Kata Kat
Prepare different organs according to their structure
4 main-course portions
Allow 30 minutes preparation, approximately 115 minutes cooking and 3 minutes nonoverlapping waiting. Open hearts and remove clots, thick vessels and tough connective tissue; cut muscle into 1.5 cm dice. Split kidneys, remove white cores completely and dice 1.5 cm. Keep the two organs separate and prepare two sturdy spatulas for coarse chopping. Cooking ranges are guides: retain the stated doneness checks when your pan, meat age or portion thickness changes. One tablespoon = 15 ml; one teaspoon = 5 ml.
About Kata Kat
Kata kat is made here as a clearly labelled heart-and-kidney tawa version, without brain or chops. The organs are pre-trimmed and the heart receives moist cooking before the final chopping stage. Two sturdy spatulas create a coarse chopped texture on a household griddle; there is no need to imitate hazardous high-speed cleaver work. This is not a generic liver curry.
Kitchen testing has not been documented for this recipe. Cooking times are estimates and vary with the stove, cookware and batch size. Follow the doneness checks in the method.
Make it work for your kitchen
Original quantities serve 4. Cooking times, pan size and frying-oil depth do not scale, cook in extra batches instead.
Before you start
Prepare the batch
Open hearts and remove clots, thick vessels and tough connective tissue; cut muscle into 1.5 cm dice. Split kidneys, remove white cores completely and dice 1.5 cm. Keep the two organs separate and prepare two sturdy spatulas for coarse chopping.
Cut and portion before heatingKeep the work area ready
Measure the centre of the thickest piece, avoiding bone. Set aside a clean serving dish and clean utensils before handling raw protein. Do not return cooked food to the unwashed raw-food plate. Measure spices separately so they can enter the pan at the intended stage rather than burning while you find the next jar.
Food handlingSet up the equipment
Have the following tools ready before starting: Digital scale; 5 ml and 15 ml measures; Separate raw-offal board and sharp knife; Heavy 24 cm casserole with lid for the heart braise; Wide 30 cm metal tawa or heavy skillet suitable for spatula chopping; Two sturdy metal spatulas; Thin-probe food thermometer; Clean bowl for braised heart.
Clean workspaceMeasure the ingredients
Measure the ingredient quantities for your selected servings before applying heat. Keep separately listed groups, such as dough, filling, sauce or garnish, in separate containers; keep any optional additions separate.
Use the ingredient list above
Step-by-step cooking method
1 Source and trim specifically
Open hearts and remove clots, thick vessels and tough connective tissue; cut muscle into 1.5 cm dice. Split kidneys, remove white cores completely and dice 1.5 cm.
2 Source and trim specifically (continued)
Keep the two organs separate and prepare two sturdy spatulas for coarse chopping. Keep offal chilled until needed and clean the board and knife after trimming. Buy from an inspected food supply approved for human consumption; spices and soaking are not methods of making unsuitable organs safe.
3 Braise the heart before making masala
Put the trimmed 1.5 cm heart dice and 400 ml heart-braising water in a covered 24 cm casserole. Simmer gently for 45–75 minutes until the muscle can be bitten easily. Use the 100 ml top-up allowance in 25 ml portions only if needed. Uncover and reduce remaining broth, then transfer tender heart and its cooked juices to a clean bowl. Keep raw kidney separate and chilled during this stage.
4 Cook a complete masala
Heat oil in a broad heavy skillet and cook onion 10–12 minutes until golden. Add 15 g grated ginger and all garlic for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, coriander, cumin, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Cook 8–10 minutes until the tomato moisture reduces into a thick coating. Add 25 ml allowance water if needed to stop spices scorching.
5 Finish heart and kidney on the tawa
After the tomato-onion masala is complete, add the tender braised heart with its reduced juices and the raw 1.5 cm kidney pieces. Cook 8–12 minutes, turning with two sturdy metal spatulas.
6 Finish heart and kidney on the tawa (continued)
Chop coarsely with their edges against a suitable metal griddle, using controlled movements rather than high-speed cleaver blows. Add yogurt, fenugreek, butter and garam masala and cook 3–4 minutes more. Keep the mixture moist enough not to scorch and check kidney centres as described next.
7 Check the kidney pieces
Verify at least 71°C in several of the thickest kidney pieces using a thin probe clear of the hot griddle. If the mixture is already finely chopped, gather a compact mound for the probe and check more than one area. Dark heart colour and browned masala cannot prove that the kidney is fully cooked.
8 Finish and serve
Add green chillies during the last 2 minutes of cooking, then remove from heat and add lemon, fresh coriander and the 5 g ginger julienne. Serve promptly from a clean platter. Do not keep frying liver or kidneys for extra colour after the safe endpoint; prolonged dry heat makes small organ pieces tough.
Chef’s tips
- Open hearts and remove clots, thick vessels and tough connective tissue; cut muscle into 1.5 cm dice. Split kidneys, remove white cores completely and dice 1.5 cm. Keep the two organs separate and prepare two sturdy spatulas for coarse chopping.
- For lower heat use 1 g red chilli and deseed the green chillies. Keep the organ preparation and thermometer endpoint unchanged.
- A 5 ml teaspoon and 15 ml tablespoon are used throughout. Weigh salt where possible because crystal sizes vary. Add any top-up water in the listed small increments and stop once the required texture is reached.
Common mistakes & quick fixes
- Organs become hard and dry
- Complete the tomato masala before adding quick-cooking organs and stop once the largest pieces reach 71°C; where a component needs a preliminary braise, finish that separately.
- Uneven finish between pieces
- Sort by thickness before cooking and check the largest piece separately. Move smaller finished pieces to a clean warm dish while thicker ones finish; do not assume colour alone proves that the centre is cooked.
Variations & serving ideas
A practical adjustment: For lower heat use 1 g red chilli and deseed the green chillies. Keep the organ preparation and thermometer endpoint unchanged.
Perfect result check
| Texture and structure | Complete the tomato masala before adding quick-cooking organs and stop once the largest pieces reach 71°C; where a component needs a preliminary braise, finish that separately. |
|---|---|
| Final seasoning | Taste only after the protein is fully cooked. The named principal ingredient should remain distinct, with no scorched spice bitterness or raw garlic edge. |
Storage & reheating
| Refrigerate | Within 2 hours; use within 48 hours | Divide into shallow portions promptly; refrigerate at 5°C or colder. Do not leave a deep cooking pot on the counter to cool. |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze | Up to 2 months for quality | Pack cooled portions airtight, label and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat one portion once to 74°C throughout; add a small measured splash of water only where a sauce needs loosening. |
Know when to change the heat
| Stage | Heat | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Heart braise | Quiet covered simmer | Heart dice yield readily rather than remaining elastic; top up only as needed. |
| Tawa finish | Medium then medium-low heat | Raw kidney cooks in the already complete masala with tender heart, reaching 71°C before serving. |
Helpful answers before you cook
Does kata kat have to include brain?
Versions differ. This entry explicitly uses heart and kidney, supported by a restaurant-demonstrated version, and does not imply those are the only traditional ingredients.
Does soaking make offal safe?
No. Soaking may change flavour or help trimming but cannot replace inspected sourcing, clean handling and complete cooking.
Can leftovers be reheated?
Yes, cool promptly in shallow portions and reheat once to 74°C. The texture of liver and kidney will become firmer; freshly cooked small batches are preferable.
