it is not from Bainur). This dish works equally well with rice, poor, chapati or ragi mud. You can also try it for Sunday breakfast with idli or dosa.

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Keema Curry Recipe – How to make Karnataka’s Kema Curry

Material

• 500 grams of kema (minced mutton)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 cardamom
• 1 star anis
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon ginger (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 green chili (finely chopped)
• 2 onions (finely chopped)
• 2 tomatoes (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• 1 tablespoon garam masala powder
• 1/2 tablespoons turmeric powder
• 2 tablespoons coriander powder
• 1 tbsp black pepper powder
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• salt to taste

Method

1. Wash the minced meat. It is best to wash it twice with a little turmeric and keep it aside.
2. Heat oil on medium flame (use a pressure pan or cooker). Add all the spices and wait for them.
3. Add ginger, garlic and green chili to the spice mixture. Add onion and cook until it becomes transparent.
4. Onion is well cooked before adding tomatoes. Cook until the tomato turns.
5. Add all spice powder and then add mutton mince. Stir well before adding two cups of water and salt to taste.
6. Mix well and cook pressure for two whistles (or if you want it to do well) and close the flame.
7. Allow the pressure to release naturally, then open the cooker. Garnish with chopped coriander. You can also add a teaspoon of gingeli (sesame) oil for the right finish.
8. Serve hot mince curry with boiled rice, dosa or poor.