I don’t know about you but all I want to do in winter is to hibernate, eat hot comfort food and curl up with a good book. And although most of us make the New Year’s resolution to lose weight, it is kind of hard to achieve our goals when the cold, bleak winter practically demands us to eat those comfort foods. But, making small healthy changes to those foods will allow you to enjoy them and still keep your resolutions intact.
On that note, but certainly not to be mistaken with health food (all those potatoes!), here is a Spiced Potato and Ground Beef with Peas (“Aloo Keema” which literally means Potato Ground Beef) with warm and earthy Indian spices.
You’ll need onion, tomato, ginger and garlic.
And don’t forget the potatoes!
The Spices a.k.a the most important part.
Aloo Keema: Spiced Potato and Ground Beef with Peas
1-2tbsp olive oil
1kg or ½ kg lean ground beef
5–6 medium potatoes, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
3–4 minced or grated garlic cloves
1tsp minced or grated ginger
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp red chili powder
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ cup frozen peas
Handful of cilantro, chopped
2–3 green chilies, julienned, seeds removed (optional)
3 scallions, chopped (optional)
- In a large saucepan on medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add chopped onions and sauté them. As soon as the onions start to turn golden brown, add the tomato and minced ginger and garlic. Let it cook for a minute.
- Add in the ground beef, breaking any chunks, and cook it through. When the ground beef is brown, add in salt, pepper, ground cumin, turmeric, red chili powder and cumin seeds (if using). You should also taste it at this point to see if it requires more heat or salt and adjust the seasoning according to your preference. Add in the cubed potatoes and mix everything together.
- Lower the heat to medium-low. Add in about half a cup of water, cover the pan with a lid and allow it to cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the frozen peas.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, turn the heat off and stir in the cilantro, green chilies (if using) or scallions (if using). Serve with chapati/roti or naan, green chutney, and salad or just enjoy it as is.
That sounds so yummy! I’m definitely going to try it.
that indeed sounds good..i will try it for sure! have loved the other past recipe as well
a southasian dish
))))
Speaking of healthy new recipes. At a warehouse sale I picked up a recipe cookbook by Ian Marber — The ‘food doctor’.
It is a diet plan but I picked it up for some tasty lookng recipes. His ingredient lists include ‘clean foods’ and ‘simple everyday ingredients’. I hate cookbooks that require — low sodium this, and reduced-sugar that. A few main ingredients you would need are stock (veg or chicken), fresh veggies, beans, spices.
If you like simple recipes (and like a variety of beans) pick this up if you see it at any book sales. I got it for $5 in Bradford, ON
I am sorry, you can’t make this with Olive oild.
Why can’t you make it with olive oil?????? Of course you can.
Midnight, can you email me, we switched servers and I dont have your email.
I emailed you, Sally.
i agree, it should be veg. oil
Great to see recipes from around the world! I add chopped Fenugreek leaves (methi), fresh or dried to this recipe and it takes it to a whole new level — mom’s secret.
I love Alu Qeema .… So desi..
will deinitely not get the authentic flavour with olive oil. it has to be vegetable oil
This is amazing… the first Indian dish I tried, and totally made me a convert! It’s good if you add in some cauliflower, too. My recipe might be a bit saucier, it has yogourt in at the end as well. Delicious!
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!!! yummyyy
Looks amazing. Gonna try it to make it next week.
I’ve never heard of half of those spices! (We don’t eat spices here). But that looks good! Think I might try making it — just without the spices.
I switched the ground beef to Veggie Ground, TVP or lentils! Very nice! Thanks for this. Nice to impress friends and family!
Have to possibly agree with the Olive oil verdict, the the taste of the oil might be too overpowering. But I’m a foodie so will definately try a little both ways and then the yougurt way too. Thanks all!
P.S. Jen, the magic is with the blend of spices(Unless you have a sensitive stomach of course). My little sister is the same way,when I go over for a few days and cook for them I have my stash of spices I bring along.
I just tried this dish last night. It’s way better when you use fresh spices so if you have the money.…DO IT. Pretty healthy too.
Wanted to add that I actually buy my Ginger root when they are on the reduction rack in the grocers, clean it up, shred it and freeze it in little quantities. It works great too! You may have to use a little more as it will start loosing it’s potency over time.
Would you believe I even planted it once. It makes a nice tropical houseplant.(It’s ok, my friends tell me I talk too much, sorry)
I’ve made this many times and its very delicious! Be sure to try it
I’ve made this recipe with vegetable oil in the past and I, or anyone else who’s tasted it for that matter, noticed no difference compared to the use of extra virgin olive oil. Anyways, the recipe only calls for a tablespoon or two or it and the small quantity of the oil certainly doesn’t have a chance of overwhelming the other dominant flavors. Just give olive oil a chance!
Anyways, I’m thinking maybe I should try making it with ghee (clarified butter) next time.
i make this recipe all the time and i use mostly olive oil for cooking. For me it tastes the same if cooked in vegetable oil. Also i often used just onion or green bell peppers instead of potato…so yummy.
An Indian recipe with beef??? A little ironic…
looks good! if you add the spices at the same time as onions and oil you’ll get much more flavor and goodness out of them! i always add my chili powder, cumin, curry etc to the sauteeing stage in what i’m cooking to bring all the yummy goodness out of the spices!
This was delicious!! But I would add another tomato next time, a wee bit more spices, too. Definitely a keeper! Thanks!!!! (I used veg. oil)
@Kim: next time I’ll do that! I forgot!
@K,
You do know that India is made up of a multitude of diverse religions? Not all Indians refrain from eating beef — that is a facet of Hinduism, but not all Indians are Hindu…
I made this last night and it was delicious. Thank you for this recipe.
I also used evoo and substituted a med tomato for a handful of cherry tomatoes