Vermicelli with Minced Meat
I honestly have not had this dish anywhere else other than prepared at home by either my mom or myself. It is very unique and scrumptious in so many ways. A staple on our Eid breakfast table every year, the flavors include lemon, curry leaves and tomatoes. A tangy, yummy, savory and delicious recipe. This is another one of those many dishes that utilizes minced meat. You can prepare the ‘Keema’ a day or two in advance and on Eid morning, this dish can be put together in less than fifteen minutes.
Although for years she used vermicelli in this recipe, my mom recently told me that she discovered a thicker pasta, that she claims is easier to handle, as it can be cooked for a little longer without worrying about overcooking it. I have yet to try that. For me, this vermicelli is how I remember this dish as a child and I don’t want to change it! Yes, you have to be very careful when boiling the strands as they literally need to cook for less than one minute and then immediately strained. Again, attention to detail is very important here.
Vermicelli with Minced Meat
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef 85% Lean
- 2 medium yellow onions *thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 3-4 tomatoes *chopped
- 7-8 curry leaves *Kadi Patha
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 tsp fresh garlic paste
- 1 tsp fresh ginger paste
- 1 tsp roasted coriander powder
- 3/4 tsp roasted cumin powder
- 1 tsp kashmiri lal mirch
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3/4 tsp caraway seeds *Shah Zeera
- 4 cloves
- 3 cardamom pods
- 1 package vermicelli
- 1 bunch coriander leaves *rinsed, stemmed and chopped
Instructions
For the Minced Meat ('Keema')
- Place cooking pot on medium high heat. Add 3 tbsp grapeseed oil and when oil is hot, turn heat to medium and add ginger and garlic paste, stir and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the thinly sliced onions and cook until onions are light brown (approximately 10 minutes). Turn heat to medium low and add the kashmiri lal mirch, turmeric and salt. Stir well to combine and cook for 3-4 minutes (you may add a few drops of water so as not to burn the spice mixture). One spices are aromatic, add the ground beef and mix very well, breaking down the beef and incorporating the spices. Once the meat changes color to a light brown and is properly mixed, turn heat to low, cover with lid and continue to cook for about 20 minutes. Then uncover, add chopped tomatoes, mix well, cover again and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes until oil is released (no more water or moisture remains). Then uncover, turn heat to medium high, add the roasted cumin and coriander powders at this point and mix well. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, add the curry leaves and fresh lemon juice and mix well and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the fresh coriander leaves, mix to combine and turn off heat and let rest.
For the Vermicelli
- Bring 4-5 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tsp Kosher salt, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom pods and caraway seeds. Let boil for 1 more minute. Now add packaged vermicelli and cook for 45 seconds to maximum 1 minute. Please do NOT overcook. You do not want to make the vermicelli mushy. Immediately drain vermicelli and keep in colander with bowl underneath to ensure removal of all excess water. Gently use fork to separate strands. Now add this vermicelli to the minced meat ('Keema') mixture and gently stir to combine all ingredients. You may add 1 tsp additional grapeseed oil if needed at this point. Dish is ready to serve. Nosh Farma'aiye! Enjoy!