My 8th wonder - "Keema Baati"

The only place I think of when I say Keema Baati is my own little food haven Spice Court, Jaipur. One bite into the tough exterior and the soft interior of this exquisite dish can leave you feeling mesmerised. If you are crazy about food and love exploring new delicacies then allow me to burst your dream bubble because your world tour is incomplete without tasting Keema Baati.

Baati originated from Rajasthan and is also popular in some parts of Gujarat. Dal, Baati and Churma is adored by the locals and every passing Dhabba on the highway will surprise you with their own unique version of this dish. Like my own version.

Keema (mince meat) is mixed with a number of spices and cooked on a slow flame till the moisture evaporates. This filling has a mild tang along with the warmth of the green chillies. Baati is an Indian bread, which can be baked or even fried. The main ingredients to make the dough for the Baati are ghee, flour and water. This simple yet amazing recipe has a perfect balance of flavours. The bread like Baati cuts the heat from the Keema and the mutton gravy makes the bread soft enough to break through its exterior.

It’s hard to describe the divine experience I have each time I eat Keema Baati. My father insisted that I learn how to make it not only because he is personally fond of it but also to retain some of the heritage cuisine. This as per me is very important, because as the new generations keep coming one must learn to hold on to certain portions of our past that help mould a stronger and better future.

 And so my first attempt of making this dish was in Bangalore. I made it for my friend’s family who happen to be passionate foodies too. From 9am I started fussing about how I would prepare this dish without using a Tandoor. By noon everyone started getting impatient and hungry, while I sat in the room thinking about the times I had walked into the kitchen where my chef would create the 8^th wonder of the world. It was time to get into action!! With utensils clanking and ingredients flying I got down to following the same path as though I was rewriting a story I heard in my childhood. After they loved and raved it I could see the score line read, Tejasvi-1: failure-0.

In a perfect world I’d be feeding Keema Baati to myself and my loved ones every day. Honestly it’s so simple to make, more like a standardised procedure. Make the dough for the Baati and store it, then make the filling for it and last step is assembling the two together and baking them. Sometimes the easiest things seem very complicated but as you dig deeper to make an effort you realise “what a cake walk it was”.