Mattar Qeema
Easy minced beef with peas, made using fresh herbs and ginger for a fragrant dish with a clean, light taste.
My aunt lived in a flat above shops and restaurants in an established foodie neighbourhood of Lahore. When I stayed with her, my room was towards the back of the flat, immediately above a restaurant specialising in Lahori BBQ favourites like Tikkas and Kebabs. The smells in my room sometimes made it hard to concentrate on my studies. There were times I felt like eating something delicious, whether I was hungry or not. My go to snack, often to be found in the fridge, was a delicious beef mince dish, called Qeema. My aunt made the best qeema I have had, managing to keep it light and fragrant by using ginger and fresh herbs in large quantities. She seldom used any other vegetables in the mince, which was unusual.
The most common variation of Qeema in Pakistan must be Aloo Qeema, a combination of mince and potatoes that no one can resist. Every household probably has their own recipe for Qeema, but I like it with peas or mattar. It tastes equally good with rice or naan, and pairs well with all kinds of daals and vegetables, making for a very versatile meat main dish. My recipe takes inspiration from my Aunt, using more coriander, mint and ginger than most. The fresh ginger helps to cut through the richness of the red meat, ensuring you don’t end up with the heavy, saucy dish served in some restaurants.
Over a medium flame, heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan and fry the onion, garlic and half the ginger for 5 mins, or till soft and starting to colour.
Add mince and fry on high heat for 5 mins until well browned. Break the mince up with your hands before adding it to the pan as this allows for more even browning. Make sure you break the mince up with the back of the spoon as you are browning as well, not allowing it to form into large clumps.
Add the Laal Spice Blend and salt and fry for 30 seconds, stirring so as not to burn the spices.
Add the tomatoes, cover and let cook for 15 mins on low heat until the mince is cooked through.
15 Minutes
Add the peas and Sona Spice Blend. Replace cover and let cook on low heat for another 10 mins until peas are soft and cooked through.
10 Minutes
Now comes the crucial stage. While the dish is essentially cooked, it has not yet ‘come together’. The technique used to bring it all together is called bhun-na and involves frying it with the lid off at medium high heat, stirring frequently. This should take 5-10 mins depending on the amount of liquid in the dish. You will know this step is complete when the oil begins to separate and the onions and tomatoes have dissolved completely.
Mix in the fresh coriander, mint and remaining ginger off the heat. Cover and let the flavours of the fresh herbs infuse into the meat for 5 minutes.
5 Minutes
Ingredients
Directions
Over a medium flame, heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan and fry the onion, garlic and half the ginger for 5 mins, or till soft and starting to colour.
Add mince and fry on high heat for 5 mins until well browned. Break the mince up with your hands before adding it to the pan as this allows for more even browning. Make sure you break the mince up with the back of the spoon as you are browning as well, not allowing it to form into large clumps.
Add the Laal Spice Blend and salt and fry for 30 seconds, stirring so as not to burn the spices.
Add the tomatoes, cover and let cook for 15 mins on low heat until the mince is cooked through.
15 Minutes
Add the peas and Sona Spice Blend. Replace cover and let cook on low heat for another 10 mins until peas are soft and cooked through.
10 Minutes
Now comes the crucial stage. While the dish is essentially cooked, it has not yet ‘come together’. The technique used to bring it all together is called bhun-na and involves frying it with the lid off at medium high heat, stirring frequently. This should take 5-10 mins depending on the amount of liquid in the dish. You will know this step is complete when the oil begins to separate and the onions and tomatoes have dissolved completely.
Mix in the fresh coriander, mint and remaining ginger off the heat. Cover and let the flavours of the fresh herbs infuse into the meat for 5 minutes.
5 Minutes