Indian food always seemed so laborious to me and so I would avoid making it. Then one day, I found this recipe and tweaked it to just the way it needed to be, in my opinion. Every bite literally took me back to my childhood, growing up in India.

I had actually forgotten about this recipe until a friend recently asked me for a “good keema recipe”. So this ones for her and for you all to enjoy…

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste
  • 2 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1 tbsp cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • Salt to taste
  • Pinch of turmeric powder
  • 1 lb ground meat (feel free to use any ground meat you prefer for this recipe)
  • 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
  • Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
  • Chopped coriander leaves for garnish
  1. Heat the oil in a deep pan/wok over medium heat.
  2. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and fry for about a minute or until the seeds stop spluttering.
  3. Add the onions and sauté till they turn a pale golden color.
  4. Add the garlic and ginger pastes and fry for a minute to get rid of the “raw” fragrance from them.
  5. Next, add the coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt to taste and sauté, stirring almost continuously, until the oil begins to separate from the masala (the spice and onion mixture). When this happens, you know the spices are cooked to perfection.
  6. Add the ground meat to the mixture and sauté until browned, stirring often to prevent burning (approx 5-7 minutes).*
  7. Add the tomatoes, stir and cook till they are soft.
  8. Turn the fire off, add the lime or lemon juice and stir to mix well.
  9. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

* Note: feel free to add some chopped potatoes or peas once the meat is browned for a more wholesome meal.