Qeema Karela - Bitter gourd with Mincemeat

Recipe requested by my nephew's wife, Kamila.

 

Bitter gourd (karela) lowers blood glucose levels, is a great source of Vitamin K; helps build immunity; encourages glowing skin if consumed regularly; lowers cholesterol. Endless benefits to this bitter tasting vegetable. The bitter taste can be offset & diminished (as demonstrated in this recipe) and enjoyed in different ways: fried, cooked with lentils, cooked with tomatoes & onions, or mixed in with meat.

 

This dish can be enjoyed with chappati, rice or mixed with freshly chopped salad & quinoa.

Serves: 6

 

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd: 0.5kg

Oil: 3Tbsp

Onions: 5; medium; sliced

Mincemeat (Qeema) (mutton, beef or chicken): 0.5kg

Garlic Paste: 2tsp

Ginger Paste: 2tsp

Cayenne Pepper: 0.5tsp

Turmeric Powder: 0.5tsp

Coriander Powder: 1tsp
Cumin Powder: 0.5tsp

Tomatoes: 2

Aniseeds: 0.5tsp*

Coriander Seeds: 0.5tsp*

Cumin Seeds: 0.5tsp*
Yoghurt: 3Tbsp

Green Chilies: 2-3 chopped

Cilantro: 2Tbsp chopped

Lemon Juice: 2tsp

 

*crush coarsely

 

Directions:

1. Prepare the bitter gourd in the following manner:

1.1 After washing, scrape the skin; cut & remove the seeds. 

1.2 Slice the bitter gourd in medium size rings; add 0.5tsp turmeric powder, generous helping of salt and keep aside.

1.3 Squeeze the bitter gourd between your palms, wash well & squeeze out all the water.

 2. In a frying pan, add 1Tbsp oil & half of the sliced onions. Fry the onion till pink, add the sliced

    bitter gourd, & stir to combine. Keep frying for a further 10 minutes till the onions gourd turn
    golden brown. Close the flame and keep aside.

3. In another pan, add 2Tbsp oil & fry remaining onions to a golden brown color.

4. Add the mincemeat & fry till meat changes color.

5. While mince is cooking, in a small bowl add garlic paste, ginger paste, cayenne pepper, 

    turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder & salt. Mix with a little water to make a paste.

    When the mince turns color, add the spice mixture to the mince. Stir to combine & keep cooking ]

    for 15-20 minutes on very slow flame. 

6. Wash & chop the tomatoes & blend in a food processor (or finely chop & pound in a mortar &

    pestle). Add the blended tomatoes to the cooking mince.

7. When the water of the tomatoes dry add the fried bitter gourd, the coarsely ground cumin seeds,

    coriander seeds, & aniseeds & yoghurt. Turn the flame to very low and cook till bitter gourd

    softens & water of yoghurt dries.

8. Before turning off the flame, add the chopped green chilies, cilantro, lemon juice.

 

Moong Dal - Green Gram

If in the mood to give yourself a break from meat and get some protein into your meal, lentils are a perfect alternate. I like to throw in spinach into this to get a high intensity kick of good nutrients.  

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
Moong Dal: 1 cup
Turmeric Powder: 0.5tsp
Green Chillies: 2-3 (optional)
Salt: to taste
Cayenne Pepper: 0.25tsp (optional)
Ginger Paste: 0.5tsp
Garlic Paste: 0.5tsp
Cumin Seeds: 0.5tsp
Water: 2cups (more if you want it watery)

For tempering (tadka):
Oil: 2Tbsp
(Ghee: 1Tbsp. optional. If using Ghee, then reduce Oil to 1Tbsp.)
Chopped Onion: 1; medium size
Cumin: 0.5tsp
Ginger Paste: 0.5tsp

Directions:
1. Boil dal with water.
2. Remove froth with a spoon that will form from boiling.
3. Add green chilies and turmeric.
4. When lentils are mushy, add cumin, ginger & garlic paste, salt & cayenne pepper.
5. Prepare tadka in a separate small saucepan. When it's frying nicely, onions have changed colour and there's a beautiful spicy aroma wafting, pour over cooked dal.

If using spinach:
Add 2 cups of blanched & crushed spinach leaves blanched  into cooked dal. Do this before tempering. Finish off with a squeeze of lemon & dig in.