This Keema Matar recipe is a simple Pakistani curry made with ground beef and fresh or frozen green peas simmered in a flavorful sauce for a quick meal!
Keema Matar is as simple as a dish gets. This quick Pakistani curry is made with green peas and ground beef, perfect for any weeknight dinner!
Keema Matar makes weeknight dinners simple.
This recipe is perfect for when you need a quick, nutritious, and comforting meal.
This Keema Matar recipe has a dry stir-fry type consistency (rather than a saucy curry). But you can easily make it saucier if that’s your preference.
It is great eaten on its own with some roti (flatbread) or as a side dish to a simple Daal or Kadhi (Yogurt Curry).
Recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for more easy weeknight curry recipes, here are some of our favorites:
- Karahi Chicken: Chicken in Spicy Tomato Sauce
- Keema Aloo: Ground Beef & Potato Curry
- Palak Chicken: Chicken and Spinach Curry
- Kofta Curry: Pakistani Beef Meatball Curry
Ingredients & Notes
- Keema – or Ground Meat – we used ground beef for this recipe, but you can also substitute with veal, chicken or turkey.
- Green Peas – frozen green peas make this recipe easily accessible, perfect for a weeknight meal.
- Ginger & garlic paste – This is a popular addition to lots of Pakistani and Indian dishes. It is made with equal parts of crushed ginger and crushed garlic. If you opt to make your own, you can make a big batch ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for about two weeks.
- Fried Onions – make your own fried onions, or use store-bought. If using store-bought fried onions, try to use a brand that does not use flour to coat the onions, like the Nawabi brand found on Amazon.
- Tomatoes – use either fresh or canned crushed tomatoes, whichever you have on hand!
- Ground spices – Coriander powder, Cumin powder, Turmeric powder, Red chili powder, homemade Garam masala powder – these ground spices really complement each other in the final dish. These are added right before you leave the curry to simmer. Adding ground spices too early might cause them to burn.
- Whole spices – cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, Bay leaf, black cardamom, cloves – The whole spices are added at the beginning of the recipe so that they get a chance to bloom.
- Green Chilis and Cilantro – the green chilis add heat, and the cilantro adds a fresh garnish at the end.
How to make Keema Matar?
Bloom the spices
In a pan on low to medium heat, add oil and add the whole spices cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorns, bay leaf, and big cardamom cook for a couple of minutes till fragrant.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook for a minute. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if it is starting to burn.
Saute the ground beef and spices
Add keema/ground beef, and using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix the keema/ground beef to ensure no lumps.
Add the powdered spices – turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin, and coriander powder.
Mix well till everything is well incorporated.
Turn the heat up to medium-high.
Add the onions and tomatoes
Add the red onion. Mix well for a couple of minutes.
Add the tomatoes. If using crushed tomatoes, continue to cook for a couple of minutes, mixing constantly. If using chopped tomatoes cover and cook for 5 minutes or so until tomato is softened and well incorporated.
Once all is incorporated, add the frozen peas and cook until they are warm.
Simmer the curry
Add water (1-2 cups), depending on how much gravy you want in the final dish. Add the chopped green chili and mix well.
Cover and simmer the gravy for 5-10 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Garnish and Serve
Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Serve with hot roti/chapati or Tandoori Naan or Vagara (seasoned) rice.
Tips and Serving Suggestions
- The amount of gravy in the curry can be adjusted to your preference, add more water for a curry, and less water for a more stir-fry like dish.
- The ground beef in this recipe can be swapped out for ground chicken, or even ground turkey.
- For a more filling curry, you can add potatoes as well, similar to Keema Aloo.
- This Keema Matar recipe can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
This Keema Matar curry is great for an easy weeknight dinner with some rice and/or roti along with a simple salad. Here are some of our favorites:
- Easy Roti Recipe: How to make soft chapati?
- Bagara Rice with Jeera – Cumin Seasoned Rice Dish
- Homemade Naan / Tandoori Roti: Easy, Fluffy Flatbread
- Raw Mango Salad – Keri Kachumber
If you give this recipe a try, we’d love to see it! Tag us on Instagram @thespicemess
Keema Matar
Ingredients
- ½ pound or approx 250- 300 grams Keema
- 1 cup Green Peas frozen
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 tablespoon Ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon Garlic paste
- 1 cup Fried onion
- 1 Cup Tomato crushed or 2 large Tomato chopped/diced
- 1 tablespoon Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder more if you prefer spicy
- ½ teaspoon homemade Garam masala powder
- Salt as per taste
- 1-2 ” cinnamon stick
- 5-7 black peppercorns
- 1-2 Bay leaf
- 2 -3 big black cardamom
- 3-5 cloves
- 2 green chili chopped optional
- Cilantro for Garnish
Instructions
- In a pan on low to medium heat, add oil and add the whole spices cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorns, bay leaf, and big cardamom cook for a couple of minutes till fragrant.
- Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook for a minute. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if it is starting to burn.
- Add keema/ground beef, and using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix the keema/ground beef to ensure no lumps.
- Add the powdered spices – turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin, and coriander powder.
- Mix well till everything is well incorporated.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high.
- Add the red onion. Mix well for a couple of minutes.
- Add the tomatoes. If using crushed tomatoes, continue to cook for a couple of minutes, mixing constantly. If using chopped tomatoes cover and cook for 5 minutes or so until tomato is softened and well incorporated.
- Once all is incorporated, add the frozen peas and cook until they are warm.
- Add water (1-2 cups), depending on how much gravy you want in the final dish. Add the chopped green chili and mix well.
- Cover and simmer the gravy for 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Garnish with Chopped cilantro.
- Serve with hot roti or naan or vagara rice.