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Scooping up Keema Matar with a piece of naan.

Keema Matar (Ground Beef Curry with Peas)

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This Pakistani and Indian-style Keema Matar (Ground Beef Curry with Peas) 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.
Cuisine Indian, Pakistani
Diet Gluten Free, Halal
Keyword Keema Matar
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 449

Ingredients

Curry

  • 3 tbsp neutral oil such as grapeseed or avocado
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 5-6 garlic cloves crushed or very finely chopped
  • 1- inch piece ginger crushed or very finely chopped
  • 1 lb ground beef See Note 1
  • 1 medium ripe tomato finely chopped - See Note 2
  • 1-2 green chili peppers (such as a small Serrano or Thai chili) chopped
  • 1 tbsp plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1 tsp ground coriander (or coriander powder)
  • 3/4 tsp mild red chili powder or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 1/8 tsp kosher salt or to taste

After cooking

  • 1 cup frozen green peas thawed
  • 1 small mild green chili pepper (such as a Serrano) chopped - optional
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp garam masala start with 1/4 tsp if using store-bought
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves chopped, plus more for garnish
  • 1/2 tsp fresh lemon or lime juice or serve with lemon/lime wedges

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a medium-sized pan over high heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds and onion and sauté until the onions are golden brown, about 8 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and ginger and stir for a minute, until aromatic. Add the ground beef and cook for 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, coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric, and salt and continue to sauté for 2 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down. You’ll notice the liquid in the mixture is beginning to come to a boil. Add 1/4 cup water and allow it to come to a simmer again.
  • Lower the heat to medium, cover and allow it to cook for 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 another 1/4 cup water.
  • Uncover, and stir in the peas, more green chili pepper (if using), and 1/2 cup water. Cover again and allow the mixture to cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the peas are cooked through. (See Note 3)
  • Add the black pepper, garam masala, and cilantro and sauté for another minute or two, until you can see the oil separating from the curry. 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, sprinkle with more cilantro and squeeze in lemon or lime juice. Serve hot with any kind of bread (roti, naan, sliced bread), or rice.

Video

Notes

Note 1: Lean and full-fat (20%) both work, though lean is a bit more dry. Feel free to use ground chicken, lamb, or other ground meat.
Note 2: 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 up to 1/2 cup water before the meat cooking process.
Note 3: Cook time varies depending on how thawed the peas are. If you forgot to thaw as I often do, cook for about 7 minutes. You want them to maintain shape and not entirely shrivel up, but also break easily when pressed between your fingers.

Nutrition

Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 785mg | Potassium: 542mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 765IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 4mg