Good Sunday morning everyone!

We’ve reached Mid-May, the NFL schedule release has happened and we have entered the doldrums of the offseason. Sure, the NBA and NHL playoffs have been moderately entertaining (including 2 NBA game 7s today with that match up between the Wolves and Denver having serious potential) and baseball has been good as far as I’m concerned, but we’re still a long way away from any meaningful football type activities.

Hell, I guess that’s part of the reason why I’M here. Goddamn. That’s a lot of responsibility, man!

I’ll do my best.

We will be breaking out the exotic spice kit again today as we make another culinary venture to Northern India and Pakistan with today’s menu.

We are making Keema Aloo, or as possibly the title of this feature alluded, it can also be called Aloo Keema. “Keema” being the meat part of the equation and “aloo” representing potatoes.

Keema aloo is essentially a curry. It’s got a lovely combination of ground beef and potatoes with a very helpful assist from tomato, serrano pepper, some yogurt and an everlovin’ shitload of spices.

Sure, I get it. Your brain is saying “Beef?” Then it’s saying “India?” It may come as a surprise to you but some folks in India do consume beef. Mostly in the northern region. Traditionally this dish is made with ground lamb but it can indeed be found made with ground beef in India.

Weird!

You can officially relax your sensibilities now

Again the big inspiration for our dish came from the spice kit youngest right gifted me for Christmas, because it contains a bunch of unique spices that I don’t really get a lot of opportunity to fuck around with.

See?

You should be able to recall the use of many of these spices during our lamb qorma episode a few weeks back.

I promise I’m going to find uses for this stuff dammit!

Which led to tons of research, the reading of many, many recipes and subsequently this here menu I’m bringing you today. 

It’s meat and potatoes for Chrissake! I’m pretty sure even I can’t fuck up meat and potatoes.

Let’s do this thing. 

Keema Aloo!

recipe inspiration courtesy teaforturmeric.com

Whole Spices* 

1 2-inch cinnamon stick

1 tsp cumin seeds

3 whole cloves

1/2 tsp coriander seeds, optional

1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns

Aloo Keema

1/3 cup neutral oil like canola

1 large onion, finely chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch piece ginger, minced

1 lb ground beef, 80-20% please

1 large tomato (or 2 small), finely chopped

1-2 Serrano 

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

3/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp red chilli powder – kashmiri was what I had on hand.

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

2 tbsp plain, whole milk yogurt – I used plain Greek yogurt

1 medium to large russet potato, peeled and cubed into 1/2″ cubes

Garnishing
1/8 to 1/4 tsp garam masala

If you’re sitting there thinking “Jesus fuck, yeah right, who has all of that shit in their spice cabinet?” I hear you. If you were to stick with cumin, garam masala and chili powder, maybe a little cayenne as your spices in this dish you could do a reasonable facsimile. I am lucky – or insane –  enough to have all of these on hand.

I know, I know. Sounds like a lot of work for this dish but I’ll walk you through it. Seriously, once you’ve done your mincing, dicing and spice grinding this fucker comes together really fast.

First we will take a quick second to play with our food. It’s OK.

Alright, enough fun for the day. Now chop up those tomatoes and that serrano.

Very good.

 Just line up them spices in play on the fridge next to the stove.

I still think that’s so fucking cool.

*The original recipe said to use whole spices while sautéing the onions which was of course followed by many reviewers who said they didn’t enjoy chomping into whole cloves and coriander seeds. I split the difference and went ahead and ground those in my spice grinder.

Dude! This smells fucking incredible!

Of course since we are dabbling in Pakistani/Indian cuisine again I decided to make naan as a side dish. Again. Recipe here.

Mix the dough.

After kneading for 10 minutes we have our dough ball. Into a lightly oiled large bowl it will go. Cover it with a clean towel.

After letting the dough rise for an hour we shape into 8 smaller dough balls and cover again.

These will rise for another hour and then they are ready to cook. We’ll get back to that in a bit.

Lots of spices today. In addition to our “whole” spices which we ground there are additional “ground” spices. Let’s gather them together now.

Turmeric and Kashmiri chili powder to start.

Gather the rest and mix. Remember, these are the spices that go in the keema NOT the whole, now ground, spices which are cooked with the onion that starts this dish.

This dish works easiest when you pre-chop everything. Your tomatoes and chili, the onion, the ginger and garlic and the potatoes. Shit comes together fast so do the prep work first.

Cube the potatoes and soak in water to prevent them from going brown.

Start the dish by browning the onion with the “Whole” spices in the oil. Well shit. I left the cinnamon whole! 

After 8-10 minutes they should get nice and golden.

This smells insane by the way. Open your windows! Piss of your neighbors! It’s fun!

Add the ginger and the garlic and cook for about a minute until you’re drooling like Pavlov’s dog.

Next we add the ground beef.

Cook and stir for a few minutes to just lightly brown the beef. Do NOT drain the fat. Which is just fucking awesome by the way.

Next we add the tomatoes, serrano and the plain yogurt along with the other spices.

Then cook for about 5 minutes.

You are going to be in olfactory fucking nirvana making this fucker.

Next we add the potatoes.

Slap a lid on here, reduce the flame to medium-low and set a timer for 23 minutes.

Yes! Twenty three, I said!

Now we can finish cooking the naan while the keema aloo is simmering.

Heat up your cast iron skillet, add a bit of oil and get busy.

Don’t you folks know this fucking drill already? 

I thought so.

And cook until all are done. I only cooked four pieces of the naan today which means? I have 4 naan balls in the freezer for future use! Oh fucking hell yes I do.

This naan shit is getting epic by the way. Keep doing them reps and it just gets better each time. The texture of the naan was perfect. Had that tiny little crisp edge thing and a fluffy interior. Hot damn! We’re seeing real improvement here folks.

The keema is ready.

Feel free to chuck that cinnamon stick now.

Stir in the garam masala at this point. Think I used about a teaspoon in this.

You could go for the full on starch explosion here and serve this with rice but I just served with a side of some hummus and the naan.

And here’s a lovely close up.

This is absolutely delicious. It had every single goddamn taste bud just a dancin’ and a singin’ and in my mouth.

It is wonderful. Fuck yes. It’s got everything. It’s hearty, satisfying, a little exotic. It has a lovely light bit of heat from the serranos and the kashmiri pepper but it is by no means “hot.”

This is the best meat and potato dish I’ve ever had.

AND it has earned a spot in the regular dinner rotation.

Use your naan, rip off a piece and just grab a big wad of the keema aloo with your hand. Stuff that fucker right in your pie hole! Tear off another piece and grab up some hummus and do the same. I fucking dig this style of eating where your naan/tortilla is your utensil. 

This is a fucking beauty people. It is absolutely worth getting ALL of those spices in your spice cabinet.

Sensational!

Branch out. Try new cuisines.

Eat the whole goddamn world!

Thanks everyone for stopping by.

Always a pleasure.

See you next week a’ight?

A’ight!

PEACE!