Fiction & Nonfiction

Something tasty

Something tasty

It’s that time of the year again, the New Year. This is the coolest season in our southern coastal town, near the Bay of Bengal.

The town wears the holiday mood and the streets buzzed with celebratory activities.
People are seen exchanging greetings and gifts; enjoying meeting families, friends and colleagues over brunch, lunch or dinner. The festive mood of Christmas lingers. It is exhilarating to see cheerful expression on everyone I look at. Shopping Malls and restaurants are busy with brisk business.

My college pals, Rekha and Sarita with families came down from Assam, a north eastern Indian state, to spend New Year with us.

All three of us were filled with excitement and the ensuing joy of spending a week of togetherness reminiscing and recreating those good old days.

The first three days slipped away, touring in and around the town looking at various interesting places that include Buddhist monasteries, ancient temples, and waterfalls in dense forests, a submarine tour and the colourful navy day spectacular show on the beach.

On day four, I planned a simple nonvegetarian lunch at home. Rekha and Sarita helped in the kitchen and we put together a sumptuous meal on the table by noon. I thought it’s going to be a sure hit. And I wasn’t wrong for the dishes were almost empty by the end of the meal.

Among the dishes were, mixed vegetable curry, prawn fry tossed with tender cauliflower and bell peppers and minced meat masala or Keema curry as it is known here.

Rekha and Sarita were keen on taking the recipe down. There it is.

Keema masala curry

Recipe

Ingredients-

Fresh cut of goat- 1 kg

Finely chopped medium sized onions- 3

Bell peppers, thinly sliced – 2

Fresh green peas- 1 cup

Sliced tomatoes- 4

Garlic+ ginger paste- 1 table spoon

Cuscus and coconut (a small piece) paste- 1 table spoon

Coriander seeds paste- ½ tablespoon

Turmeric powder- ½ teaspoon

Dry chili powder- 1 teaspoon

Salt- as per taste.

Dry Spices-

Cloves -5

Cinnamon stick- an inch

Cardamom- 3 or 4

Bay leaves- 4 or 5

Method-

Marinate mutton with curd, salt, turmeric, chili powder and pasted spices for 30 minutes.

Take a thick pan or a cooker.

Heat 2 table spoons of oil preferably sesame or groundnut.

Add dry spices. Let them splutter. Add onion and bell pepper. Wait till browned. Add wet spices made to paste. Fry for 3 minutes. Then add minced meat. Fry it for a couple of minutes. Add peas and tomato slices.  Cook for 5 minutes. Add 4 cups of water.

Put the lid on and when steam is out put the weight on. Let it cook on slow fire for ½ hour.
Garnish the finished product with fresh coriander and mint leaves.
Serve hot with rice or bread with a salad of your liking.

After returning to their places my friends told me how much of a hit the curry was, when they made it for  a pot luck day to a picnic with local friends.


Dropnote ▼

Prompt: Regular Recipe

Total Word count:502

Story:300

Recipe notes-202

Written for Sharmelle’s Recipe Kitchen Contest, December 2022