Keema

Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes Servings: Servings: 5 people Source: Spicecravings.com

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
2 bay leaves (optional- added to enhance flavors)
1 cup onion, finely chopped (about 1 medium onion)
1 serrano chili or jalapeno, seeded and chopped (skip for mild)
1 tablespoon minced ginger or grated (1-inch ginger)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves garlic)
1½ cup tomato, pureed (3 roma tomatoes pureed) or 3-4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound ground meat (chicken/ turkey/ lamb/ beef)
½-¾ cup water to be added in 2 parts
Spices
1 tsp salt (adjust after cooking)
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tsp ground Cumin
1½ tsp Kashmiri red chili powder or ½ teaspoon cayenne (use paprika for mild)
¼ tsp ground cardamom (optional- added to enhance flavors)

For Finishing
1 cup frozen peas thawed while keema is cooking
¼ cup cilantro freshly chopped for garnish

Directions

Turn on the Instant Pot on Sauté and adjust to high. Wait till it displays 'hot'. Add oil, chopped onions, bay leaf and serrano pepper. Sauté for 3 minutes.
Add minced ginger and garlic, stir and cook for another minute.
Add pureed tomato, salt and spices, and sauté for 2 minutes. If adding tomato paste instead, add ¼ cup water to help the paste integrate.
Add ground meat and stir well to break up the meat. When ground meat looks well integrated with the sauce, turn off Saute. Add ¼-½ cup water and deglaze the pot. Scrape off any brown bits stuck at the bottom.
Close and lock the lid. Cook on Manual or Pressure cook for 10 minutes at high pressure (sealing mode). After cooking, release the pressure manually (QR).
Open the lid and turn on Saute. Check for seasoning and add frozen or fresh peas. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the curry reaches your desired consistency and peas cook through. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and enjoy with rice, roti, or naan!
Estimated Time: Prep & Saute: 10 mins, Pressure build-up: 10 mins +/-, Pressure cook: 10 mins, Saute: 3-5 mins, Total time: Around 35 mins

Notes

Ground Meat: Traditionally Keema is made with minced lamb meat. But, Chicken keema or beef keema is a popular choice too. You can make this dish with ground turkey as well. Cooking time remains the same for all.

Tomato: A combination of pureed tomato and tomato paste enhances the taste of this dish. But if you only have one kind on hand, use 1.5 cups of pureed tomato OR 4 tablespoons of tomato paste.

How to Make it Creamy: For a creamy texture and taste, add 2-3 tablespoons of milk and simmer with the peas. Milk adds a subtle richness and cuts through the acidity of the tomatoes, making the curry creamy.

Keema Aloo Variation: Another popular variation of this recipe is Keema Aloo. To make that, skip the peas and add 1 cup peeled and 1-inch cubed gold potatoes along with the meat.

Stove top recipe

Heat a heavy bottom wide sauce pan on medium-high heat. Follow step 1-4 from the Instant Pot instructions above. Add 1½ water and let it come to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover the pot and cook for 10-12 minutes.

Remove the lid, increase heat to Medium-high. Add thawed peas, add ½ cup more water if needed, and cook another 3-5 minutes until the peas cook through and the curry reaches your desired thickness. Turn off the heat. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve with rice or naan!

Nutrition