‘KEEMA’ – SPICED LAMB MINCE, WITH MINT

‘Keema’ is a beautifully fragrant traditional Punjabi dish; well-balanced and full of spicy flavours, it’s simple to make and can be enjoyed in so many ways.

It can be stuffed into Indian flatbreads, used as a filling for Samosas, or even stuffed and roasted in a capsicum or tomato for a refreshing summer bite, but it’s just as delicious on its own too or served with dollops of Raita.

One of my favourite ways is to munch on this by wrapping it up in a fresh, crispy piece of gem lettuce – a bit like an Indian version of ‘Sang Choi Bau’ – I find the cooling lettuce leaf adds a really refreshing twist to the dish, nomnom!

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized brown onion, chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped

Half a thumb-sized piece of ginger, sliced

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tbsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground birds-eye chilli (or less/more to taste)

2-3 cardamom pods

3-4 cloves

500g good quality lamb mince

Large bunch of mint, chopped (optional, but adds a lovely fragrance and refreshing taste)

1/2 tsp garam masala

Few tbsp of lemon juice

Salt to taste

Method:

1- Blend the onion, garlic and ginger into a smooth paste, then add and stir through the ground spices to form a paste;

2- In a large frying pan, heat some oil and roast the cardamom and cloves until they start to sputter slightly; then add the paste and fry for a few minutes until the paste starts to brown;

3- Add the meat and allow to brown, breaking up the mince as you go until it forms into a crumble-type of consistency and there are no clumps left;

4- Pop on the lid and allow to cook through for about 20 minutes, stirring intermittently;

5- Throw in the chopped mint, or just some coriander if you prefer, then add the garam masala and salt; stir through;

6- Squeeze the lemon juice on top and serve.