Hyderabadi Keema Pav Street Minced Mutton Bread

Method

1. 1

   Heat oil and cook onions: Heat 2 tbsp oil on medium. Add finely chopped onions. Cook 12 minutes until very deep golden.

2. 2

   Add ginger and garlic: Add ginger paste and garlic paste. Stir 2 minutes.

3. 3

   Add tomatoes: Add finely chopped tomatoes. Cook 6 minutes until soft and oil separates.

4. 4

   Add spice powders: Turn to low. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric. Stir 2 minutes.

5. 5

   Add keema: Add minced mutton. Break it apart with a spoon. Cook on medium-high heat stirring continuously for 8 minutes until the keema is browned and any released moisture has evaporated.

6. 6

   Add peas: Add peas. Stir. Cook 3 minutes.

7. 7

   Add garam masala and salt: Add garam masala and salt. Stir. Cook 2 more minutes.

8. 8

   Check keema: The keema should be dry — no watery gravy. Each grain of minced meat should be separate and coated with the spiced onion masala.

9. 9

   Toast the pav rolls: Slice the dinner rolls in half. Toast with butter on a flat griddle for 1 minute each side until golden.

10. 10

    Serve: Scatter coriander leaves on the keema. Serve the hot keema in a bowl alongside the buttered toasted pav rolls. Eat by breaking the roll and scooping up the keema.

11. 11

    Note: Keema Pav is one of the most popular street foods of the Charminar area of Hyderabad — the old city lanes around the Charminar mosque are lined with keema stalls from evening onwards. The combination of Hyderabadi-spiced minced mutton with the soft bread rolls reflects the layered food history of Hyderabad — a city that has absorbed Mughal, Persian, British and local Deccani influences simultaneously.