Kheema Pav : Mumbai Street Style

I love street food is not a news to the regular reader of this blog. I think every city’s street food has a character of its own, whether its Delhi kulcha chola and aloo tikki or Kolkatta’s puchka or Bangalore’s ragda patties or Mumbai’s pav bhaji or for the meat lovers the kheema pav.

I have had my tryst with Mumbai street food a couple of times and I have to say I have I loved what I tasted and then someone was talking to me about Brun Pav and the way they described it felt so interesting then a kind friend who was traveling from Bombay brought it for me, the first thing I did was tasted it and I fell in love with it and hence began the search on what to eat it with and the first thing that came to my mind was Kheema, I shared it with N who seemed equally excited about the Kheema Pav. Now I regularly make kheema at home to be had stuffed in rolls or like N likes with rice but that is more punjabi style of making kheema and when I was searching for the authentic mumbai street style I found a recipe at AppleMint that I liked.

I think the kheema complimented the texture of the brun a lot. I also read that traditionally kheema pav is had with the standard mumbai butter pav and not brun, I also had the ladi pav at home and tried it with that. It was great but somehow I personally preferred the combination with brun rather than with the ladi. Both N and O said that they liked it better with ladi than with the brun so if you don’t have brun go ahead and have it with ladi I say, I am gonna search for brun or may be try making my own next time.

Recipe – Mumbai Street Style Kheema

Source – Adapted from AppleMint

What I used

• 500 gms Lamb Mince
• 2 large onion finely chopped
• 2 tablesppon ginger and garlic grated
• 3-4 green chillies finely chopped (lesser if you don’t want it too spicy)
• 3 large tomatoes finely chopped
• 1 one inch cinnamon stick
• 1 whole black Cardamom
• 2 green cardamoms
• 2 bay leaf
• 3 star anise
• 2 tsp pav bhaji masala (she used garam masala, but I used my home made pav bhaji masala)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 3 tsp Cumin powder
• 4 tsp corriander powder
• 1 tsp chat masala ( optional )
• 3 tablespoons oil
• juice of 2 lime
• salt to taste

How I made it

• In a heavy bottom pan, heat the oil and sauté the whole spices – cinnamon, cardamoms, star anise, bay leaf till fragrant. This will take about 1-2 minutes. Don’t over do it else they will burn
• Add the onions, ginger, garlic and chillies and fry till onions begin to brown.
• Add the mince and fry well together.
• Fry continuously for about 5 – 8 mins till you feel the mince is almost cooked (it will change color & texture)
• Add the tomatoes and the remaining spices except the lime n coriander.
• Further cook for about 5- 10 mins till the tomatoes are cooked and begun to leave oil.
• Switch off the gas and add the coriander and squeeze the lime juice.
• To serve, slice up the pav and warm slightly on a tawa/frying pan. Go ahead and use butter, don’t be afraid
• Then put in the prepared mince and top with finely slices onions. Serve immediately.