Keema Matar (Mince Meat with Peas)

I like minced meat. In all forms. And that is a fact. So when S told me that she was thinking of minced meat, I told her that I would post a recipe which would knock her socks off. And this one will.
Its simple. Easy. Tasty. What’s not to like about it?

Oh, and it is totally perfect with some bread too. Which was what I ate this with.

Another good news is, this makes a beautiful base for a Ragu sauce, with or without you removing the potatoes. I have often pureed this and combined with some spaghetti, scraping some Parmesan cheese on top.

Multi-tasking is me.

So here’s what you do.

Take 250 grams of minced meat (I used goat meat, but feel free to use pork, lamb, beef, chicken, etc etc). Take the meat and put it in a pressure cooker or pot with 1 chopped onion, 1 big pinch of turmeric, 1 cup of water and 8 cloves of garlic, crushed. Stirring briskly for 2-3 minutes to make sure its mixed well with the water (which would in turn avoid the meat from lumping up together), bring to a boil and then close the pressure cooker lid, bringing it to full steam. If cooking chicken, pressure cook for about 1 whistle. For all the other variations, three whistles should be enough. If you are cooking in a pot or vessel, simmer for 10 minutes for chicken, and 20 minutes for all other meats.

Let the pressure cool down naturally. Remove meat. Set aside. Strain off most of the water from the meat in a cup.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil, and add 1 chopped onion, 8 whole peppercorns, 1 slightly crushed piece of cinnamon and 1 bay leaf. Stir briskly to impart flavors. Add 2 chopped tomatoes, and stir till the onions and tomatoes are soft, about 3-4 minutes. Once the onions and tomatoes are slightly cooked, add the meat. Turn the temperature to high, and break down the meat, searing well. It will take about 10 minutes for the meat to be fully seared. At this point, add 100 grams cubed potatoes (around 1/2-inch cubes), and 1/3rd cup shelled peas. Add the meat stock, slowly, and cover the pan, lowering the temperature to a simmer. Let the potatoes cook and become soft.

Once the potatoes and peas are soft, add 1 tablespoon garam masala powder, 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri (or regular) chilli powder (or hot paprika), 2 chopped green chillies (Thai Bird’s Eye Chillies work well too), 1 teaspoon lemon juice or plain vinegar, and a big pinch of cumin powder. Combine and stir over high heat till most of the water evaporates and the oil starts to separate from the meat.

Remove and serve with lemon slices, chillies and bread, roti or rice.