Keema Matar is one of the most popular dishes with ground meat in Indian cuisine. Although it is a common occurrence at most Indian home kitchens, I haven’t quite found it to be a regular at fancy Indian restaurants. Although lamb is often used in this recipe, you can definitely substitute it with lean ground chicken or turkey for a much lighter version.
Ground meat a wonderful way to feed a large crowd on a lower budget, and combined with frozen peas this recipe is a definite winner at any potluck. This dish is best when served with warm rotis or naan, and can be easily frozen for a later use.
When it comes to food, we Indians know how to make a gala of the mere act of eating. But at the same time, we have our home-grown secrets of making a simple “Dal-Chawal” meal seem fit for a King, or Queen of course!
One look at my long list of recipes and you can easily see that many of them are quick and simple for everyday cooking. Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook. Infact, I am known to spend an entire day in the kitchen cooking for parties a day in advance. But on most days, even I just want to take it easy. And those are the days when I fall back on recipes like this one for my Keema Matar – quick and easy to make, and a definite crowd pleaser!
Although I used ground chicken in this Keema Matar recipe, you can definitely substitute it with ground lamb, beef or even pork. For a Vegetarian/Vegan option, used ground soy meat instead.
Serve this with some warm rotis or naan, and a side salad or raita. A perfectly warm and comforting meal that’ll have the entire family asking for more!
Keema Matar (Indian Ground Meat and Peas)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp light cooking oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4-5 green cardamom pods
- 1 whole black cardamom
- 2 medium-sized onions finely chopped
- 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes finely chopped
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
- a handful fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a deep pan and add in the cumin seeds, cinnamon, green and black cardamom. As soon as they begin to sizzle, add in chopped onions, and fry for 3-5 minutes on medium-high heat until it starts to soften and brown along the edges.
- Add in ginger and garlic and sauté for another minute or two until fragrant.
- Mix in the spices, salt and tomato paste, and fry for a couple of minutes to blend well.
- Add in chopped tomatoes, mix well and cook covered for a few minutes until the tomatoes soften and start to pulp.
- Add in the ground meat and give it a stir to mix well. Cook covered on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Mix in the peas and cook covered again for another 5-6 minutes.
- Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve immediately.
Notes
If you enjoyed this Keema Matar (Ground Meat with Peas) recipe, you will surely love my Palak Keema and Keema Pulao recipe as well.
You can find the web story to this Keema Matar recipe here. To watch more of my other recipe web stories, click here.
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Question….with any recipe using green or black cardamom pods, do they get removed, and at what point? I made Keema Matar, for example. It was wonderful and I enjoyed it. I just ate around the pods, but my guys each bit into one and are refusing to eat more. This was our first introduction to Indian cooking and I found it an excellent experience thanks to you!
Hi Rose! We usually just leave it in while serving and just keep it aside on our plates when we come across it. If you’re feeding people who may not be too sure about not biting into any whole spices, then you can simply just remove them before serving – they’ve already done their job during the cooking process! I’m so happy that your experience with Indian cooking was an enjoying one and I do hope you continue to try new recipes. Happy cooking!
Thank you so much!