Jalfrezi is number one in the UK for a reason. Vindaloo might be the most famous. A well executed madras is a truly wonderful thing. Classics. But sometimes you should go a different way. Mix things up. Try something new. Something fresh. I love the classics. But I need variety. Aloo keema fits the bill nicely. Well spiced beef or lamb. Creamy potatoes. A bit of heat from the green chilies. All wrapped up in a restaurant style sauce. Just tasty stuff.
Aloo keema done restaurant style
It’s basically really good samosa filling. Not exactly. But close. You could use it to make samosas. That would work. Or you could serve it up along side the usual suspects and surprise your guests. Expand their horizons. This is Indian restaurant style cooking. It uses something called curry base to make that luscious sauce. The one you get when you go for Indian. And can never replicate at home. Trust me and read on. This is the real deal.
Restaurant style means do your prep up front
Restaurant style goes fast. Really fast. Like 10 minutes from start to finish. So do your prep. Please. This is critical. If you don’t you’re headed for a train wreck. Not good. Make your curry base and have some heated and ready to go. Pre-cook your keema. Measure out your ingredients. Have everything ready. And wear old clothes or put on an apron. Indian restaurant cooking is messy stuff. If it doesn’t splatter you aren’t doing it right. You are playing line cook here. Dress the part. If you have not read the guide to Indian restaurant technique yet, do it now. It has pictures to help you understand the recipe. There’s also a guide to Indian ingredients in that post. And a master technique video complete with commentary. Worth a quick visit if this is new to you. Once you’re ready to go, the whole thing comes together in 10 minutes.
Dare to be different
There’s more to Indian than what you see on restaurant menus. There are literally thousands of dishes. It’s an incredibly diverse, regional cuisine. So there’s no reason to stick to the same old same old. Those are great dishes. For sure. But there is more. So much more. If you want to give your tastebuds something new to try, make keema aloo. Just like your local Indian restaurant or takeaway should be making. If only they could just get past the usual.
