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Keema matar in a carbon steel bowl with spoon closeup from the front.
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5 from 17 votes

restaurant style keema matar

Keema matar is a dish that needs to be on more restaurant menus. It needs to be on your table too!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: keema matar, keema peas, keema with peas
Servings: 2
Calories: 756kcal
Author: romain | glebekitchen

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 1/2 onion - finely minced
  • 2 tsp garlic ginger paste - recipe link below
  • 1/2 tsp kasoor methi - fenugreek leaves
  • 2 tsp Indian restaurant spice mix - recipe link below
  • 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt remember you added salt to the keema already
  • 2 tsp tomato paste with enough water to dilute to the consistency of pasatta
  • 15 oz curry base - recipe link below
  • 1 cup peas fresh or frozen
  • 12 oz pre-cooked keema - recipe link below
  • juice of 1/4 lemon
  • salt to taste - or not
  • a bit of sliced red chili to garnish - optional

Instructions

  • Combine Indian restaurant spice mix, kasoor methi, chili powder and salt in a small bowl.
  • Dilute the tomato paste with enough water to get to the consistency of passata.
  • Heat your frying pan (don't use non-stick) briefly over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp vegetable oil. Use all the oil specified. It's important.
  • When the oil starts to shimmer add the onion and cook until translucent.
  • Stir in the garlic ginger paste. Cook it, stirring constantly, until it stops sputtering.
  • Turn down the heat and add the spice mix. This is the critical step. Stir it constantly for 30 seconds. If it starts to darken lift the pan off the heat. You want the spice mix to cook in the oil but not burn.
  • Turn the heat up to medium high. Add the diluted tomato paste and stir until bubbles form (the oil will likely separate). This takes around 30 seconds to one minute depending on the heat.
  • Add 3 oz of curry base. Stir until bubbles form (little craters really), around 30 seconds. Watch the edges of the pan. The curry can stick here.
  • Now add 6 oz of curry base and stir briefly. Let it cook until the bubbles form again. This takes 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the rest of the curry base and let cook until the bubbles form. Turn the heat down to low and add the pre-cooked keema.
  • Let the curry simmer for about 5 minutes. If it gets too thick add a bit more curry base. Don't add water.
  • Add the peas (thawed if using frozen) and cook another 2-3 minutes to warm the peas through.
  • Stir in the lemon juice, taste and adjust salt and lemon to taste.
  • Garnish with sliced red chili if you like.

Notes

The recipe for curry base is here.
The recipe for indian restaurant spice mix is here
The recipe for garlic ginger paste is here.
The recipe for beef or lamb keema is here.
If you haven't read about Indian restaurant technique yet, do that before you start cooking.
Have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.
If you are making multiple curries, have your curry base warming in a pot on the stove. If you are just making one, microwave it to warm it up right before you start cooking.
Indian restaurants pre-cook their meat so it's ready for service. This recipe assumes the same. To pre-cook chicken, simply simmer it with a bit of curry powder and salt in chicken stock for about 10-15 minutes - until it's barely cooked.
To pre-cook lamb or beef, do the same but plan for 1 to 1/2 hours for lamb and 2 hours or more for beef. You are making stew meat so you are braising until tender. You will need to keep an eye on the level of the stock. For beef use beef stock.

Nutrition

Serving: 2servings | Calories: 756kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 1516mg | Potassium: 931mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1325IU | Vitamin C: 46.9mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 5.2mg