If there’s one thing Bengalis love – especially my family – it’s eating and feeding others. This keema chop is usually made in homes in Calcutta, I've never seen it in a restaurant, and is usually served at parties. I learnt the recipe from my grandmother and it’s a hybrid of a Bengali and Anglo-Indian recipe. It’s a little tedious to make, but well worth the effort. You can serve it as a starter or as a main course. Hindustan Times Brunch did a special on three starters you must make this Diwali and asked me to share the recipe.
For the filling
400 gms mutton mince
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soya sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
100 gms chopped coriander elaves
4 green chilies chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon freshly ground garam masala powder - equal portions of clove, cinnamon and cardamom
2 onions chopped
For the potato covering
5 large potatoes – peeled
Salt and pepper to taste
50 gms butter
For frying:
2 eggs – beaten
Breadcrumbs
To make the filling:
Take a pan and pour 2 tbsps vegetable oil in it and heat.
Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onions and sauté. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and keep sautéing.
Once the onion has browned slightly, add the mince and brown well. Then add the sauces – soy and Worcestershire. Keep stirring.
Then add the coriander leaves, sugar, chilis and salt to taste. Then add the lime juice and garam masala powder. The mixture should be very fragrant by now.
Add some water and keep on simmer till the mince is cooked through. There should be no water in the pan.
Remove the mince mixture and allow to cool. You can make this a day in advance.
To make the potato covering:
Boil the potatoes till cooked totally. Drain all the water and mash the potatoes while hot with salt, pepper and butter. Leave the mashed potatoes to cool.
To form the chop:
Flatten the mashed potato on your palm and form a base of around ¼ inch thickness. In the centre of the flattened potato base, place 1 round ball of mince. Close the potato mixture around it to form an egg shape – keeping the mince in the centre as the filling.
To fry:
Roll the egg shaped chops in beaten egg and then cover with breadcrumbs.
Deep fry till golden brown.
Serve immediately.
