Imran's Keema Curry Pasta

Ingredients

• 300 g beef mince (can use lean mince to avoid draining fat)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee
• 1 cinnamon stick (1 inch)
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 white onion (medium, diced)
• 1 tsp garlic and ginger paste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 0.5 tsp garam masala
• 1 green chilli (diced)
• 1 tomato (small, cut into segments)
• 0.5 red bell pepper (diced)
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 220 g pasta (dry weight)
• 250 ml boiling water
• fresh coriander (pinch, chopped)
• red chilli flakes (for garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil or ghee in a pan over high heat.

2. 2

   Add 300g of beef mince to the pan and cook until browned. Once browned, remove the mince from the pan and set aside. If using regular mince, you may choose to drain the excess fat at this stage.

3. 3

   In the same pan, add 1 cinnamon stick, 2 green cardamom pods, and 1 bay leaf. Cook for 30 seconds to allow the spices to bloom in the oil.

4. 4

   Add 1 medium diced white onion and 0.5 tsp of salt. Cook until the onions have softened and started to sweat.

5. 5

   Add 1 tsp of garlic and ginger paste and cook until lightly browned.

6. 6

   Add 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp paprika, 0.5 tsp garam masala, and 1 tsp chilli flakes. Add a splash of water to prevent the spices from burning and cook for 5–10 minutes until fragrant.

7. 7

   Pour in 250ml of boiling water, bring the mixture to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook for 10 minutes.

8. 8

   Add 0.5 diced red bell pepper, 1 diced green chilli, and 1 small tomato cut into segments. Cook until the vegetables have softened.

9. 9

   Return the browned beef mince to the pan. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.

10. 10

    While the sauce simmers, cook 220g of pasta in a separate pot of salted water according to packet instructions. Reserve some of the pasta cooking water before draining.

11. 11

    Stir a pinch of fresh chopped coriander into the keema sauce.

12. 12

    Add the cooked pasta to the sauce. If the mixture is too dry, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to reach your desired consistency.

13. 13

    Finish the dish by garnishing with more fresh coriander and red chilli flakes before serving.

Notes

The author suggests that the keema mince base is very versatile; it can also be served with rice or naan instead of pasta. If you want to skip draining fat, use lean beef mince.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• fusion
• pasta
• keema
• beef
• spicy
• dinner