Lamb Keema with Peas

Ingredients

• 🥩Ground Lamb, preferably lean450 g
• 🧅Yellow Onion, finely diced1
• 🧄Garlic, minced3 clove
• 🫚Ginger (ground)1 tsp
• 🧂Cumin Seeds1 tsp
• 🧂Coriander Seeds, lightly crushed1 tsp
• 🧂Turmeric1 tsp
• 🧂Garam Masala1 tsp
• 🧂Cardamom Pods, lightly crushed2
• 🧂Cinnamon Sticks1
• 🥫Tomato Paste2 tbsp
• 🥫Crushed Tomatoes1 cup
• 🫛Frozen Edamame, thawed1 cup
• 💧Water, hot1 cup
• 🧈Salted Butter2 tbsp
• 🌿Cilantro, chopped2 tbsp
• 🍚Brown Rice, cooked, for serving1 cup

Contains Dairy, Garlic, Onion, Soy. AI-generated, checked against common allergens; always check labels.

Method

1. 1

   Dice the onion

   Finely dice the Yellow Onion on a chopping board into small, even pieces so it softens quickly and disappears into the sauce. Keep the cuts tidy and if any pieces are much larger than the rest, trim them down now; uneven chunks stay crunchy and make the finished keema patchy.

   3 min
2. 2

   Mince the garlic

   Smash and mince the Garlic Cloves on the chopping board until they are finely chopped and slightly pasty, which helps them bloom fast without turning bitter. If the pieces cling to the knife, scrape them back into a pile and chop again so there are no big fragments left to scorch later.

   2 min
3. 3

   Crush the spices

   Lightly crush the Coriander Seeds and Cardamom Pods with the flat of a knife so they split open and release their perfume, then leave the Cumin Seeds whole for the skillet. If a pod is stubborn, press it again rather than chopping hard, because you want fragrance, not shards.

   2 min
4. 4

   Warm the butter

   Set a large skillet over medium heat and let the Salted Butter melt slowly, swirling the skillet so the fat coats the base in a thin glossy layer. It is ready when the butter foams gently and smells nutty-sweet without browning; if it starts to darken fast, lower the heat right away.

   2 min
5. 5

   Soften the onion

   Add the Yellow Onion to the skillet and stir with a wooden spoon so every piece is coated in butter, then cook for about 6 minutes over medium heat until the pieces turn translucent and the edges pick up the faintest gold. If the onion sticks or browns too quickly, lower the heat and add a spoonful of Water to loosen the base.

   6 min
6. 6

   Bloom the spices

   Stir the Garlic Cloves, Ginger (ground), Cumin Seeds, Coriander Seeds, Turmeric, Garam Masala, and Cardamom Pods into the onion and cook for about 1 minute over medium heat, stirring constantly so the spices toast in the fat instead of sticking. The mixture should smell warm, sweet, and deeply fragrant, and the garlic should just lose its raw edge; if it starts to catch, splash in a little Water and keep moving the spoon.

   1 min
7. 7

   Brown the lamb

   Add the Ground Lamb to the skillet and break it up firmly with the wooden spoon, pressing it into the hot base so it sears before you stir too much. Cook for about 7 minutes over medium-high heat until the meat loses its pinkness and starts to pick up deep brown bits; if liquid pools in the skillet, keep cooking and let it evaporate rather than crowding the meat.

   7 min
8. 8

   Add tomato base

   Stir in the Tomato Paste and Crushed Tomatoes, scraping the bottom of the skillet as you go so the browned bits dissolve into the sauce. Cook for about 4 minutes over medium heat until the paste turns brick-red and the tomatoes look thick rather than watery; if the mixture spits, lower the heat slightly and keep stirring.

   4 min
9. 9

   Simmer with peas

   Pour in the Water, add the Frozen Edamame, and tuck in the Cinnamon Stick, then simmer gently over medium-low heat for about 8 minutes, stirring now and then so the sauce does not catch. The keema should turn glossy and thick, with the peas tender and bright green and the cinnamon giving off a warm aroma; if the sauce looks dry before the peas are tender, add a small splash more Water.

   8 min
10. 10

    Finish and rest

    Turn off the heat, pull out the Cinnamon Stick, and let the keema sit in the skillet for about 2 minutes so the sauce settles and the spices round out. Stir through the Fresh Cilantro at the end until it looks bright and wilted in the steam; if the herbs dull too much, they were left in too early.

    2 min
11. 11

    Serve over rice

    Spoon the Brown Rice into bowls and ladle the keema over the top so the sauce settles into the grains rather than sitting beside them. Serve straight away while the rice is fluffy and the keema is glossy and hot; if the rice has clumped, fluff it with a fork before plating so it catches the sauce properly.

    2 min

Nutrition per serving