Vargr
Vargr
|
Basically, this is curried ground meat with peas added near the end. A very flexible and versatile dish! You can use any sort of preferred ground meat: mutton, lamb, beef, buffalo/bison, turkey, etc. There are even vegetarian versions which substitute grated hard-boiled eggs for the meat. Someone mentioned that this reminded them of a "Indian Chili", and this wuff can see the resemblance.
Very hearty, packed with a huge variety of flavors, great complexity and depth. Vrghr intentionally made this milder than normal, out of respect to the sensitivity of a friend's to "hot and peppery" dishes. But you can very easily heat this up to anything from "noticeably warm" all the way to "5 alarm", and still retain the original character of the dish.
The number of ingredients and steps might seem a bit daunting, and it does use quite a few spices and ingredients. However, it needn't be that hard if you keep a list handy to keep track of all the items added, and treat it as 3 key steps: Heat and "bloom" the initial spices. Make the "saucy part" (the masala). Fry up the meat with the rest.
Vrghr would rate this one as "moderate" complexity, just because there is quite a bit going on.
Note1 - Good spices are key! And some of these might not be available at your local market. Vrghr has had wonderful success with Penzey's Spices on line (https://www.penzeys.com), but there are certainly many other good ones out there.
Note2 - You want your meat to stay "fine grained" when it cooks, and not clump together in large chunks. That is why the meat is mixed with milk (or water) prior to adding it to the skillet. It helps to keep it more "puree style" than big chunks.
Ingredients:
For The Masala (the curry-part)
3 Tbs Oil (or ghee)
2 Bay Leafs
1 Black Cardamom Pod
2 Green Cardamom Pods
2 inches Cinnamon Stick (or ~ 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon)
3-4 whole Cloves (or 1/4 tsp ground clove)
2 tsp Cumin Seeds
Masala stage 2
1 large Onion, grated or chopped fine (Yellow, white, or purple)
2 Jalapeños, minced (optionally cores and seeds removed)
3-4 cloves Garlic, smashed (2-3 tsp minced)
3 tsp chopped fresh Thai Basil
2 inches Ginger Root, pealed and minced
2 tsp Chili Paste (or red chili powder)
1/2 tsp Salt
Masala stage 3
1 can (14 oz) Diced tomatoes (or 2 medium tomatoes, diced)
2 tsp Tomato Paste
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp ground Black Pepper
2 tsp ground Coriander
2 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp ground Fenugreek
1 tsp ground Cumin
For The Meat
1 pound lean Ground Meat (lamb, mutton, beef, bison, etc)
1/2-2/3 C Milk
3-4 Tbs chopped Parsley
To Finish
1/2 - 3/4 C Water
1/2-2/3 C Frozen Peas
~1 tsp Garam Masala powder
Directions:
In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil/ghee. Add the 2 Bay Leafs, Black Cardamom Pod, Green Cardamom Pods, Cinnamon Stick (or ~ 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon), whole Cloves (or 1/4 tsp ground clove), and Cumin Seeds. Stir to coat with oil, and allow to heat to "bloom" spices until fragrant (~1-2 minutes).
Add the Onion, Jalapeños, Garlic, Thai Basil, Ginger Root, Chili Paste (or red chili powder). Stir to coat with the flavored oil/ghee. Sprinkle with ~1/2 tsp Salt.
Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions go through the translucent stage and begin to brown a little (~10-12 minutes or so).
Uncover, and continue to cook to dry the mixture a little, if necessary (~3-4 minutes, as needed). There should be oil, but no water present.
Add the can of Diced tomatoes and Tomato Paste. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp Salt. Stir into the onions and let the tomatoes cook together for about 3-4 minutes.
Add the ground Black Pepper, Coriander, Turmeric, ground Fenugreek, and ground Cumin. Stir into the tomatoes.
Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5-6 minutes, until the tomato mixture darkens somewhat.
Uncover and continue to cook another 2-3 minutes.
Put the ground meat in a medium bowl and pour the milk over it. Mix together with a fork until none of the milk remains visible.
And the ground(minced) meat to the vegetable mixture. Stir thoroughly, until the masala is completely mixed into the meat and the meat basically "vanishes" into the rest.
Add the parsley and stir together.
Cover, and cook the mixture about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is well cooked and oils are appearing when you uncover to stir.
Uncover, and stir it up. Now is the time to determine how much "gravy" (how saucy) you want your Keema. Wuff likes a bit of liquid, especially if serving it with rice. It shouldn't be too dry in any case.
Add the water and stir in. Keep adding and stirring until you get the amount of "gravy" in the meat you wish.
Add the frozen peas and add the Garam Masala powder. Stir to combine. Cover, and cook until the peas are warmed (~ 4-5 minutes)
Uncover, and stir it up one more time. Taste, and adjust for salt and pepper as desired.
Plate, and enjoy with Basmati rice, naan, flat bread, pita, etc.Attachment: vrghr_s_keema_matar.png (Downloaded 4 times)
____________________
We grow not old, so long as we continue to chase our dreams.
|
