Keema Tikki/Minced Meat Patties

I got the idea of tikkis from a friend Sholi, who's all the way from Dilli!!! She had it stuffed with dry fruits which I replaced with keema(minced meat) to suit my ongoing domestic Meat-a-holism.

You will need...

Potatoes - 5-6medium

Coriander leaves - few chopped

Cumin powder - a pinch

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Bread - 1-2 slice powdered

Salt - as needed

Boil potatoes. Peel, mash, add all the ingredients and mix well. Keep aside.

Note:

Potato mixture should be pliable as well as firm.  Add bread powder accordingly.

For the filling...

Minced meat - 250 gm

Mint leaves - few chopped

Onions - 1 big chopped

Green chillies - 3-4 chopped

Ginger - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few chopped

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Directions:

Cook minced meat with coriander pdr, turmeric pdr, chilli pdr, garam masala pdr and salt stirring well until all the water disappears. Keep aside. Heat oil in the pan and saute onions, green chillies, ginger paste and curry leaves until translucent, add cooked mince and stir fry until goden brown. Garnish with mint leaves. Take a lemon sized ball of potatoes with greased hands, mould as shown in figure and stuff with minced meat(approx 1 tbsp). Close the mash around the meat making a smooth ball. Flatten gently between both hands to form a small round disk. On a greased, hot tava/griddle roast both sides of the tikkis until golden brown.  Brush oil on the tikkis if needed.  Serve hot with tomatto ketchup or any chutney of your choice.

Erachi Ball Curry/Curried Meat Dumplings

Curried Meat Dumplings are widely known as Ball Curry in Cochin!!! For them it is a retro dish which induces nostalgia!!!  Ball curry is usually made on family gatherings to please our 'elderly' guests. They then head into a series of flashbacks bound to the delicacy, going ga ga about Granny's kaipunyam, which propells an exchage of rolled-eye-looks among the daughter-in-laws, who at the moment had spent few laborious hours in kitchen concocting the delight!!! The dumplings are usually made of minced meat or minced prawns.

Every time I look for minced meat while shopping and browse through the meat and poultry sections, comparing the calories and the sat fats in each, I end up with turkey mince which appeals the most.  Hence here goes the recipe with turkey mince...

You will need...

For the dumplings:

Minced meat - 500gm

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 2-3

Shallots(Cheriya ulli) - 5-6 skinned

Mint leaves - few chopped

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Fennel powder(Aniseed) - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Crush green chillies and shallots. Mix all the ingredients together and make fine lime sized dumplings. Keep aside.

For the gravy:

Onion - 1 sliced

Ginger - 1 inch piece crushed

Green chillies - 2-3

Tomatto - 1 sliced into rounds

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp(preferably any Kerala brand)

Vinegar - 1-2 tbsp

Thin coconut milk - 2 cups

Thick coconut milk - 3/4 cup

Oil

Salt - to taste

Soak all the powders in little water to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

To garnish:

Shallots(Cheriya ulli) - 5-6 sliced

Curry leaves - few

Garlic - 1 clove sliced(optional)

Mint leaves - few chopped

Coriander leaves - few chopped

Directions:

Heat oil in a kadai and saute shallots, garlic and curry leaves(under the ingredeints to garnish) until golden brown. Drain and keep aside.  In the same vessel add enough oil and saute the onions, green chillies and ginger paste in medium heat. Reduce heat and add the soaked powder paste, sliced tomattoes, salt and saute until oil leaves to the sides. Add thin coconut milk, vinegar and let it boil. Add meat dumplings into the bubbling gravy. Do not stir, just swirl the vessel if needed. Cover and cook until gravy thickens and the dumplings are well cooked.  Add thick coconut milk. Just heat it without letting it boil. Garnish with the sauted items and chopped leaves. Serve hot.

Note:

-For a low calorie version you can totally avoid coconut milk and use water instead of thin coconut milk and skimmed milk instead of thick coconut milk. 
-The dumplings are made using raw meat.  They will break off on cooking if cooked mince is used.

Erachi Kothi Varuthathu/Minced Meat Fry

Another one from my Mom's kitchen. A preparation which can be served as a side dish as well as a sandwich/puffs/rolls stuffing. Mom makes it with minced beef. I used minced turkey here.

You will need...

Minced meat - 500gm
Onion - 1 big sliced
Tomattoes - 1-2 chopped
Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Mint leaves - few chopped
Potatoes - 1
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

To cook meat...
Ginger - 1 inch piece crushed
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 5 chopped
Salt - to taste

Directions: 

Peel potatoes and cut into four lengthwise.  Cut into thin slices. Sprinkle with salt, deep fry and keep aside.

In a non stick pan add meat and the second set of ingredients and cook stirring continously until all the water is gone. Transfer it into another vessel. Pour oil in the cooking pan, saute onions and curry leaves. Reduce heat and add coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder. Add tomattoes. When oil leaves to the sides add the cooked meat and stir fry until golden.  Add vinegar and salt to taste. Garnish with mint leaves and fried potatoes.

Note: 

While cooking meat keep stirring continously or else the meat might stick together into lumps.