Nutritionist explains why keema parathas with raw mince meat are never a good idea

Who doesn’t love a stuffed keema paratha? This mouthwatering Mughlai dish is rich and flavourful and even talking about it is making us hungry! The Internet is a wonderful place to learn new variations of recipes and kitchen hacks for an easier culinary experience, but what about adding raw keema inside a paratha? Now, that’s certainly new.

According to digital creator Sumiya Zaka, stuffing a paratha with raw mince meat was a move she learnt from her mother. Taking to Instagram, she shared how “This keeps the meat juicy and ensures a crispy paratha with an even filling.”

However, not everything we see online is the right thing to do and weighing the pros and cons of this trick is what indianexpress.com set out to do.

“Scientific studies suggest that there are not many documented benefits for eating raw meat, be it added in paratha or consumed separately. There can be chances that while cooking parathas as a whole, sometimes the stuffing might not be completely cooked to the point and in this case, the raw meat might not be cooked from every which side,” shared nutrition consultant Vedanti Dave.

“The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) clearly mentions that all foods originating from animals can pose the risk of foodborne illnesses and contain pathogens that can severely damage health as a whole,” said Dave.

She explained that for the most part, all raw meat like any other raw food product can be a source of a lot of foodborne illness-causing microorganisms.

Scientific studies suggest that there are not many documented benefits for eating raw meat, be it added in paratha or consumed separately (Source: Freepik)

“E.coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter are few of the bacteria that have caused most part of foodborne disease outbreaks which can adversely affect the health of person and even cause deaths in severe cases if meat is left uncooked and not stored properly. They can only be killed while cooking,” she added.

According to Dave, bacteria can multiply fast on such food products, and there is always a probability that it can contaminate meat products on any stage from processing to preparation. Hence, it is essential that it is handled in the correct way possible to eliminate most of these risks.

What happens when you consume raw mince meat?

Dave shared that the presence of such disease-causing organisms can cause dramatic GI disturbances mainly symptoms like vomiting or nausea, abdominal cramps and pain, diarrhoea– and sometimes, even fever.

Just to be on safe side, she suggested cooking it properly on the side before adding in the paratha. “On the other hand, one way to also check whether it is cooked or not is to always use a food thermometer,” said Dave.

“While it’s not safe for everyone to consume, people who have compromised immunity with comorbidities should completely avoid having raw meat. Also, elderly, children and pregnant/lactating women should avoid the same,” she added.

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