Turkey Kheema

Kheema is one of our favorite side dish among Non-Veg, Mutton/Goat Kheema being the favorite. Since Mutton/Goat has a lot of fat content I try to make Kheema with Lean Ground Turkey or Soy Granules Kheema. This ground Turkey Kheema is perfect for people who always look out for less fat and cholesterol recipe as the Turkey used here is lean meat which do not have much cholesterol and fat content.. Don't you think lean ground Turkey is a healthy choice over mutton(goat) which has a lot of fat content??? This way you definitely can substitute your diet with healthy non-veg food option without compromising on taste. Next time you find some Lean Ground turkey grab them and try out this recipe. I'm sure you'll make it more often. Enjoy with Roti/Naan/Rice or even Khichdi.We just  love them :-)

Ingredients:-

1. Lean Ground Turkey - 1lbs(~ 500gms)
2. Onion finely chopped - 2 Med Size
3. Jeera/Cumin - 1 tsp
4. Olive Oil/Veg Oil ~ 2 tsp
5. Fresh Ginger-Garlic paste or Ginger-Garlic crushed ~ 1 tbsp
6. Finely chopped Green Chilies ~ 1 tbsp( 3 to 4)
7. Tomatoes - 1 Med Size (optional - I add them)
8. Turmeric powder ~ ¾ tsp 
9. Chilly powder - 1tsp
10. Coriander powder - 1tsp
11. Garam Masala - 1½ to 2 tsp  
12. Salt ~ 1 tsp(check and adjust)
13. Curry leaves a sprig
14. Chopped Coriander leaves ~ 3 tbsp
15. Fresh Lime Juice ~ 1tsp

Preparation Method:-

• In a wide bowl pour water, add ground turkey and gently wash them one or two times. Strain using a colander or muslin cloth or by grabbing with your hands. Set aside to drain off completely. (pls read the note)
• Heat up a pan or kadai, pour oil, add Jeera/Cumin and let it crackle. Reduce the heat to medium.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and saute till raw flavor vanishes just for a minute or two(should not brown ginger-garlic). 
• Add onion, green chilies, few curry leaves, salt and saute well till onion turns light brown.
• Add tomatoes and saute till tomato start to break and start to leave the juice. Sprinkle 1 tbsp coriander leaves and saute again for a minute.
• Add the spice powders, turmeric first, chilly powder, coriander powder and saute well to mix with onion-tomato mix.
• Add the ground turkey and saute well for two-three minutes in high heat. Add 1tsp garam masala powder and saute again for one or two minutes to mix everything. 
• Simmer the heat again to low-medium, cover and cook for another ten minutes.(Dont add any water, Turkey meat will cook in its own water)
• Open the lid and stir well and check for the salt and spice. Sprinkle remaining  ½ tsp garam masala and coriander leaves and saute again for another two-three minutes. If you want it dry saute till all the water is absorbed(I don't make it very dry as my husband like it a bit juicy)
• Switch off the stove and sprinkle more curry leaves. Move to a serving dish. Sprinkle a dash of lime juice when ready to serve. Enjoy with Rice/Roti/Naan

Important Note: Washing meat and poultry is not recommended by USDA, as they can spread bacteria in the raw meat to other foods, utensils and surfaces. But I do wash every meat in and out, which has been a practice and a kind of mind set which makes me feel the meat is clean. I definitely clean the work area and surfaces very well after washing any meat. If you have the practice of using ground turkey and other meats unwashed, opt the 1st step of washing and draining the ground meat :-)

Kheema with Soya Granules and veggies

Soybean chunks and soy granules were not in my favorite list till I discovered some of the masala versions of it. I remember the taste of  Soy chunks in veg-biriyani which we used to have in our childhood, it resembled a lot like mutton/goat. I tried making soybean biriyani once but it didn't turn out that great as I expected and I was a bit disappointed.

On a Friday evening we had a guest and I made soy granules cutlet to be served with tea since it was ezee to prepare just the way it was mentioned in the Nutrela pack. We were enjoying the hot masala tea with cutlet on that cold winter eve and I was talking to this friend of mine. As usual we had many topics to discuss and finally I told her about my soy biriyani experience. She was from Mumbai and she told me the kind of soy recipes her mom use to make especially with the soy granules, veggies and garam masala powder where no body could really figure out it was soy granules. That idea of soya cooking striked my mind and I thought of giving it a try. I named it Soya Kheema because it looks like mutton/chicken kheema when prepared. We really started admiring the taste of Soybean from then. Thanks a lot to my dear friend Shifali for suggesting me an awesome soya cooking. So here comes my recipe of Soya Granules- Veggies Kheema.

Ingredients:-

Soya Granules soaked in boiled water and rinsed well - 2 cups
Chopped Onion- 1 big
ginger,garlic minced or crushed -1 tsp each
green chilly chopped - 4
green pees- 1/2 cup
chopped carrot- 1 big
Broccoli florets chopped - 1/2 cup
Cumin/Jeera- 1tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tp
Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder -1 tsp
Garam masala powder- 2 tsp
Oil- 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves a sprig or more
Chopped coriander leaves - 4 tbsp

Preparation Method:-

Heat up a kadai/frying pan, pour oil, add Cumin/Jeera and stir for a minute till they crackle.
Add minced ginger-garlic and saute for a minute, add green chilly, few curry leaves, onion, salt and saute well till onion turns translucent.
Add all the masala and stir for a while in medium heat. Add in veggies, 2 tbsp coriander leaves and saute till veggies get mixed well with masalas.
Close the pan with a lid and let cook for five minutes in low-med heat till veggies is almost cooked.
Add soya granules at the end(soya will be already cooked when you put it in boiled water) and stir it well to mix with masalas and veggies.
Cook it covered for another five minutes so that masala is evenly spread over soy granules and veggies.  Switch off the stove. Garnish with rest of the chopped coriander leaves and serve it hot with Roti/Naan/Rice..

Nutritional Info:- Soya beans is a good nutritional food for kids and adults. It contains more proteins than milk, egg, wheat and meat. It is low fat, low cholesterol and high protein food. It is a good alternative for mutton/chicken and red meat.