Khema is an Indian curry made with ground beef and peas.

Ingredients:

• 450 g of ground beef
• 2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup fresh split green peas or 1/2 cup frozen green peas (defrosted)
• 3 tbsp. l. canola oil
• 1 medium-sized onion, diced into small cubes
• 4 crushed cloves of garlic
• 1 piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped (2.5 cm long and about the thickness of your thumb)
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala spice mix (see ingredients below)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tsp malt or apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus a few leaves for garnish
• 4 warmed flatbreads chapati or pita

Garam masala:

• 3 large cinnamon sticks (if you bought your cinnamon in the Indian section, use about 3 tablespoons of bark pieces)
• 3 tablespoons whole cloves
• 1/4 cup green cardamom pods (peeled and discarded, yielding about 2 tablespoons of seeds)
• 4 large black cardamom pods (peeled and discarded to yield about 1 tablespoon of seeds), optional

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until golden. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute. Add the coriander, paprika, garam masala, cumin, and cayenne pepper (if using) and cook for another minute.
2. Add the beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, 1 cup of water, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with fresh green peas. Stir well and simmer, loosely covered, for about 10 minutes. Or, if using frozen peas, add them at this stage and cook for another 5 minutes, loosely covered.
3. Add vinegar and chopped cilantro. Sprinkle with cilantro leaves and serve with warm chapatis or pitas. Or use as a meat filling for pies such as samsa.
   
   Chef Aarti's Homemade Garam Masala Spice Blend: In a spice grinder or coffee grinder, combine the cinnamon sticks, cloves, green cardamom seeds, and black cardamom seeds (if using) and grind thoroughly. Store the spice mixture in an airtight container away from direct sunlight.