Slow cooked Lamb Keema Curry
The word "keema" means minced meat and in truly traditional recipes mutton would be used. There are countless variations on the basic keema curry recipe, this one is relatively simple and uses traditional ingredients. Keema curry is not normally seved as a hot curry, it should be on the mild side. You can vary the amount of chillies used to suit your taste buds.
2 tablespoons of tomato concentrate
3 medium sized ripe tomatoes
2 medium onions
4 garlic cloves
150g of peas (defrosted before adding to slow cooker)
80ml / 3fl oz of hot lamb or vegetable stock (1 stock cube)
30g / 1 oz of butter (ghee if you have it)
Quarter teaspoon of ground ginger
Half teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Half teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 and a half teaspoons of garam masala
1 and a half chilies (more if you like a hot curry, less if you prefer it mild)
Quarter teaspoon pepper (normal ground black).
Chop up two (not all three) of the tomatoes into smallish pieces.
Tomatoes and peas are used as is the tradition with Keema curry but additional vegetables can be used with superb results to bulk out the expensive meat. Carrots are well suited to this dish as are French and runner beans.
One particular vegetable which we have have added when cooked Keema Curry previously are new potatoes. Not traditional, but they go extremely well. Three or four new potatoes, quartered and added to the curry at the beginning absorb the flavours superbly. Rather like a side serving of bombay potatoes but added to the main meal.
We cooked this slow cooker recipe in the Tesco 3.5 litre slow cooker and it would be possible to nearly double the amount (just under) in a slow cooker of that size. A 2.4 litre slow cooker would be quite possible to use for this recipe and up to a 5.5 litre one could be used without any ill effects. The overall cooking time we recommend is about 5½ hours but this can easily be extended to 7½ hours using a slow cooker.
Add the butter to a large frying pan on a medium heat and when it is melted add the minced lamb.
Turn the meat in the pan and break it up, frying for about ten minutes until all the meat turns a brown colour.
With the exception of the remaining tomato and peas, add all the ingredients to the slow cooker on a high heat. Stir all the ingredients thoroughly and then replace the lid.
After one hour turn the heat to low and slow cook for 4 hours. When the time comes to cook the rice for the curry, first slice the remaining tomato and add it along with the peas to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker to high whilst the rice is cooking.
STEP 3Taste the curry and add salt if needed. We normally add about a quarter teaspoon of salt at this stage and stir well, you may prefer slightly more or less. Warm the plates and serve the curry on a bed of plain rice. If you have some fresh coriander or parsley then chop it finely and sprinkle over the curry.