Keema
Keema is one of my favorite foods. Soon to be one of yours.
This is probably the ultimate one-pot comfort food of my childhood. It even beats mac and cheese, which is saying something because mac and cheese.
Any given Saturday afternoon in the 1990s, you could find my dad making huge messes in the kitchen, staining the countertops and all the wooden spoons in the house with turmeric. Keema was one of the many things that graced the giant pressure cooker (he makes everything in a giant pressure cooker or a giant cast iron skillet... nothing else). I honestly make mine a little differently than he does (sorry, dad), but the basics remain the same. This easy, spiced ground lamb or beef is typically studded with peas and potatoes, and that's how I make it most of the time.
If I'm doing a Whole30, I'll leave out the peas and follow this Palak Keema recipe instead. And if I'm doing the opposite of a Whole30, I'll make Samosa Chaatdish (i.e. Samosa Tater Tot Hotdish)! Yuss.
Keema isn't just common in my dad's pressure cooker, but also across India and Pakistan. Even if you haven't heard of keema (or kheema or khima) before, you may have eaten something like it inside a samosa. (Yeah, it's that stuff! You love that stuff, right?!)
You can eat it straight up or with rice, put an egg on it for a breakfast hash, stuff it into naan or make those samosas we were just talking about. I sometimes make a spicy honey with toasted cumin and chili powder and mint-coriander chutney and serve it as if it was a deconstructed samosa. Just depends on the day.
Keema Recipe
gluten-free recipe (paleo, whole30 with easy omissions)| serves 4+
INGREDIENTS
2 medium yellow onions, minced
ghee or olive oil for frying
1 T jalapeño, seeded and minced (approximately one medium pepper)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 T fresh ginger, minced (or sub 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
1 T garam masala
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 lb. ground beef or lamb
1/2 tsp pepper, to taste
about 1 tsp salt, maybe more to taste
2 medium potatoes, diced into small cubes
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 cup frozen or fresh peas
juice of one lemon
about 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Using a big pan or Dutch oven (or pressure cooker, if you are my dad), fry onions in ghee or oil on medium high heat, stirring frequently until they start to caramelize. Be patient — this can take a little while but it really sets the groundwork for all the layers of flavor.
Clear a little space in the pan, add a little more ghee or oil to that spot if the pan is dry. Throw in the jalapeño, ginger and garlic there and fry for a minute or two until fragrant.
Add the garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric and cinnamon into the pan and stir to coat everything quickly. Add a little extra ghee or oil again if the pan seems dry.
Add the ground meat to the pot and brown thoroughly.
After the meat is browned, add salt and pepper to taste. I usually start with 3/4 tsp and wind up somewhere between 1-1.5 teaspoons. It's okay to be liberal because potatoes love salt.
Add the tomatoes and potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, stirring regularly. About 30 minutes.
Once the potatoes are done, taste and adjust spices, salt and pepper as needed.
Add the lemon juice, peas and half of the cilantro. Cook for another couple of minutes until the peas are tender. They are tiny and don't take long!
Top with the remaining fresh cilantro right before serving.
Notes
TWO WORDS: SAMOSA CHAATDISH.
This recipe was originally published in 2013, but updated (and upgraded) in 2017. It's almost exactly the same, but the old version didn't include peas or potatoes (leave them out if you like!). It also used canned diced tomatoes instead of the fresh Roma tomatoes. It tastes great either way, but I prefer to use fresh tomatoes.
You can sub or add other veggies like spinach for Palak Keema.
If you like your keema spicier, you could substitute a couple of serrano peppers for the jalapeño or add some cayenne pepper to taste.
I make keema often so I started prepping a keema masala (i.e. spice mix). That way, I don't need to pull out multiple jars every time I cook it.
Eat with roasted curry cauliflower or cauliflower rice.
Potato cutlets with keema. We used to make them on my dad's birthday when I was little. It's like a mashed potato pancake, stuffed with keema meat and fried. I promise to cook these someday and then make the Internet a recipe.
Big-Batch Tips
This is a super easy recipe to make in huge batches! I quadrupled this recently for a family Christmas Eve party and made it in two big pots early in the afternoon. When the potatoes were almost done (but not quite), I stopped cooking on the stove and combined both pots into one giant slow cooker and mixed it all up. I kept it on warm for a few hours before dinner (stirring occasionally) and then added the peas about 10-15 minutes before we ate so they didn't get overcooked.
If you want to make a big batch just for yourself, it also keeps really well in freezer bags. I don't like how potatoes freeze in general, so I'd leave those out and add them in when you reheat (or just do without).
Hope you enjoy your pile of meat! If you have any requests for future Indian fare (or anything else), please let me know in the comments!
