Deccan Meat Burtas
Submitted by angela_7
A traditional Deccan-style bhurta of pounded meat or fish seasoned with mace, cayenne, and lemon, cooked in butter and served on toast. Anglo-Indian comfort food.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
15 minREADY
30 minThis Anglo-Indian classic from the Deccan region is one of those dishes that turns leftover meat into something entirely new.
Cooked beef (or fish) gets pounded with a boiled onion, a pinch of mace, cayenne pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice, then simmered gently in butter until everything melds together.
The result is a savory, spiced spread that sits beautifully on buttered toast or crispy fried bread.
It’s the kind of recipe that’s been passed down through generations of British-Indian households, and for good reason.
Kitchen Tips
- Underdone (medium-rare) beef works best here; it stays tender through the pounding and cooking
- Pound the onion and meat to a coarse paste, not a smooth puree; you want some texture
- Cook low and slow in the butter to let the mace and cayenne bloom
Ingredients
Directions
Pound the onion well.
Next pound the meat or fish (underdone beef is best), add as much pepper as will stand on a silver threepenny piece, the same of mace, the salt and a few drops of lemon juice.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add all the ingredients, and cook very slowly for about ¼ hour.
Serve on buttered toast or fried bread.
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