MA Beef Keema with Peas & Green Garlic Yogurt

What You’ll Use 

Shelled peas or sugar snap peas

Beef keema

Cooked brown rice 

Cilantro 

Green garlic yogurt 

Bring a small pot filled with salted water to a boil. Add the peas and cook until bright green and tender, 2 minutes. Drain the peas. Meanwhile, reheat the keema in the microwave until warmed through, 2 minutes. Reheat the rice in the microwave until steamed through and warm, 1 to 2 minutes. Pick the cilantro leaves and toss the stems. Spoon the rice into bowls, and top with the keema and peas. Dollop with the green garlic yogurt, scatter with the cilantro leaves, and serve warm. 

Step 1

To prep the frittata, preheat the oven to 375°F. Shell the English peas. (Or trim the sugar snap peas, removing the strings, if necessary, and cut the sugar snaps into halves or thirds.) Slice 1 spring onion, reserving the rest for the burgers. Slice the green garlic. Pick half of the mint, toss the stems, and chop the leaves. Crack 8 eggs into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in 1 teaspoon salt and grind with pepper. 

Step 2

In a large cast-iron skillet or ovenproof frying pan over medium heat, warm 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the sliced spring onion and green garlic and sauté until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add half of the baby spinach and the picked mint leaves and stir just until wilted, 1 minute. Stir in half of the peas to coat, reserving the rest for the keema. Transfer the vegetables to the large bowl with the egg mixture and stir to combine. 

Step 3

Return the pan to medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pour in the egg-and-vegetable mixture and cook to let the bottom set, 1 minute. Crumble the chèvre over, sprinkle with salt, and grind with pepper. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until puffed, golden, and just set at the center, 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the pan. Let the frittata cool completely. Cut it into wedges, transfer to a baking dish, cover tightly in foil, and refrigerate.  

Step 4

To prep the keema, chop half of the onion, reserving the rest for another use. Chop 4 or 5 cloves of garlic. Chop about 1 tablespoon ginger. In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons canola oil. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, and ½ teaspoon cayenne, if you want a kick, and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. 

Step 5

Add half of the beef (1 lb), season with 1 teaspoon salt, and cook until browned, stirring occasionally and breaking it up with a spoon, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn down the heat to low, add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and ½ cup water, and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the keema cool, transfer it to an airtight container, and refrigerate. Pour the remaining half of the shelled peas into an airtight container and refrigerate. 

Step 6

To prep the burgers, make a chimichurri: Trim and finely chop 1 spring onion, including the bulb and green. Finely chop 2 cloves of garlic. Pick a small handful of mint leaves, toss the stems, and thinly slice the leaves (you should have about 1 tablespoon). In a small bowl, stir together the finely chopped spring onion, garlic, mint, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. 

Step 7

To make the charred green onions, trim the remaining greens from the spring onions, tossing the bulbs, and cut the greens half crosswise. In a cast-iron skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the greens, season with salt, and cook until soft, brown, and charred in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. You can press down with a spatula to help them char, and stir once or twice. Transfer to a cutting board, let cool briefly, and roughly chop. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. 

Note: The ground beef may arrive frozen for freshness. Store it in the refrigerator to defrost before cooking. If you need to defrost it same day, place the sealed package in a bowl of cold water, and leave the tap running in a thin stream for about 30 minutes.