Freezer-Batch Keema Matar with Peas

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A big pot of tomato-rich spiced beef mince with sweet peas, built specifically to survive the freezer. There's no cream or yogurt in the base, so it reheats thick and glossy instead of splitting or going watery. Twelve ingredients, one pan, and four weeknight dinners banked. Serve over rice or scooped into warm naan.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 lb ground beef (85% lean)

• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, for 9 to 11 minutes, until soft and deeply golden at the edges.
2. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, then add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until no pink remains and the released liquid has boiled off and the meat begins to sizzle in the fat.
4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, the salt and 1/2 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick and a little oil pools at the surface. Stir in the peas and cook 3 minutes more.
5. Spread the keema in a shallow tray or wide bowl and cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate uncovered until fully cold, about 1 hour. Cooling fast keeps the peas green and stops condensation from watering down the curry.
6. Pack into freezer bags or airtight containers in 2-serving portions, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Press bags flat, seal out the air, label and freeze flat for up to 3 months.
7. To reheat: thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm in a skillet over medium heat with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until steaming hot (165°F/74°C). From frozen, microwave covered on high for 7 to 9 minutes, breaking up and stirring every 3 minutes.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

One-Pot Chicken Creole

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem