Why This Recipe Works

Keema is a rich and savory spiced ground meat dish that's been a staple of South Asian cuisine for centuries, even gracing the tables of the Turkic sultans and Mughal emperors of the 15th and 16th centuries. The addition of potatoes is a popular variation. Whether it's made with ground goat, lamb, beef, or poultry, the meat is broken into small bits and coated with a complexly spiced, velvety sauce that's rich and savory. Our version features a garam masala, or warming spice mix, comprising whole cinnamon and black and green cardamom as well as ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, and Kashmiri chile powder. We bloomed the whole spices early to coax out their oil-soluble compounds. Then we carefully browned red onion to deepen its flavor before spiking the mixture with garlic and ginger pastes. Next we added 90 percent lean ground beef, and when it sizzled and browned, we stirred in the ground spices in the masala. As soon as these were fragrant, in went tomatoes, whole-milk yogurt, and ½-inch pieces of potato. The tomatoes broke down as the keema cooked, and the yogurt added subtle richness. Together they created a clingy sauce that flavored every bite of beef and seeped into the potato.

Before You Begin

Have your ingredients in place before you begin to cook. Look for black and green cardamom pods, Kashmiri chile powder, and 4- to 5-inch long green chiles at Indian or Pakistani markets. If you cannot find Kashmiri chile powder, toast and grind one large guajillo chile and use 2 teaspoons; if a long green chile is unavailable, substitute a serrano. For a milder keema, omit the fresh chile or use only half of it. A rasp-style grater makes quick work of turning the garlic and ginger into pastes. Serve with roti, naan, or basmati rice.

Instructions

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add peppercorns, green and black cardamom pods, and cinnamon stick and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is browned, 7 to 10 minutes.

Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef and salt. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring to break up meat into very small pieces and scraping up any browned bits. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture sizzles and bottom of saucepan appears dry, 7 to 12 minutes longer.

Add coriander, chile powder, turmeric, and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, until spices are well distributed and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes; potato; yogurt; water; and chile, if using, and cook, stirring frequently, until tomatoes release their juice and mixture begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. Adjust heat to maintain gentle simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have broken down, potatoes are tender, and wooden spoon scraped across bottom of saucepan leaves clear trail, 12 to 18 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, remove cinnamon stick and cardamom pods. Transfer to serving bowl, garnish with extra cilantro, and serve.