Keema Matar

 
 
 
 

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground meat (beef, lamb, venison, any)

  • 1 C. water

  • 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter (swap for veg oil)

  • 1 large onion, finely diced

  • 1 small cinnamon stick

  • 1 star anise pod

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 3 whole cloves

  • salt

  • 4 cloves garlic minced/grated or whole in mortar

  • 1 2 inch knob of ginger minced/grated or sliced in mortar

  • 1 small hot pepper (serrano/jalapeno)

  • 1 Tbsp. fresh ground cumin seed

  • 2 tsp. fresh ground coriander seed

  • 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

  • 1 tsp ground turmeric

  • 1 tsp ground chili, (kashmiri, california, etc)

  • 1 large beefsteak tomato or equivalent crushed tom.

  • 1/2 lb. frozen peas

  • cilantro optional to finish

Process

  1. Combine the meat and water in a bowl and squeeze with your fingers to make a kinda loose meat sludge. Wash your hands and set the meat aside.

  2. Heat butter in a wok or Dutch oven until melted. Add the onion, cinnamon stick, star anise pod, and bay leaves and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until onion is deeply browned, about 10 minutes. (remove whole spices or leave in) Add garlic, ginger, and minced hot pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ground spices and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

  3. Hold the cut-side of one tomato half against the large holes of a box grater with the open palm of your hand against its skin. Grate the tomato directly into the wok, leaving the skin behind (or just add crushed). Stir the wok, then add the meat/water mixture and stir again.

  4. Cook, covered, until the sauce has reduced to a rich gravy, about 12 minutes. Stir in peas and cook for a minute longer, then stir in the cilantro.

 
 
 
Entree, Ground MeatKain Place-Hildesheim1