Keema Matar
Minced lamb with peas in a spiced gravy.
Ingredients
- 500 g Ground lamb
- 150 g Frozen peas
- 2 Onion
- 2 Tomato
- 1 Ginger
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 1 tsp Red chili powder
- 3 tbsp Neutral oil
- 1 tsp Salt
Method
- Grate the onions.
- Heat the oil over medium-high and crackle the cumin seeds until fragrant. Add the grated onion and fry, stirring often, until deep golden.
- While the onion browns, grate the ginger and garlic.
- While the onion browns, grate the tomatoes.
- Stir in the ginger-garlic and cook until the raw smell is gone, then add the grated tomato and chili powder and cook until the oil starts to separate at the edges.
- Add the lamb and salt, breaking it up, and brown it into the masala. Stir in the peas with a splash of water and simmer until thick.
- Stir in the garam masala off the heat.
- Serve with roti or rice.
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About Keema Matar
Keema matar is a North Indian home-kitchen staple: spiced minced meat cooked down with green peas into a thick, dry-ish gravy. This version uses ground lamb, whose richness stands up well to the cumin, garam masala, and chili that flavor it, while frozen peas add pops of sweetness and color. It belongs to the broad family of masala dishes built on the classic base of browned onion, ginger-garlic, and tomato cooked until the oil separates, and it is naturally low in carbs on its own. The result is deeply savory and warmly spiced, with tender crumbles of meat carrying the masala into every forkful.
The key to a good keema is patience with that base: grating the onion so it melts into the fat and browning it deeply, then cooking the tomato and chili until you see oil beading at the edges, which is the signal the masala is properly done. Only then does the lamb go in to brown into the spice rather than boil, and the garam masala is stirred in off the heat to keep its aroma bright. Traditionally keema matar is scooped up with roti, paratha, or pav, or spooned over rice, and any leftovers make an excellent stuffing for toasted sandwiches or samosas. At around thirty-five minutes it is a fast, hearty weeknight main that tastes like it took longer.
Keema Matar: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Keema Matar?
A serving has about 529 calories — 24.6g protein, 16g carbs, 40.8g fat, 4.1g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Keema Matar gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Keema Matar has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How many servings does Keema Matar make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.