Keema Matar (Ground Beef and Peas Curry)
This Pakistani and Indian-style Keema Matar (Ground Beef and Peas Curry) is an easy, one-pot keema recipe that’s deeply flavorful with no whole spices used. This recipe also includes tips on how to make Keema curry with ground chicken.
“My absolute go to recipe! Such an easy and delicious dish that comes together in no time. Thank you for sharing!”
Abs
Growing up, we ate keema almost weekly, with Keema Aloo (Ground beef with potatoes) gracing the table a bit more frequently. Keema didn’t quite cause the anticipation of biryani, but it fell into the welcome dinner category. There’s this inexplicable comfort that comes from a bite of keema. I’m sure there’s a scientific explanation for it.
Ground Beef vs Ground Chicken
Pakistani keema recipes usually use ground beef, but I often make this with chicken keema. Here are the minor differences you’ll notice if you use chicken instead of ground beef:
- This is an obvious one – beef takes longer to cook. I sauté both chicken and beef for the same amount of time. When I cover and cook, my chicken usually takes 10 minutes while my beef takes about 15 minutes to cook.
- I grew up seeing meat being rinsed and I do sometimes give a quick rinse to ground beef. However, I don’t ever rinse ground chicken. Somehow it seems if I rinse it, I’ll completely rid the chicken of any flavor or fat.
- When making it with chicken, I increase the freshly ground black pepper at the end by half a teaspoon. I also add the spices at the end in this recipe because it works really well with chicken, giving it a welcome pungency.
This recipe is similar to my Keema Aloo (Ground beef & Potato) Curry recipe, but it has a few advantages over it:
1 – It doesn’t include any whole spices, so your toddler’s biting into a black peppercorn won’t result in a theatrical dinner-time tantrum (or is that just mine?).
2 – It comes together even quicker because you don’t have to wait for the potatoes to cook.
3 – It’s incredibly versatile. Use it in buns for a burger, bread for a sandwich, as topping for pizza, sauce for pasta, filling for samosas or puff pastry, and pretty much anywhere you’d use ground meat.
4 – It freezes well. Just warm it up on the stovetop with a splash of water.
Helpful Tips
- If using fresh peas instead of frozen, add them at Step 4, before covering to cook the meat.
- You may also add potatoes to this recipe (this is quite common, actually). If using potatoes, add them in with the tomatoes, green chili, and yogurt.
- If you use a food processor to chop the tomatoes like I do, it’ll most likely break them down and release enough water to cook the keema. If you’re using Roma tomatoes or other tomatoes with less water quantity, you may have to add a bit extra water before or during the meat cooking process.
- Sometimes I use a mild, chopped green chili pepper at the end of cooking to add a bit of fierce but tolerable heat at the end. If you don’t have a mild chili pepper, only add it in the beginning as the recipe calls for.
How to Serve Keema Matar
Sometimes we like to serve it with some crunchy vegetables like red onions or cucumber, but it’s so flavorful that it doesn’t really need much enhancement. In terms of pairing, Keema Matar pairs well with just about anything:
- Naan
- Roti or Paratha (mmm!)
- Basmati Rice
- Good old’ sandwich bread
If you try this recipe, please let me know in the comments below and/or tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations. I love hearing from you!
More Keema recipes for you to try:
Aloo Keema (Ground Beef & Potatoes)
Pakistani Beef Kofta Curry (Meatball Curry)
Keema Kareley (Ground Beef & Bitter Melon)
Keema Matar (Ground Beef and Peas Curry)
Ingredients
Curry
- 3 tbsp neutral oil, such as grapeseed or avocado
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 5-6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1- inch piece ginger, crushed
- 1 lb ground beef or chicken
- 1 medium (or 2 small) tomato, finely chopped
- 1-2 green chili peppers (such as a small Serrano or Thai chili), chopped
- 1 tbsp plain whole-milk yogurt
- ¾ tsp mild red chili powder, or to taste
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 1/8 tsp kosher salt, divided, or to taste
After cooking
- 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
- 1 small green chili, chopped – optional
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground coriander (or coriander powder)
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1/2 tsp fresh lemon or lime juice, optional
Instructions
- Heat a medium-sized pan over high heat. Once hot, add the oil, cumin seeds, and onions and sauté until the onions are slightly brown, about 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger, and stir for a minute. Add the ground beef and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until it’s no longer pink and most of the moisture dries up. Use a wooden spatula to break up the meat into small pieces to ensure no lumps.
- Add the tomato, green chili pepper, yogurt, red chili powder, turmeric, and 1 tsp of the salt and continue to cook for 2 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down. You’ll notice the liquid in the mixture is beginning come to a boil.
- Lower the heat to medium, cover and allow it to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring once in between. If you feel that there is not enough moisture and the meat is sticking to the bottom of the pan, add ¼ cup water.
- Uncover, and stir in the peas, more green chili pepper (if using), the remaining 1/8 tsp salt, and 1/2 cup water. Cover again and allow the mixture to cook for about 3 minutes, or until the peas are cooked through.
- Add the remaining spices and cilantro listed under ‘after cooking’ and sauté for another minute or two. Taste and adjust salt and spice. Lower the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and allow the flavors to settle for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, add lemon or lime juice, if desired, and serve hot with any kind of bread or rice.
28 Comments on “Keema Matar (Ground Beef and Peas Curry)”
Great recipe! Is it possible to use garlic ginger paste instead? How much quantity would be best?
Thank you, Zee. Yes, you could use paste. I haven’t tried it myself but I think 1.5 tbsp would be enough for this quantity.
Fantastic and simple to follow along- thanks for the recipe! This will become one of my favorite recipes!
Very happy to hear that, Laura! Thanks so much!
When do you add the crushed cloves? After cooking or before adding tomatoes and other spices?
Hi Shafia, you’ll add the crushed garlic cloves along with the ginger. Sorry for any confusion!
My husband and I made this exactly as the recipe and it came out great. Not too spicy, yet flavourful, and so easy! This is going to become a regular in our house!
Thank you Izzah
You’re welcome, Nabeela! Thanks for sharing your review 🙂
Wow this recipe is AMAZING I only add 2 Bay leaves otherwise I follow your instructions. Definitely I will make this more often. Thank you
Thanks so much, Alba! So happy you liked it!