Mutton Keema, Curried Egg, and . . . Fried Brains (Food Experiments, Part 4)
Mutton Keema, Curried Egg, and . . . Fried Brains (Food Experiments, Part 4)
- Posted by Colleen
- On June 27, 2022
- Comments
- 3
I’m not going to bury the lead here. I ATE GOAT BRAINS.
I was invited to a late lunch at a neighborhood spot packed with locals (I’m told that during regular meal times there is usually a line out the door). We took our seats at a small plastic table with industrial fans furiously circling overhead and attached water spigots periodically sending spouts of mist into the air.
My lunch hosts explained that the meals were served family style and asked what my preferences were. Thinking this would be a great opportunity to try some new foods, I encouraged them to order whatever they would normally get there.
I observed cheerfully as a series of items were ordered, but since I don’t speak Marathi (the local language) I had no idea what was coming.
Mutton Keema and Curried Egg
First up were two dishes served with rice and roti.
Mutton Keema (minced sheep meat in spices)
Mutton itself isn’t a new thing (I’ve eaten it many times in Kenya), but this was a completely different preparation with fantastic spices. It was especially tasty scooped up with the homemade roti (similar to a tortilla). Side note: either roti or chapati is served at nearly every meal, and if you’re curious about the difference between the two (or between these breads and naan), here’s some info. 🙂
This keema dish was by far my favorite part of the meal, earning a place on my “repeat foods” list. Later I found some info online, and I thought this recipe looked pretty doable! I’d like to try it later at home, assuming I could find the right spices (I’ve never heard of Kasuri Methi, for example) and subbing ground turkey or beef for the minced mutton.
Curried Eggs
Nothing shocking here, just halved hard-boiled eggs served in a curry (gravy). Pretty simple but with great flavor! It’s definitely on my “have again” list.
Interestingly, I’ve learned that the word “curry” really doesn’t come from any Indian word at all but apparently is the result of misunderstandings by India’s earliest colonizers (the Portuguese). The term was popularized by British colonizers who appeared on the subcontinent much later (i.e., the phrase “have a curry” is popular phrasing referring to Indian food in general in the UK still today). If you’re interested to learn more about this curry confusion (and why wouldn’t you be?), check out this article or just go directly to the podcast audio at this link.
Bheja Fry (Fried goat brain)
And then came the dish I wasn’t prepared for.
This was the last dish brought to the table, and when my hosts described it as “bheja fry,” I asked what that meant. I assumed they were kidding when I heard the response “goat brains” – you know, playing a joke on the gullible foreigner who doesn’t speak Marathi. But no, they were serious (just to confirm, I looked it up on my phone while at the table).
So then I was faced with the decision: to try or not to try? Well, I figured that I had put it out there to the universe that I wanted to try foods eaten by locals, and this is what the universe brought me. 😉 And so I came to (almost) fearlessly try fried goat brains. I’m not going to pretend that I liked it (it was mostly a texture issue–it looked solid inside, but it was mushy like custard), but I’m glad I gave it a try since it’s considered a delicacy here. YOLO!
For the food-curious among us, here’s a recipe you can try. Or better yet, take a look at this video to watch a step-by-step bheja fry cooking demo by an enthusiastic Indian chef! (A word of caution: despite his enthusiasm, I wouldn’t put too much faith in the chef’s claim that you’ll “feel as if you’re eating creamy butter with nice seasoning around it!”)
Interestingly, I learned that “bheja fry” is also used as a slang term to describe a person or a situation so irritating or perplexing that it strains (or “fries”) your brain. Maybe that’s the win from this meal: a useful new addition to my vocabulary. 🙂
Until next time, international food fans!
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