Chicken Keema Matar

About this recipe

Keema matar is fast, straightforward, and absolutely delicious—chicken mince and fresh green peas cook in an onion-tomato base, creating a complete meal that comes together in 35 minutes. The mince browns at the start, releasing its flavours into the base, then breaks apart as it simmers, absorbing the spice throughout its whole volume. The peas add sweetness and colour, turning each bite into something interesting. This is the kind of dish that makes people think you've been cooking for hours when you've really just been standing at the stove. The hero ingredients are the chicken mince (which browns first, building deep flavour), the tomatoes (which form the body of the gravy), and the fresh green peas (which add sweetness and texture). Coriander powder and kashmiri chilli powder provide the spice base, while cumin seeds tempered at the start carry the aromatics. This is mild-to-medium spice, approachable, with ginger-garlic paste providing the only sharp note. The technique is all about browning. Heat your oil, crackle your cumin seeds, brown your onions until golden. Add ginger-garlic, then tomatoes with chilli and coriander powder and salt. Cook until the oil separates—this is your flavour base. Then add your mince, breaking it apart with the back of the spatula, and cook hard for 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until all the liquid cooks off and the mince starts to look dry. This browning is where the real flavour lives. Then add your peas with half a cup of water, cover and gently bubble for 8 minutes. Uncover to cook off excess liquid. The final keema should be moist but never wet, with visible chunks of cooked mince throughout. Serve with parathas or pav, with chopped coriander on top. This is excellent for lunch boxes and meal prep—it tastes better on the second day. Store in the fridge for three days.