Day 6: Keema Matar (mince with peas)

This is for 3 people but you can make a large batch and freeze it

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp whole cumin / jeera

3 bay

1 black cardamom

1 small cinnamon stick

Couple of black peppers

Two medium sized onions

Two medium sized tomatoes (chopped into small pieces)

1/2 tbsp of garlic ginger paste

250 g keema / mince (lamb or mutton)

2 green chilies ( optional)

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp chilli powder ( optional)

1/2 tsp haldi / turmeric

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 cup of boiled green peas

1 cup water

Some finely chopped fresh dhaniya/ coriander as garnish

Method

1. Heat oil in a heavy based pot on high heat. Add the cumin, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, whole pepper and black cardamom. Cook for a minute

2. Chop onions into small pieces and add it to the pot

3. Cook and stir until it is brown (make sure it doesn’t get burnt) – approx 7-8 minutes

4. Add ginger garlic paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes

5. Add 250 gm keema / mince and stir and cook it for 7-8 minutes.

6. Add green chilli’s, salt and coriander powder, garam masala, chilli powder, turmeric and cook and mix it well for 5 minutes

7. Push the mince / keema on one side and add the chopped tomatoes. Do not mix it. Reduce heat to medium. Cook the tomatoes for 5 minutes till it softens .Mash it gently with your spatula.

8. Then mix it with the keema and cook further for 5 min.

9. Add 3/4 cup water and once it boils reduce the flame to low heat and cover the pot with a lid

10. Cook for 25 minutes

11. Open the lid , add the peas and stir and add 1/4 cup water and close the lid.

12. Remove lid after 15 min to check if the keema is cooked thoroughly and if it is a bit liquidy, turn flame to high for a a couple of minutes

13. Garnish with freshly chopped dhaniya and enjoy eating with rotis or as my sister likes it , with plain rice and yogurt!