Keema Matar (Spiced Ground Beef with Green Peas)

Name: Keema Matar (Spiced Ground Beef with Green Peas)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: North Indian
Ingredients: 3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil or ghee; 1 tsp (2 g) cumin seeds; 1 large (1 g) bay leaf; 2 medium (300 g) yellow onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups); 1 tbsp (10 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, finely grated or minced; 2 whole (14 g) green chiles (serrano or Indian), slit lengthwise, seeded for milder heat (optional); 1½ lb (680 g) ground beef, 80/20, at room temperature for 15 minutes, broken into chunks; 3 medium (400 g) ripe tomatoes, finely chopped (about 2 cups); 2 tsp (4 g) ground coriander; ½ tsp (1 g) ground turmeric; 1 tsp (2 g) Kashmiri chili powder or mild chili powder; 1½ tsp (8 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ¼ cup (60 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, whisked smooth, at room temperature; ¾ cup (180 ml) hot water; 1½ cups (210 g) green peas, frozen or fresh; 1½ tsp (3 g) garam masala; 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A classic North Indian skillet curry of ground beef simmered with onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and warm spices, finished with sweet green peas and garam masala. Rich, fragrant and ready in about 45 minutes, it's perfect with rice, naan or roti.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 35 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 1 hr
Makes: About 5 cups (4 servings)

Save to My Kitchen Jump to recipe

Ingredients

4 servings

3 tbsp (45 ml) neutral oil or ghee
1 tsp (2 g) cumin seeds
1 large (1 g) bay leaf
2 medium (300 g) yellow onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 tbsp (10 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
2 whole (14 g) green chiles (serrano or Indian), slit lengthwise, seeded for milder heat (optional)
1½ lb (680 g) ground beef, 80/20, at room temperature for 15 minutes, broken into chunks
3 medium (400 g) ripe tomatoes, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
2 tsp (4 g) ground coriander
½ tsp (1 g) ground turmeric
1 tsp (2 g) Kashmiri chili powder or mild chili powder
1½ tsp (8 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ cup (60 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, whisked smooth, at room temperature
¾ cup (180 ml) hot water
1½ cups (210 g) green peas, frozen or fresh
1½ tsp (3 g) garam masala
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Equipment (5)

12-inch (30 cm) deep skillet or sauté pan with lid
Wooden spoon or sturdy spatula for breaking up the meat
Chef's knife and cutting board
Instant-read thermometer
Box grater or microplane for the ginger and garlic

Steps

Before you start

Use ground beef with about 15–20% fat (80/20 or 85/15); leaner beef turns dry and crumbly.
Chop the onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic before you turn on the heat, because the spices go in quickly once cooking starts.
If using frozen peas, there is no need to thaw them; add them straight from the freezer.
Have a lid ready for the skillet, plus a splash of hot water in case the sauce thickens too much.

1
Bloom whole spices
- Set a 12-inch (30 cm) deep skillet over medium heat and add the oil.
- When it shimmers, add the cumin seeds and bay leaf.
- Stir for 30–45 seconds.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Cumin sizzles, darkens slightly and smells nutty.
Tip: Don't let the cumin turn dark brown or it will taste bitter.
2
Brown the onions
- Add the chopped onions and ½ tsp of the salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or two, for 10–12 minutes until soft, golden and browned at the edges.
- Lower the heat to medium-low if they darken too fast, and add a tablespoon of water if they stick.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Onions are deep golden brown and reduced to about half their volume.
Tip: Well-browned onions give the curry its sweet, deep base; don't rush this step.
3
Add aromatics
- Stir in the grated ginger, garlic and green chiles.
- Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the raw smell fades.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The garlic smells fragrant but hasn't browned.
4
Brown the beef
- Raise the heat to medium-high and add the beef with another ½ tsp salt.
- Break it into small crumbles with a spoon.
- Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains and the moisture released has mostly evaporated and the meat starts to sizzle and brown.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Meat is fully grey-brown with browned bits, and the pan sounds sizzly rather than watery.
Tip: Don't crowd or stir constantly; letting the meat sit a minute between stirs helps it brown.
5
Toast ground spices
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Sprinkle in the coriander, turmeric and chili powder and stir for 30 seconds so the spices coat the meat and toast lightly.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The spices smell toasty and the meat turns a rich orange-red.
Tip: Ground spices scorch quickly; move straight to the next step.
6
Cook the tomatoes
- Add the chopped tomatoes and the remaining ½ tsp salt.
- Cook, stirring and mashing the tomatoes with the back of the spoon, for 6–8 minutes until they break down into a thick paste and oil begins to separate at the edges.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The mixture is jammy, with little pools of oil visible at the edges.
7
Add yogurt
- Turn the heat to low.
- Add the whisked yogurt 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition, then cook for 2 minutes more.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The yogurt is fully blended with no white streaks.
Tip: Adding yogurt gradually over low heat prevents it from curdling.
8
Simmer covered
- Pour in the hot water and stir, scraping up the browned bits.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook 12 minutes, stirring once or twice.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The beef is tender and the sauce has thickened to a moist, scoopable consistency.
Tip: If the pan looks dry, add 2–3 tablespoons hot water.
9
Add peasOven 160°F / 70°C
- Stir in the peas, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
- Uncover and cook 2–3 minutes more, if needed, until the sauce clings to the meat rather than pooling.
- Check that the beef reads at least 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Peas are tender and bright green, and the beef reads 160°F (71°C).
Tip: Overcooked peas turn grey and mushy; don't go longer than 7 minutes.
10
Finish and rest
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Stir in the garam masala and lemon juice and taste, adding salt if needed.
- Turn off the heat and let the keema rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Fold in the cilantro and serve hot.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The keema smells fragrant and tastes balanced, with bright acidity and warm spice.
Tip: Garam masala added at the end keeps its aroma; cooking it longer dulls it.

Good to know

Tips

Brown the onions and beef properly; this is where most of the flavor comes from.
Fresh tomatoes vary in juiciness, so cook them until oil separates before adding liquid.
For a drier, Punjabi-style keema, uncover and cook an extra 3–5 minutes at the end.
Serve with warm naan, roti, or basmati rice and a cooling cucumber raita.

Make ahead

"Keema tastes even better the next day. Cook through step 9, cool, and refrigerate up to 2 days; reheat gently and finish with the garam masala, lemon and cilantro just before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water, stirring occasionally, until steaming hot (165°F/74°C)."

Substitutions

ground beef, 80/20 → ground lamb, goat, or chicken thigh. Lamb is traditional; ground chicken cooks faster, so reduce the covered simmer to 8 minutes and cook to 165°F (74°C).
plain whole-milk yogurt → 2 tbsp tomato paste plus 2 tbsp water. Gives tang for a dairy-free version.
garam masala → ½ tsp ground cumin, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon and a pinch of ground cloves. Approximates the warm spice blend.
ripe tomatoes → 1 can (14 oz/400 g) diced tomatoes, drained. Use when fresh tomatoes are out of season.