Keema (Indian Spiced Beef)
I know I’m late joining the club, but this is the very first Indian recipe I’ve put on my blog and I’m pretty excited about it. I’ve received several requests for Indian dishes, but I’ve always been intimidated by Indian food because it’s not a cuisine I’m too familiar with. Usually I’m pretty willing to be adventurous and try new things in the food world, but as I’m not a big fan of curry (unfortunately, because I’ve tried to make myself like it without success), I’m always worried that if I went to an Indian restaurant I’d have no idea what to order. Luckily, I mentioned this to my sister-in-law and she referred me to a Keema recipe she and my brother love that is Indian and curry-free! I’m also planning to try making Butter Chicken and Tikka Masala at some point, so Indian food-lovers, stay tuned.
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I am happy to say this dish was a total success and I really enjoyed it. It’s extremely quick to whip up (only takes about a half hour) and it’s really versatile. I decided to be traditional and scoop it up with some whole wheat Naan bread, but it would also be good over rice or in lettuce cups for a low carb option (see below). I’d never used Garam Masala before but it’s a blend of spices used in Indian cooking that consists of cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, black pepper and coriander. I wasn’t sure how that would taste since I always think of cinnamon in sweet things but the flavor was fantastic. As soon as you add the spices the smell of cinnamon wafts from the pan, and it pairs really well in a savory way with the ginger, chilies and garlic. I’m usually not a big cheerleader for peas, but they were absolutely perfect in this dish. Little bursts of sweetness amongst the savory beef and juicy tomatoes.
For a low carb option, try eating it in lettuce cups!
If you’re new to Indian food like me I think this is a great recipe to start with, and if you’re already a big fan then I’m sure you’ll love this too!
Keema
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 lb 95% lean ground beef
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon Garam Masala, found by the spices, McCormick makes one
- 1 teaspoon minced green chilies
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 1 lemon, juiced (discard seeds and rind)
Instructions
- Pour the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan and bring over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened and golden. Add the ground beef, salt & pepper and cook, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon until brown and cooked through. Add the garlic, tomatoes, ginger, Garam Masala, and chilies and stir to combine. Cook, stirring regularly, for 3-5 minutes until tomatoes are softened and flavors are combined. Add the peas and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for an additional 6-8 minutes until the peas are softened without being mushy. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from heat. Add more salt to taste if necessary.
Notes
265 calories, 17 g carbs, 7 g sugars, 8 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 29 g protein, 4 g fiber (from myfitnesspal.com) MyWW SmartPoints per (1 cup) serving: (SP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com) Green: 6 SmartPoints/ Blue: 4 SmartPoints/ Purple: 4 SmartPoints Weight Watchers Points Plus:
7 per servings (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)