Keema Matar (Curried minced meat with fresh peas)

Hope you all had a wonderful Holi celebration this year!

Ours was not that good and both hubby and I laid in bed and watched the festival of fun and frolic around colour go by. Yes both of us were down with Chicken pox after the daughter and thank God the Doctor this morning announced us completely healed. It was a complete nightmare as somehow we were very scared of this contagious disease and sent baba and the sonny boy to My brother's at the earliest possible. Even released the house helps in the fear that they might catch the bug. At the end it was just us managing the house and the little one.

It was painful to say the least. Body ache, fever, pain, medicines and loss of appetite. Am so happy to leave all these nightmares behind.

One of the best suggestions that we got for this sickness is not to eat rice after dark and eat lots of ghee to dry out the blisters from inside. We stocked on lots of neem leaves which helped with the itching. yet I have quite a few marks on the face and body to tell the tale.

On the food front we ate a lot of potato and ghee in the last few days with easily digestible veggies cooked with minimum spices. Not like something I am sharing today. Which is rich and spicy and which I am planning to make soon after the Doctor gives us a go ahead.

Keema Matar is a traditional Indian recipe and variations of it is made in every part of India. Here I have made it with Chicken meat but you can use Turkey or lamb mince as well.

Keema Matar

(serves 2)

Ingredients:

Chicken Keema: 250 gms

Onion: 2 medium (Chopped 3/4 cups)

Ginger paste: 1 tsp(1/2" piece)

Garlic paste: 2 tsp (7-8 cloves)

Tomato: 1 large

Fresh/frozen peas: 1/3 cup

Turmeric

Salt

Chili powder: 2 tsp (Kashmiri chili for colour or other variety if you like heat)

Oil: 3 tbsp

Spice Powder:

Cinnamon: 1/2" piece

Cloves: 3-4 pieces

Green cardamom: 2

Mace: a small piece

Method:

Warm the spices under the powder and roast them on very low heat till they become darker in shade. coarsely pound and keep aside.

Very finely chop the onion and tomato. keep aside.

Heat the oil in a pan and add a pinch of the spice powder. Cook for 10 seconds and then add the onion and saute on medium for 7-8 minutes or till the edges start to turn brown. Now add the ginger garlic paste and salt. Cook on slow till the spice becomes fragrant (5-7 minutes).

Add the chopped tomato, turmeric and chili powder. Mix and cover. Cook till the tomatoes are mushy and cooked through (7-10 minutes). Mix everything together till oil separates at sides.

Now add in the keema and the peas.  Using your spatula break the chicken mince and mix with the spices. Cook on medium high heat as the mince will leave a lot of water. Stir and cook and brown the meat.

Now add 1 cup of warm water, mix and adjust the seasoning . Cover and let it cook on medium heat till the mince is cooked through and the water has thickend to a coating gravy.

Sprinkle the rest of the spice powder and mix.

Serve hot with Roti or Paratha.

I always make some extra to use as stuffing for paratha, samosa or cocktail samosa.

A Homemaker's Notes:
You can also add potatoes to make it more hearty. Cut in cubes or wedges and fry till half cooked. Add to the spices along with keema and cook.