Keema curry with peas
Browned minced lamb, sweet peas and warming spices in a thick onion-and-tomato sauce, finished with garam masala and fresh coriander. Serve with warm chapatis; allow about an hour, longer if the sauce needs extra reduction.
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Servings
Originally developed for 4 servings.
Ingredient checklist
Method
- No timer needed
Dice the onion, grate the ginger and garlic, and chop the coriander, keeping the 5 g stalks separate from the 10 g finishing coriander. Measure the spices and divide the water and salt as listed. Keep the finishing coriander away from raw lamb and its utensils; wash hands and clean surfaces after handling the meat.
- 05:00
Heat the sauté pan over medium-high heat for about 1½ minutes, then add the oil and 250 g lamb. Spread it out and leave briefly undisturbed to develop browned patches, then break it into small crumbs. Brown for about 5 minutes, allowing released moisture to evaporate, and transfer to the bowl. Repeat with the remaining 250 g lamb, using the fat already in the pan. The lamb will finish cooking in the sauce; continue directly with the recipe.
- No timer needed
If there is a pool of rendered fat, carefully spoon off the excess, leaving about 15 ml in the pan. Lower the heat to medium, add the onion and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and lightly golden. Towards the end, add 15 ml of the measured water and scrape up the browned residue. Lower the heat sooner if it threatens to scorch.
- No timer needed
Add the cumin seeds and stir for 30 seconds. Add the ginger, garlic and 5 g coriander stalks; cook for 1 minute. Stir in the ground coriander, turmeric and chilli powder for about 20 seconds, then immediately add the tomatoes and their juice to stop the spices scorching.
- 15:00
Return the lamb and its juices to the pan. Add the remaining 85 ml water and 3 g salt, breaking up any large clumps. Bring to a bubbling simmer, allowing about 2 minutes, then simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should reduce noticeably and begin to cling to the mince. During the final few minutes of this simmer, put the separate dry frying pan over the chapati packet's recommended heat and preheat it for about 2 minutes, or as directed; reduce the heat if it begins to smoke.
- 05:00
Stir in the frozen peas and keep the curry gently bubbling for 5 minutes, or longer if their packet requires it, until hot and tender. While they cook, warm the chapatis one at a time in the preheated frying pan according to their packet instructions, about 1 minute each, turning as directed. Wrap them in a clean tea towel as they finish. Stir the garam masala into the curry for approximately its final minute.
- No timer needed
Stir the curry and check the centre of the mince mixture with a clean thermometer, keeping the probe clear of the pan base: it must reach 75°C and stay there for 30 seconds. Continue cooking if necessary. The lamb should be tender with no raw clumps. The curry should sit together on a spoon without a watery puddle; if loose, simmer uncovered for another 2–5 minutes, or if dry, add hot water in 15–30 ml additions. Taste and add as much of the reserved 2 g salt as needed. Switch off the heat, fold in 5 g finishing coriander and scatter the remaining 5 g over the bowls. Serve with the warm chapatis.
Chef tips
- Use a wide pan and brown only 250 g lamb at a time. If moisture pools, let it evaporate before expecting browned patches; this may take longer.
- Keep the tomatoes ready before frying the ground spices. Prolonged frying can make the spices bitter.
- A little oil sheen is normal, but spoon off a deep pool of rendered fat before cooking the onion.
- The schedule assumes peas requiring 5 minutes and chapatis requiring approximately 1 minute each, with a 2-minute pan preheat. Follow longer packet instructions and allow extra time where necessary.
- Watery tomatoes may need another 2–5 minutes of uncovered reduction. Loosen a dry or catching sauce with small additions of hot water.
Equipment check
- Heavy-based sauté pan approximately 28 cm wide, with at least 3 litres capacity
- Heatproof bowl for the browned lamb
- Separate frying pan for warming chapatis
- Chopping board and knife
- Fine grater
- Sturdy spoon or spatula
- Measuring jug and kitchen scales
- Digital food thermometer
- Clean tea towel for keeping chapatis warm
Tags
Behind the dish.
Overview
This keema has tender, distinct crumbs of lamb and sweet peas, with a concentrated sauce that coats rather than submerges the meat. Browning the lamb in two batches builds savoury flavour; an uncovered simmer in a wide pan thickens the sauce.
Ingredient notes
Minced lamb with about 15–20% fat gives a rich result; spoon off excess rendered fat before cooking the onion. Leaner mince works but needs watching as the sauce reduces. Ground coriander is a cooking spice here, not a marinade: no advance marinating is needed. Chilli powder varies in strength, so use less if yours is particularly hot.
Choose ready-made chapatis suitable for dry-pan warming in approximately 1 minute each. They usually contain wheat/gluten and may contain milk; check the label, and check spice blends for declared allergens. Tinned tomatoes vary in thickness, so judge the finished sauce by its consistency rather than the clock alone.
Serving & storage
Serve in four bowls with the warm chapatis. Expect approximately 1.1–1.2 kg of curry, depending on evaporation, excluding bread. Cool leftover curry promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or colder. Use within 48 hours or freeze sooner. Thaw frozen portions in the fridge and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout, adding a little water to loosen the sauce. Store leftover chapatis according to their packet instructions.
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