Kheema Matar or Keema Matar is a dry curry very cooked in the North of India and accompanied by breads such as chapati, but also plain basmati rice. Kheema means minced meat, we choose mutton or lamb. Matar means peas, it is possible to replace them with potatoes in this case the curry is called Keema Aloo, Aloo being potatoes in Hindi. We can also use the two vegetables to obtain a Keema Matar Aloo.
Keema Matar is a very fragrant Indian dish made with a mixture of ground meat (usually mutton, hence the name keema), spices and green peas. It is a very spicy dish, but you can of course omit the chili peppers.
Keema is a traditional Indian curry that is usually prepared with minced mutton. You will often find it on the menu of Indian restaurants under the name Keema Matar, which means minced meat with peas, or Keema Aloo, which is minced meat with potatoes.
Prepared well, with good quality ingredients and spiced to perfection, Keema is tasty, nutritious and versatile. It is also very quick and easy to prepare, making it a great choice for a midweek meal.
The word Keema comes from the Turkish language and literally means minced meat, although Keema curry is fundamentally an Indian dish. The base mixture is also often used as a filling for samosa and naan.
This dish is easy to make and the ingredients are quite simple to find. The mixture of spices gives a fragrant and very exotic note to this recipe. It is possible to use cardamom and cloves in powder form, especially if you do not like the seeds by crunching them when tasting.
Ingredients
- 750 g minced lamb
- 1 red onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 piece of peeled fresh ginger
- 2 tomatoes
- 70 g tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 pinch of cinnamon
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 5 handfuls of peas
- 200 g yogurt
- Fresh coriander
- Fine salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Method
- Peel and chop the onion. Peel the garlic cloves and press or grate them. Grate the ginger very finely.
- In a casserole dish or sauté pan, brown the onion, garlic and ginger in 2 tablespoons of oil for 8 minutes, covered, over low heat.
- Add the spices and mix well. Brown over medium heat, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. The mixture should be very dry and colored.
- Add 1 glass of water (10 to 12 cl) to cover the garlic, onion and ginger mixture. Cook until there is no more liquid.
- Add the minced meat and brown until it is no longer pink. Add the can of tomatoes, the concentrate, a little water (about 50 ml) and a little salt. Mix, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time.
- Add the peas, a little chopped coriander (keep the rest for serving) and cook for another 5 minutes, uncovered. Add the yogurt, mix and taste. Add more salt if necessary.
- Serve with the remaining chopped coriander and basmati rice.
