Beef Mince Curry with Peas aka Kheema Mattar Masala

This beef mince curry is an Indian classic made with peas. Very similar to chili with minced meat and beans, but here we use ground beef and frozen peas instead. This simple and easy recipe uses popular curry powder and garam masala available in most supermarkets. This means you do not need a fully stocked Indian Pantry.

One of my absolute favorite things as a kid was minced meat. And my mom never failed to create wonderful Indian, as well as non-Indian dishes for us, such as this minced beef curry.

If you love Indian food, and have been to an Indian restaurant, you probably saw this dish on the menu often under the name Kheema Mattar Masala.  Kheem is minced meat, 'mattar' means green peas, and masala meaning spice. So basically this is minced meat with peas cooked in Indian spices.

About this curry

To make this recipe authentic would mean to add all spices individually. I want to make this recipe accessible to my friends who love Indian food. So, instead of using my Indian spice rack, I chose to use what is most popularly found to everyone in most supermarkets: curry powder and garam masala. Of course, I am using my homemade curry and garam masala.

The recipe is very simple and very easy. The secret to cooking Indian food is to cook the spices well at every stage. Don't make haste. Saute the onions until they are translucent, let ginger and garlic go fragrant. Let the tomatoes become soft, so they disappear in the sauce. Cook the spices until they are fragrant. If you just add ingredients quickly to the pan and cook you will have a curry with color, it will even taste good, but you will lack that depth of flavor, which gets builds at every stage in the cooking process.

Today, am serving it with Indian chapati, and Indian spiced potatoes. But, you can also use naan, turmeric rice, or pilaf, vegetable. When I'm looking for a low carb option, I eat cauliflower rice. My cauliflower rice works great for me in place of steamed rice.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Beef - Ideally, you can use any minced meat. I have tried it with turkey, lamb, and chicken. They all taste delicious but my favorite is still the beef. If you do use chicken I highly recommend using the ground chicken thigh and reduce the cooking time.
• Onion - I use red onion because I like the little sweetness it adds when caramelized. But, you can use any onion and it will taste just fine.
• Ginger/garlic - I highly recommend mincing or grating these as it really blends well in the sauce. Plus, no one likes to bite into a piece of ginger or garlic.
• Paprika - I love adding sweet paprika when I cannot add cayenne or hot paprika because my kids are small. It really gives the curry a nice rich color. If you love spicy food, go ahead and add cayenne or chilly powder and you will love it.
• Fenugreek powder - This is a dried herb with a slightly bitter taste and is not commonly found. Feel free to omit it.
• Curry powder – I used my homemade curry powder as well as garam masala. These can be easily found in most supermarkets these days.

Step by step instructions

Prepare

• Chop onions fine - set aside
• Grate the ginger and mince the garlic - set aside
• Add one cup water to the minced beef - set aside

Saute

• In a pan or cast-iron skillet saute onion in the oil over medium heat for two minutes until translucent.
• Add garlic, ginger and bay leave - Saute another minute or two.
• Add curry powder, paprika, garam masala, fenugreek powder, and tomatoes - saute well for 2 to 3 mins on low until fragrant and the oil separates from the mixture.
• Next, add the beef mince and frozen peas and stir well for 2 to 3 minutes
• Season with salt and pepper
• Add half the fresh herbs and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes on medium-low until you see the oil separates from the mince.
• Lastly, add lemon juice.
• Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Check consistency  - add water if you need more gravy or cook on medium until excess water is evaporated.
• Enjoy!

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Printable Recipe

Indian Beef Mince Curry aka Kheema Mattar Masala

Author: Veena Azmanov

5 from 36 votes

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Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Calories: 108kcal

Adjust Servings Here: 6 servings

Description

This beef mince curry is an Indian classic made with peas. Very similar to a chili with mincemeat and beans but here we use frozen peas instead. This simple, easy and effortless mincemeat recipe is made using popular curry powder and garam masala which means you do not need a full stocked Indian Pantry. 

 

Video

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lb (500 g) Minced beef
• ▢ 1 cup (150 g) Frozen peas
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Cooking oil
• ▢ 1 Red onion chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Garlic minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Ginger grated
• ▢ 1 (1 cups) Tomatoes large, chopped
• ▢ 2 Bay leaves large
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Curry powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Sweet paprika sweet or hot
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Garam masala (my homemade recipe)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Fenugreek powder optional
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
• ▢ 1 cup Cilantro or parsley chopped

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Instructions

Prepare

• Chop onions fine -set aside
• Grate the ginger and mince the garlic - set aside
• Add one cup of water to the minced beef - set aside

Saute

• In a pan or cast-iron skillet saute onion in the oil over medium heat for two minutes until translucent.
• Add garlic, ginger and bay leave - Saute another minute or two.
• Add curry powder, paprika, garam masala, fenugreek powder, and tomatoes - saute well for 2 to 3 mins on low until fragrant and the oil separates from the mixture.
• Next, add the beef mince and frozen peas - stir well for 2 to 3 minutes
• Season with salt and pepper
• Add half the fresh herbs and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes on medium low until you see the oil separates from the mince.
• Lastly, add lemon juice.
• Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Check consistency  - add water if you need more gravy or cook on medium until excess water is evaporated.
• Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 108- kcalCarbohydrates: 3.8- gProtein: 10.8- gFat: 5.8- gSaturated Fat: 1.7- gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4- gMonounsaturated Fat: 0- gTrans Fat: 0.1- gCholesterol: 32- mgSodium: 46- mgPotassium: 0- mgFiber: 1.5- gSugar: 1- gVitamin A: 0- IUVitamin C: 0- mgCalcium: 0- mgIron: 0- mg

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

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