It's all about keema
Haute cuisine looks down on it. Most people like it disguised as kebabs. But keema – in its simple, oily avatar – still has a large fan following, writes Vir Sanghvi.
It is a funny sort of childhood memory. In the early Seventies, when I came back to Bombay from boarding school, one of my favourite takeout meals was packed keema-mutter from the Kwality’s on Kemps Corner (now defunct, I suspect).
The gravy was oily and I doubt if the dish would win any culinary competitions. But at that time, I loved it. I ate it with slices of white Britannia bread (which I don’t eat any longer) and chunks of the vinegared onion that restaurants like Kwality’s specialised in. If I wanted it spicier, then the Gujarati in me came to the fore, and I ate it with homemade mango pickle.
Would I still like the dish? The gastronomically sound answer is no, of course not. But, to be entirely honest, my guess is that I would. I still find all kinds of keema curries irresistible. I like them when they are greasy, dhaba-style versions. I like the more refined Punjabi home-style curries with aloo.
