Keema (Spiced Ground Meat)
Published March 10, 2020
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
¼ cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
1 red onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 green finger chile (or serrano chile), stem removed
6 Roma tomatoes, quartered
1 pound ground beef (preferably at least 15 percent fat)
½ teaspoon chile powder, such as cayenne
Kosher salt
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
½ cup fresh mint leaves
½ teaspoon garam masala
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
10 grams carbs; 81 milligrams cholesterol; 452 calories; 19 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 37 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 3 grams fiber; 632 milligrams sodium; 21 grams protein; 4 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned and caramelized, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Step 2
Add the garlic, ginger and green chile to a food processor, and pulse until finely chopped. Add the tomatoes, caramelized onions and any oil from the skillet, and process again until finely chopped. Return the mixture to the skillet and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
- Step 3
Stir in the ground beef. Sprinkle with the chile powder and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally to break up any clumps of meat, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the fat has floated up to the surface, about 30 minutes.
- Step 4
Taste and adjust the salt, then stir in half the fresh herbs. Sprinkle with garam masala and remaining herbs and serve.
Private Notes
Comments
Just made this. 4/5 imo. Will make again. Overall this is an excellent introduction to keema and Indian cooking. 1. The onions caramelized way way way quicker than 25-30 minutes. It could be where I live, my stove, my land or a host of different reasons. Either way for me it took about 12 minutes. Just keep an eye on it. 2. Ginger was too strong for me. Next time I’ll put in 1” instead of 2”. 3. Very Silky. Added peas in the end for texture after tasting. It’s a traditional addition anyway.
I'll give this recipe a go as it sounds very tasty. As someone whose family is from India, I grew up eating keema regularly. I'd respectfully point out that in India and in most Indian households (as well as most Indian restaurants), this will not be made with beef but with lamb instead. Lamb gives it a completely different flavour to beef, and I speak as someone who eats both.
Cooking the garlic and ginger a little before blending makes for a more "rounded" flavor. Also speeds things up overall.
Like an Indian mapu tofu, or goulash. I doubled the recipe. Browned the onions first then cooked onions in the beef fat. Delicious.
do you cook the lamb/beef before adding to the tomato onion mixture?
I’ve made this many times without using a food processor, just mincing the spices and quartering the tomatoes and letting them disintegrate. Finally tried it with a food processor and while it saved time I prefer the rough texture