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A bowl of spiced ground lamb with green peas, red onion slices, jalapeño rounds, cilantro, and yogurt, garnished with a tadka spiced swirl.
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Lamb Keema with Tadka Yogurt

A basic ground lamb recipe cooked with rich toasted spices, dropped into a swirl of cool yogurt spiked with garlic and chili. And yet, it's so good, the group chat keeps bringing it up and asking how you made it weeks later.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 4 servings (about 1 cup keema plus 1/4 cup tadka yogurt per person)
Calories: 542kcal
Author: Abi Gunasekaran

Ingredients

For the Lamb Keema

  • 2 tbsp neutral oil
  • 1 lb ground lamb
  • 1 medium onion (finely diced)
  • 4 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp coriander
  • 1 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 3/4 cup frozen peas
  • 1/4 cup water or chicken stock

For the Tadka Yogurt

  • 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp butter or ghee
  • 3 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 3-4 whole dried red chilies
  • 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
  • kosher salt pinch

For Garnish

  • cilantro thinly sliced red onion, thin jalapeño rings, lemon wedges

Instructions

Saute the Onion

  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent at the edges.
    Chopped onions sautéing in a black cast iron skillet, some pieces turning golden brown.

Bloom Garlic and Ginger

  • Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute, just until fragrant.

Brown the Lamb

  • Add the ground lamb and cook 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains and the fat has fully rendered out. Drain off excess fat, leaving about a tablespoon behind to carry the spices.
    Ground lamb cooking with chopped onions in a cast iron skillet on a stovetop, stirred with a wooden spoon; spices are visible in small dishes in the background.

Cook the Tomato Paste

  • Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens a shade and smells sweeter instead of raw.

Toast the Spices

  • Sprinkle in the cumin, coriander, Kashmiri chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to coat the lamb and cook 30 to 60 seconds, just until the spices smell toasted.

Simmer

  • Pour in the water or stock and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 5 to 7 minutes, until the mixture thickens enough to hold its shape on a spoon.
    Ground lamb keema mixture cooking in a black skillet on a stovetop, with a wooden spoon resting inside and a plate of food in the background.

Add the Peas

  • Stir in the frozen peas and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until heated through and still bright green. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
    Ground lamb and green peas cooking in a black cast iron skillet, placed on a striped cloth on a beige surface.

Season the Yogurt

  • In a small bowl, stir the Greek yogurt with a pinch of salt until smooth. Set aside.

Bloom the Tadka

  • Heat the butter or ghee in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and whole dried chilies and cook 30 to 60 seconds, until the cumin sizzles and the chilies turn fragrant.

Crisp the Garlic

  • Add the sliced garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often, until lightly golden, not brown. Pull it the second it colors: garlic goes from golden to bitter fast.

Finish the Tadka

  • Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Kashmiri chili powder right away, off the heat so it doesn't scorch. Let the tadka cool for about 1 minute.
    A bowl of Indian yogurt garnished with dried red chilies, whole spices, and a swirl of spiced takda, placed on a table with cilantro and a striped cloth nearby.
    • Tadka can burn quickly due to the heat of the ghee. You'll know the moment the spices hit the hot ghee if it's burnt - in which case, there is no fixing the bitter flavor. Start the tadka over in a clean pan.

Assemble

  • Spoon several tablespoons of tadka yogurt onto each plate and swirl it into a wide circle with the back of a spoon. Spoon the hot keema into the center.

Garnish

  • Top with cilantro, sliced red onion, jalapeño rings, and a lemon wedge. Serve immediately, while the lamb is still hot against the cool yogurt.
    A bowl of spiced ground lamb keema with peas, sliced red onion, jalapeño, and fresh cilantro on a creamy yogurt and tadka base.

Notes

Frozen peas hold color best.
Kashmiri chili powder = color + mild heat; sub cayenne at a lower amount so it's not too spicy,
Ground turkey or chicken can sub for lamb but you'll lose a lot of the richness of this dish.
Freeze the keema alone for up to 3 months; make the tadka swirled yogurt fresh.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 787mg | Potassium: 743mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1835IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 5mg