Dum ka Keema

Ingredients

• 600 g beef mince (keema), medium fat
• 150 g plain yogurt, whisked
• 5 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 4 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick, about 5 cm
• 1 bay leaf
• 1½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1½ tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1½ tsp salt, or to taste
• 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
• 4 green chillies, slit lengthwise
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, cut into thin matchsticks
• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the beef mince with the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, ground coriander, turmeric and salt. Work it with your hands until the mince loosens and looks evenly coated. Leave it to marinate while you fry the onions.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and fry, stirring often, until deep golden brown and crisp at the edges. Lift them out with a slotted spoon onto a plate, leaving the oil in the pot.
3. Reheat the oil, then add the cumin seeds, green and black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf. Stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant and the cumin darkens slightly.
4. Add the marinated mince and turn the heat to medium-high. Break up any lumps with the back of your spoon and stir until the meat is no longer pink and the liquid begins to reduce.
5. Add the chopped tomato and cook, stirring often, until it has melted into the meat and the oil separates and shines at the edges. If the mince catches on the base, add a splash of water and scrape it up.
6. Crush half of the fried onions between your fingers and stir them in. Add the green chillies, half of the ginger matchsticks, half of the mint and coriander, the garam masala and lemon juice. The mince should look moist but not runny; if it is dry, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of water.
7. Level the surface and scatter the remaining fried onions, ginger, mint and coriander on top. Cover the pot with foil, press it around the rim, then set the lid on firmly to trap the steam.
8. Cook on the lowest heat (dum) for 25 minutes without opening the pot. Use a heat diffuser or tawa under the pot if the base tends to scorch.
9. Switch off the heat and let the keema rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover, check that the meat is fully cooked through (at least 71°C) and the oil floats on top, then gently fold the topping through and serve hot.

Tips

• Brown the onions patiently to a deep golden colour, not dark brown; over-fried onions turn bitter and spoil the dum.
• Use mince with some fat (about 15 to 20 percent). Very lean mince turns dry in a sealed pot.
• Whisk the yogurt smooth before mixing so it does not split into curds when it hits the hot pan.
• A tight seal is the point of dum. If your lid is loose, put a folded kitchen towel under it or seal the rim with a rope of atta dough.