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Ground Meat Cooked in a Yogurt and Spinach Sauce- Dahi Keema

dahi-keema

  • 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 3 inch piece of garlic, roughly chopped

Process the onion, garlic and ginger and keep aside.

  • 1 pound ground dark meat turkey- any ground meat will do
  • 2 inch cinnamon stick
  • 1 large black cardamom
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 4 cloves
  • 2 teaspoons black cumin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 1 cup frozen chopped spinach
  • 1 cup whole fat yogurt, or ¾ cup low fat yogurt mixed with ¼ cup half and half
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala for garnish
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro for garnish

In a wide saucepan, heat the olive oil on a medium high heat. Add the cinnamon stick, black cardamom, green cardamoms, cloves and cumin seeds. Saute for 30 seconds or till the spices begin to sizzle.  Add the processed onion mixture and sauté on medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Next, add the turkey meat and press and separate with a spatula making sure the meat is mixed well with the onion mixture.  Cook on a medium high heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the spinach and cook for another 5-6 minutes. Slowly add the yogurt into the hot mixture (a quick addition will result in curdling of the yogurt).  Add the turmeric, coriander powder, cayenne pepper and salt. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Take the lid off and increase the heat to cook the moisture off. Taste for seasonings. Garnish with garam masala and cilantro.

Ground Pork with Cauliflower in Cilantro Sauce (Keema Gobi)

Ground Pork with Cauliflower in Cilantro Sauce

One of our favorites…

Cilantro Sauce

  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ½ yellow onion, chopped

Blend the cilantro, green onions, ginger, garlic and onion in a blender till veggies form a smooth paste. Keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
  • Salt
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil. Add the cumin seeds and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the ground meat and sauté on high heat. Separate the meat while stirring with a wooden spoon- for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cilantro paste and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat. Add the cauliflower, coriander powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Mix well and lower heat to simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and turn the heat up, stirring constantly, cook for another five minutes or till the excess moisture has cooked through. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro.

Turkey Keema with Cauliflower and Dill (Ground Turkey)

This is one of our favorite things to eat – ground meat and cauliflower.. I made this one with lots of dill. It gives the dish an amazing earthy flavor…

  • 3 tablespoons ghee or butter
  • 1 pound dark meat ground turkey
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 inch piece ginger, grated
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 cup full fat yogurt
  • 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat a heavy saucepan with the ghee/butter. Add the ground turkey and sauté on medium high heat while separating the meat with the back of a wooden spoon. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes till the meat is golden brown. Add the onion, ginger and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the yogurt and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt. Mix well and add ½ cup each of the dill and cilantro. Mix well and lower heat to medium, cover with lid and cook for 20 minutes or till meat is cooked through and cauliflower is tender. Take the lid off and increase heat to medium high and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Check for seasonings and garnish with the remaining dill and cilantro.

Keema Mattar (Ground Turkey with Peas)

Keema Mattar This is a very simple, weeknight meal one can whip up in no time. Keema is one of my favorite things to eat and make. Keema is essentially ground meat cooked in spices, onion, ginger and garlic- the rest is up to you. I love pairing the meat with different vegetables to make a great one pot meal. Brown rice or fresh make whole wheat rotis can be served to create and delicious and wholesome meal.

I made this one with peas but I also added a variety of different spices- which are not my usual. I used curry leaves and mustard seeds. The mix of spices gave this dish a fabulous flavor. My daughter loves keema- her favorite is the one I make with cauliflower. She devoured it with two big rotis and a glass of milk….
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Haryali Keema (Ground Turkey) with Green Beans

Haryali Keema with Green Beans With all the abundant vegetables in the farmer’s market, it is hard not to pick up lots and lots of fresh produce with out thinking twice. I bought too many vegetables and didn’t know what I was going to do with them. I had not made keema in a while and already had some ground turkey in the fridge.

Keema is any kind of ground meat cooked with either potatoes or any other kind of vegetables.

I decided to use up my green beans, green onions, dill and cilantro by making a green sauce. I then used the sauce as the base for the keema. I cooked the ground turkey in it with cumin seeds. I then added the chopped green beans and cooked them till they were soft but not mushy. I made sure they retained their color.

As I was cooking, I realized I had a one pot meal in front of me- and how I love coming up with these beauties! I made fresh rotis and it was a perfectly balanced meal that the whole family enjoyed.
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Keema Lasagna

Keema Lasagna1 I made this lasagna for a friend and her kids. I was a bit skeptical since the keema I used in the dish was cooked in Indian spices. Although the meat was not spicy, it did taste different and I wasn’t sure if my friend’s kids would enjoy the flavor.

I decided to make a bechamel sauce- which is essentially the white sauce used in macaroni and cheese. I thought the creaminess of the sauce will off set any ‘strange’ flavors that the meat may have. It is very hard to gauge how kids are going to react to new dishes. I love experimenting on my daughter’s friends- as they taste the dish, their faces say everything.

I also had a fresh made tomato sauce which I used in the lasagna. I used gruyere and parmigiano cheeses to layer between the noodles. Gruyere is one of my favorite cheeses to use in such dishes- it melts beautifully and had a delicious nutty flavor.

It turns out, they all did eat the lasagna. My daughter asked me why it tasted like keema?? I asked her to be quiet and keep eating.

I considered it a success. I thought it was fabulous- I loved the dry spice flavors mixed in with the creamy bechamel sauce and cheese. I made a salad and served some red wine. It was all good.

  • 1 cup prepared keema
  • 2 cups homemade or store bought tomato sauce
  • 3 cups béchamel sauce
  • 1½ cup grated gruyere cheese
  • ½ cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
  • 6 lasagna no-boil lasagna sheets

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the two cheeses and keep aside. Pour 1 cup tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 X 13 lasagna pan. Add three lasagna sheets. Add ½ cup of keema, spreading it evenly. Top it with ½ cup grated cheese and 1 cup béchamel sauce. Add three more lasagna sheets and repeat the process. Top with the last three lasagna sheets. Pour the remaining 1 cup béchamel sauce. Then add the remaining 1 cup tomato sauce. Top with 1 cup grated cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 60-80 minutes or till the noodles are soft and cooked and the cheese is bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Bechamel Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon powdered nutmeg
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary

Heat a pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute and then whisk in milk, Add the thyme and the rosemary. Season with salt and nutmeg. Cook until thickened, about 7-8 minutes, whisking occasionally.

Keema Lasagna