Chicken Keema Matar (Mince and Peas)

As a child, memories of eating keema involve one made with ground beef instead of chicken. When mama used to cook keema it used to have potatoes and peas and was in the form of a curry. I loved it! She'd serve it with chapaatis (flat bread) and I would make sure each bite of my chapaati was overfilled with keema. That way it tasted more like keema in my mouth than the chapaati. When I was done I'd even help myself to a few extra spoons of keema that I'd eat without any chapaati. Hey, come on, it was delicious!

When I began cooking I wanted to try keema too but with chicken mince instead of beef. A few other changes I made also included leaving out the potatoes and keeping very little to no curry because that's how mama wanted it. A juicy mouth watering mince recipe really does do wonders for the food menu and this one is simply delicious. After a few simple cooking steps this Chicken Keema turns out very flavorful. The masala (spices) bring out a taste that dances around in your mouth even after you're done eating.

This entry belongs to the 'Chicken and Meats' label

Ingredients:

• Chicken Mince  - 1/2 kg.
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp.
• Yogurt - 1 tbsp.
• Tomato (chopped) - 1/2 large tomato
• Fried Onions - about 1 cup
• Mint Leaves - 4 or 5
• Cilantro Leaves (roughly chopped) - a generous handful
• Caraway Seeds (Kalonji) - 1 tsp.
• All Spice Powder (Garam Masala) - 1 tbsp.
• Coriander Powder (Pissa Dhanya) - 1 tsp.
• Fenugreek Leaves (Kasoori Methi) - 1 tsp.
• Curry Powder - 1/2 tsp.
• Green Chilies - to taste (optional)
• Green Peas - at least 1 cup (I used frozen peas, the quantity can be adjusted to taste)
• Oil

Method:

Marinate the chicken mince with the ginger garlic paste and yogurt and set aside as you prepare the rest.

Heat oil in a pan and add the fried onions and the chopped tomatoes. Saute and let the tomatoes cook until they leave water and become soft and pulpy.

Add the mint leaves and the cilantro and continue cooking for about two more minutes until tomatoes are cooked. Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool down.

When cooled enough transfer the tomato-onion mix to a blender and grind until it becomes a smooth paste. Set aside.

Heat some more oil in the same pan and add the caraway seeds (kalonji). Fry for a minute till they give off an aroma. Then add the chicken mince along with the spices: all spice powder (garam masala), coriander powder (pissa dhanya), fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), and curry powder.

Cook the mince with the spices, breaking into smaller bits using your spoon. Chicken mince tends to clump into large pieces and we prefer a finer ground mince at home. Continue cooking until the mince is sauteed well in all the spices.

Add green chilies to the mince (optional). Also add the ground tomato-onion mixture and continue cooking. If it looks too dry add a little water in which the mince will cook.

Add the green peas and cook until it becomes dry. When the desired curry consistency is reached add a generous handful of cilantro leaves.

Delicious Chicken Keema Matar is ready to be served with steaming hot chapaatis (flat breads) or boiled or seasoned rice. Oh my God have it with parathas and fall in love too! This dish was a hit at my place when I first served it and I've cooked it several times since then. The keema is so tasty I find it hard to stop myself from reaching out for second helpings!

Happy cooking!