Aloo Kheema Matar (Lamb Keema)
Aloo Kheema Matar is an easy and delicious comfort dish for one of those days when you need a little pick-me-up. It is a simple Indian-style recipe for potatoes and green peas cooked with minced meat.
Ingredients
Whole Spices
- 3 Cardamom pods
- 2- inch Cinnamon stick
- 4 Cloves
- ½ teaspoon Shahjeera Black cumin seeds, Use normal cumin seeds if you don't have them
Ground Spices
- 1.5 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1.25 teaspoon Red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cardamom Elaichi powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- Salt to taste I used 2 to 2.5 teaspoons of Pink Himalayan Salt
Other Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil Increase the oil slightly if your meat has low fat
- 1 sprig of curry leaves
- 1.5 cup small diced onions
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 3 medium-size potatoes cubed
- 1.5 to 2 cups water
- ½ cup green peas I used frozen peas
- ¼ cup chopped Cilantro
Instructions
How to make Aaloo Keema Matar with Lamb keema
Preparation
- Dice the onions small.
- Wash, peel and cube the potatoes into medium size cubes and keep them in water until ready to use to avoid oxidation and turning brown.
Cooking
- Heat a pan on medium and add oil. When the oil is hot add ½ teaspoon shah jeera, 3 green cardamoms, 2-inch cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, and saute for few seconds to a minute. Then add turmeric powder and curry leaves and let the curry leaves sizzle a little bit.
- Add diced onion and a little salt (around ⅓ teaspoon)to help onions cook faster and saute the onions on medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes until they start turning to a golden brown color.
- Now add 2 teaspoons of ginger and garlic paste and mix well. Saute this for 1 or 2 minutes.
- Next, add 1.5 teaspoons of coriander powder, ½ teaspoon of cumin powder, 1 teaspoon of red chili powder, and mix well. Turn the heat to medium for a couple of mins to saute the ground spices well. TIP: Sauteeing the ground spices with the onions before adding the meat or vegetables helps bring out the best flavors from the spices. DO NOT burn them.
- Now add the lamb kheema (minced Lamb) and a teaspoon of salt and stir well. Keep stirring for the first few minutes to break the lumps as they form. I like to use a silicone spatula to break the lumps as it is easy to press down on the lumps.
- Saute the kheema for around 8 to 9 minutes on medium-high stirring every couple of minutes. This ensures all the kheema is browned evenly.
- Then add the potato cubes and a little salt ( around ½ teaspoon) and mix well. Saute the potatoes COVERED with the kheema for around 5 minutes. Stir in between to avoid burning.
- Once the potatoes start to soften, add around 1.5 cups of water, mix well and cook for another 6 to 7 minutes while stirring in between.
- Then add ½ teaspoon of ground cardamom powder, ½ teaspoon of garam masala powder, and 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri chili powder ( you can skip this and add just the regular hot red chili powder along with the onions. I am adding half regular red chili powder and half Kashmiri chili powder to increase the color of the dish naturally as Kashmiri red chili powder is mild and gives good color). Mix well and cook until the potatoes are almost cooked. Check the seasonings and add any if required.
- Now add ½ cup of green peas, and half of the given cilantro and mix well. Cook UNCOVERED for few minutes until the peas are done. Do not cook for long after adding peas to preserve their color.
- Garnish with the rest of the cilantro and serve hot with Naan, roti, phulka, chapati, or rice.
Notes
- After adding the lamb keema, saute on medium-high and keep on stirring the first few minutes to break the lumps as they form. After that stir every couple of minutes and make sure the lamb mince ( lamb kheema) is browned evenly. This is what gives a nice delicious taste to the kheema.
- Cook COVERED after few minutes of adding the potato cubes to preserve the moisture and keep the aloo kheema curry from drying out.
- Cook UNCOVERED and only for a short time after adding peas to preserve their vibrant green color.
- To know if your aaloo keema Matar is done, check a couple of things, first the oil should be separating out, second, the potatoes and peas should be done and lastly, there should not be any visible water left in the dish but just enough to keep the dish moist and not hard.