Ingredients

Method

The aim is to maximise the use of time and produce these two dishes simultaneously, so...

Heat oil in a large frying pan till very hot and fry the onions for the keema till dark gold. In a separate medium saucepan heat some more oil and fry the onion for the daal till crisp.

Add the ginger and garlic to the onions for keema, stir and fry till the raw smell disappears. Add the 2 chopped tomatoes to the crispy onion in the second or daal pan and fry till they turn mushy and dark. Set this masala aside.

In the same saucepan, set the lentils to boil with twice their volume cold water, turmeric, whole green chilli and ginger. Only partially cover as the lentils may boil over. Remove any scum that rises to the surface when it boils. Ensure it does not catch at the bottom by turning the heat down, but keep it simmering.

Back in the frying pan, add the ground dry spices and singe fry before adding the raw mince, proceed to fry the mince thoroughly, breaking up lumps as you go.

Add the tomatoes to the well fried mince, along with salt and chilli powder. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the daal is completely mushy, add the masala you set aside earlier and salt to taste and give it a good stir, then tum the heat off.

When the keema is cooked, garnish it with fresh coriander and sprinkle with garam masala.

These two dishes can be served with either boiled rice or any Indian breads. If serving with rice add 100ml hot water to the keema and boil up, but remember to adjust the salt if you do. Daal will thicken on cooling, so you may need to add some hot water here as well.

The daal is a staple and can be served with veggie dishes or chicken. You could vary the type of lentils you use but most other varieties will take longer to soften completely, a crucial process for daal; there are many variations for the tarka or masala you add at the end, eg leave out the tomatoes and add garlic to the crispy onions then flash fry or indeed add tomatoes after the garlic; alternatively put 1 tsp of mustard seeds into some hot oil in a small frying pan, wait till they start to pop then add onions and fry to a crisp before adding the entire contents of the pan to boiling daal while still hot, but be careful if you do this as it could splatter. This last technique is what we call tarka or baghaar, and should only be attempted by those who are confident cooks.