Keema Matar (Indian Beef with Peas) #EattheWorld

Here we are in November for another installment of our #EattheWorld project, being spearheaded by Evelyne of CulturEatz. Here's her challenge.

In February we kicked off the project with Cuba; in March we celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a tabletop trip to Ireland! Thailand was our April destination. May had us headed to Kenya. You get the idea. Last month Evelyne invited us to a special edition: #EattheWorld for Halloween. What spooky, delicious fun! And, this month, we are continuing our culinary nods to international festivals by posting Indian recipes in honor of Diwali.

Diwali

Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights and is celebrated every autumn in this hemisphere. From my limited research, the festival symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. That is much needed in this day and political climate. So, while I'm always up for learning about different international traditions, this one seemed particularly appropriate. These tea lights actually fulfilled a multitude of things - I lit them around our yurt during the annual Halloween camping trip so the kids knew that we were one of the sites they could trick-or-treat; these were in honor of a grade-school friend who is succumbing to the cancer that's invaded her body; and, as my friend Priya said, it's for Diwali.

The Other Indian Recipes

• Juli of Pandemonium Noshery: Gulab Jamun 
• Evelyne of CulturEatz: Soan Papdi Indian Sweet 
• Loreto and Nicoletta of Sugar Loves Spices: Indian-Inspired Cauliflower Kadhai 
• Syama of Oventales: Almond Puri 
• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Keema Matar 
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm: Samosas
• Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures: Spiced Golden Milk (Turmeric Milk)
• Margaret of Kitchen Frau: Upma, Kerala Style - A Southern Indian Savoury Breakfast Dish

Keema Matar (Indian Beef with Peas)

Indian food is a family favorite. We've made and posted Kheema Aloo, a slightly untraditional Sungta ani Bende Kodi, Shrikhand, Palak Paneer with Homemade Paneer...

...and my Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf is our resident master of Biriyani! So, when we were scheming on what to make - that we haven't made before - I was inspired by the fresh peas that I found at the market. I roped D into shelling them for me and made our own version of Keema Matar, Indian beef with peas. This isn't totally traditional - big surprise there - as we added in some julienned carrots as well.

Ingredients serves 4

• 2 T oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced (approximately 1 C)
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
• 1" knob fresh ginger, grated
• 2 t ground coriander
• 1 t paprika
• 1⁄2 t garam masala (our homemade version)
• 1⁄2 t ground cumin
• pinch cayenne pepper, optional
• 1 lb ground beef (prefer organic, grassfed)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 C water or beef stock
• pinch salt
• 2 C fresh peas, shelled
• 1 C julienned carrots
• 2 t vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
• 1⁄4 C fresh herbs, torn or chopped (I used cilantro)
• steamed rice for serving

Procedure

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the onions and cook until softened and beginning to turn caramel colored. Stir in the garlic and ginger, and cook for another minute. Add in the coriander, paprika, garam masala, cumin, and cayenne, if using. Cook for another minute before adding in the beef,

Brown the meat until fully-cooked, breaking up chunks with a wooden spoon. Add in tomatoes, carrots, and 1 C liquid - either water or beef stock - and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fold in the peas. Stir well and simmer, partially covered, for approximately 8 to 10 minutes. The peas should be cooked but not mushy. Pour in the vinegar and fold in the chopped cilantro. Serve hot with steamed rice.