Keema matar is another Pakistan staple food like aloo gosht and pakora curry. Keema means mince of any meat usually (beef, mutton, lamb, or chicken). It is also spelled as qeema, kheema by some. Matar means green pea. So when cooking mince and peas in Pakistani style tomato and onion gravy, it is called keema matar. In winters, when fresh pea is plenty, it is a must-have in non-veg Punjabi homes. This recipe is very similar to my bhuna keema recipe and aloo keema recipe.
Ground meat: You can make this keema matar with ground lamb or beef. Best tasting keema matar is made with beef mince that has 20% fat. Don’t be scared of fat, the lamb or beef tallow in moderation has a few health benefits too. Read more at Draxe.com.Onions: I fried freshly sliced onion for this recipe. But if you have pre-fried onions in hand, you can use that too. You’ll need about half a cup of fried onions.Tomatoes: I made fresh tomato puree by simply blending tomato with little water. Chopped tomatoes also work well. You can use packed tomato puree or paste as well. The cooking time will reduce.Green Pea: It is always better to use pre-boiled peas for cold storage and non-seasonal peas can take very long to cook in the gravy. I used frozen peas that quickly get tender. You can also add small cubes of potato in mince at this stage to make matar keema with aloo.)Yogurt: Yogurt is that moisture to keema. You can skip it for a dairy-free version.Ginger, chilies, and garlic: Freshly grounded or chopped ginger and garlic is key to best-tasting keema bursting with Indian flavors. Just combine ginger, garlic, and chilies and mince them together in a processor.Red chili flakes: Red chili is a heat factor in the recipe, you can use red chili powder too. Consider skipping if you can handle spicy food.Cumin and coriander: If possible use roasted and grounded cumin and coriander. The flavor is greatly enhanced by roasting.Do this ahead in bulk to reduce cooking time. Just dry roast cumin and coriander separately in a pan on medium heat for a few seconds until fragrant.Then grind it into a fine powder and store it in air-tight jars at room temperature for up to 30 days. You can use this powder in other Indian chicken curries as well. Indian spices: We need turmeric, whole cinnamon, whole black cardamom, cloves, and pepper. You can also sub ground spices for the whole.Garnish: Cilantro and julienne ginger are almost always used to garnish. Lemon is a personal preference, so I’d prefer to serve along.
(You can also use chopped tomatoes in the recipe, I simply blend the tomatoes to get a raw tomato puree. I find tomato puree gives a better texture than chopped tomatoes.) Plain basmati or zeera rice compliment keema matar very well. Usually, in Indian homes, rice, and naan both are served with keema matar. If you are looking for another side to serve along keema matar, any lentil curry would pair well, like this moong/masoor dal. If you try this Pakistani keema matar recipe, I’d LOVE to hear your feedback in the comments. Your 5-ratings motivate me to do my best. Stay connected for more recipes and videos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube.
📖 Recipe
