Kheema: Indian Ground Beef with Peas

I absolutely LOVE Indian food!!! I'm known to go and eat it by myself on a weekly basis because I'm so addicted to it. My absolute favorite is the Chicken Tikka Masala. Seriously, who can say no to the awesomeness of the spicy, creamy, flavorful sauce with huge chunks of chicken? I've searched high and low for an easy recipe to make at home but haven't had much luck yet. That said, I found an AMAZING recipe for Kheema, which is ground beef cooked in a skillet with a ton of spices. It's absolutely a great meal to make during the week for an easy and delicious meal. This is definitely going in our monthly rotation.

Kheema: Indian Ground Beef with Peas

(Source: Aarti Sequeira)

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (1-inch thumb) fresh ginger, peeled and minced

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon store-bought or homemade garam masala, 

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne, optional

1 pound ground beef

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup shucked fresh English peas or 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

2 teaspoons malt vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus a few extra leaves for garnish

4 chapatis or pitas, warmed

In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden. Add the garlic and ginger, and saute for another minute. Stir in the coriander, paprika, garam masala, cumin and cayenne, if using and cook for 1 minute. Add the beef, breaking up lumps with a spoon, and saute until the meat is no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, 1 cup of water and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in the fresh English peas. Stir well and simmer, partially covered, about 10 minutes or if using frozen peas, add them now, and cook another 5 minutes, partially covered. Stir in the vinegar and chopped cilantro. Garnish with torn cilantro leaves and serve with warm chapatis or pita bread.