"Bheja Fry!" If you've once had it, then you're hooked on to it for life. No matter where you are, you will make sure that will find a way to your plate.
For me, with a Mumbaikar for a mom, Bheja Fry(Curried Goat Brains) became a favorite early on. The lipsmacking dish from the so many small eateries all across Mommy's city, was something which we looked forward to, during our vacays. Some claim its an acquired taste, and I would not refute that.
Although Hubby had seen the film and even its sequel, he had never ever tasted the actual dish. So with all my tales about how he had missed out on something so tasty, the man took decided to take matters to his own kitchen. Mumbai was far away, so he picked up Goat Brains from the butcher and decided to re-create it himself.
It was a Friday evening, and refusing an invitation to guzzle up some beer with the boys, the man decided to bring Mumbai home. Baby and Mommy enjoyed some couch time with nursery rhymes blaring on the speaker, while Daddy happily donned the apron.
As the cooking went along, the aroma made me hungrier along the way. Finally it was tasting time and I was bowled over yet again. The man loves his food and loves to cook.And not to forget, he also took some iphone pics along the way !
The curry was just the right color and consistency. It was difficult to resist dunking in freshly made rotis, and polish off the gravy itself. It was a thick gravy as such a dish screams decadence.
The deal with cooking organ meat is that, you need to be very careful, so that neither does it get chewy nor does it disintegrate. And the more you can mask the gamy flavor, the successful you have been in cooking it to perfection. The man did it all with elan. To think he had no taste prelude to cook to, yet he cooked such a tasty plate of Bheja Fry. The brain/bheja itself was velvety soft itself. As you bite into it, you could taste the gravy in it. It was simply Mumbai on a plate.
BHEJA FRY:
Ingredients:
Goat Brain/Bheja: 1 lb: Cleaned and cubed
Onion: 1 large: chopped
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 1/2 tbsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Cloves: 2-3
Cardamom: 2-3
Cinnamon Stick: 1/2 inch
Cumin Seeds: 1tsp
Garam masala powder: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric: 1 tsp
Canola Oil(use mustard oil for a thicker gravy)
Salt to taste
Lemom juice/white vinegar: 1 tbsp
Chicken Stock: 1 cup
Cilantro/Coriander leaves: A bunch: Cleaned and chopped
Fresh green chilies: a few: slit lengthwise
Procedure:
Ask your butcher to clean the goat brain and chop it into medium sized chunks. If they are not cleaned, then soak them in hot water, to reduce some of the gamy flavor while cleaning.
In a non stick pan, add in whole garam masala, whole cumin seeds and let it crackle. Add in the chopped onion,ginger-garlic paste and saute till it starts to change color.
Add in the dry masala, green chilies and lemon juice/white vinegar and saute it for a few minutes.
Add the brain/bheja chunks and cook it covered with the masala for around 5 minutes.Season with salt.
Next add the chicken stock to de-glaze the pan, and let the curry come to a light boil. The gravy should be thick, and almost dry.
Lastly add in the chopped cilantro/coriander and turn off the heat. Check for seasonings.
Serve with some hot rotis and some cool cucumber salad.
Bon Appetit !!
For me, with a Mumbaikar for a mom, Bheja Fry(Curried Goat Brains) became a favorite early on. The lipsmacking dish from the so many small eateries all across Mommy's city, was something which we looked forward to, during our vacays. Some claim its an acquired taste, and I would not refute that.
Although Hubby had seen the film and even its sequel, he had never ever tasted the actual dish. So with all my tales about how he had missed out on something so tasty, the man took decided to take matters to his own kitchen. Mumbai was far away, so he picked up Goat Brains from the butcher and decided to re-create it himself.
It was a Friday evening, and refusing an invitation to guzzle up some beer with the boys, the man decided to bring Mumbai home. Baby and Mommy enjoyed some couch time with nursery rhymes blaring on the speaker, while Daddy happily donned the apron.
As the cooking went along, the aroma made me hungrier along the way. Finally it was tasting time and I was bowled over yet again. The man loves his food and loves to cook.And not to forget, he also took some iphone pics along the way !
The curry was just the right color and consistency. It was difficult to resist dunking in freshly made rotis, and polish off the gravy itself. It was a thick gravy as such a dish screams decadence.
The deal with cooking organ meat is that, you need to be very careful, so that neither does it get chewy nor does it disintegrate. And the more you can mask the gamy flavor, the successful you have been in cooking it to perfection. The man did it all with elan. To think he had no taste prelude to cook to, yet he cooked such a tasty plate of Bheja Fry. The brain/bheja itself was velvety soft itself. As you bite into it, you could taste the gravy in it. It was simply Mumbai on a plate.
BHEJA FRY:
Ingredients:
Goat Brain/Bheja: 1 lb: Cleaned and cubed
Onion: 1 large: chopped
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 1/2 tbsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Cloves: 2-3
Cardamom: 2-3
Cinnamon Stick: 1/2 inch
Cumin Seeds: 1tsp
Garam masala powder: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric: 1 tsp
Canola Oil(use mustard oil for a thicker gravy)
Salt to taste
Lemom juice/white vinegar: 1 tbsp
Chicken Stock: 1 cup
Cilantro/Coriander leaves: A bunch: Cleaned and chopped
Fresh green chilies: a few: slit lengthwise
Procedure:
Ask your butcher to clean the goat brain and chop it into medium sized chunks. If they are not cleaned, then soak them in hot water, to reduce some of the gamy flavor while cleaning.
In a non stick pan, add in whole garam masala, whole cumin seeds and let it crackle. Add in the chopped onion,ginger-garlic paste and saute till it starts to change color.
Add in the dry masala, green chilies and lemon juice/white vinegar and saute it for a few minutes.
Add the brain/bheja chunks and cook it covered with the masala for around 5 minutes.Season with salt.
Next add the chicken stock to de-glaze the pan, and let the curry come to a light boil. The gravy should be thick, and almost dry.
Lastly add in the chopped cilantro/coriander and turn off the heat. Check for seasonings.
Serve with some hot rotis and some cool cucumber salad.
Bon Appetit !!
