Make-Ahead Beef Keema with Peas

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A thick, deeply spiced ground beef and pea curry built for the freezer. There's no cream or yogurt to split and no starch to go watery, so it reheats tasting exactly like the day you made it. Freeze flat in portions and you're 15 minutes from dinner with rice or warm naan.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp garlic-ginger paste (or 4 cloves garlic plus 1 tbsp grated ginger)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or mild paprika
• 2 lb ground beef (85% lean)
• 1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 tsp garam masala

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds, then add the onions and cook, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes until deep golden at the edges.
2. Stir in the garlic-ginger paste and cook 1 minute, then add the turmeric, ground coriander and chili powder and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium-high for 8-10 minutes, until no pink remains and the meat starts to catch and brown on the bottom of the pan.
4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt and 1/2 cup water. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the sauce is thick and you see oil pooling at the edges. This long simmer is what keeps it from weeping in the freezer.
5. Stir in the frozen peas and garam masala and simmer 5 minutes more. Taste and add salt if needed. The keema should be moist and scoopable, not soupy.
6. Spread the keema on a rimmed baking sheet to cool to room temperature within 1 hour. Divide into 2-cup portions in zip-top freezer bags, press flat and squeeze out the air, label with the date, and freeze up to 3 months.
7. To reheat: thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm in a skillet over medium-low for 8-10 minutes with 2 tablespoons of water, stirring. From frozen, put the block in a covered saucepan with 1/4 cup water over low heat for 15-18 minutes, breaking it up as it loosens; or microwave at 50% power for 6-8 minutes, stirring twice.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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