If you ask me what is the most versatile protein to cook and use in a variety of ways, it would have to be ground meat. I always make a big batch of flavorful ground turkey and use it throughout the week. You can use any other ground meat as well, but my favorite is turkey. I usually thrown in some veggies while cooking to give it unique flavor and add in those micronutrients and fiber. In this recipe I used bell peppers, I have also used spinach, green peas and cabbage. For an Indian Whole30 compliant meal, the keema can be eaten with a side of cauli rice and veggies , or in a delicious keema bowl with salad leaves, roasted potatoes, onions and peppers topped with avocado and chutney. As a Gluten Free meal, it can be added to gluten free tacos, eaten with just plain rice or as a topping on nachos. It is bursting with flavor so you can even just eat it out of the pan, like I do many times!

Ingredients

Ground Turkey – 2-3lbs
Onions – 1 large
Bell Peppers – 2
Ginger ( Chopped or ground) – 1/2 tsp
Garlic ( Chopped or ground) – 1 tsp
Tomato Paste – 3 Tbsp
Cilantro leaves
Ghee or Avocado Oil

Spices

Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1.5 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp
Paprika – 1 tsp
Cinnamon Stick – 1 small stick (Optional)
Cloves – 3 (Optional)
Chilli powder ( Optional for heat) – 1 tsp
Fennel Powder ( Optional, adds a lot of flavor) – 1.5 tsp

Recipe

Add Ghee to a pan on medium heat and throw in the cumin seeds, cinnamon stick and cloves ( powdered) till they sizzle. If you don’t have cinnamon and cloves you can omit these , but they do add a lot of flavor. Add in the chopped onions and let them brown for a few minutes. Now add the ginger and garlic and cook till you can smell the amazing fragrance of cooked ginger and garlic.

After this, in go the bell peppers, I use red and yellow ones but you can even use green or orange. Stir around for 5 minutes till the peppers are sautéed.

Add the ground turkey. With a wooden spatula, break down the meat and keep stirring it till it browns evenly and is in small-ish chunks.

Once the meat has browned, add in all the spice powders – Coriander powder, Turmeric, Garam Masala and Paprika. Also add chilli powder for heat and fennel powder for flavor if you prefer to. These two are optional. Incorporate the spices into the meat and veggies on low heat for 5 minutes.

The last step is to add in the tomato paste. I used the whole30 compliant canned version but you can also add in fresh tomato puree. Once its mixed in, cover the pan with a lid and let is steam for 10 minutes on low heat. Check the meat every few minutes and give it a good stir. You will know its ready when the color of the tomatoes is well incorporated into the meat. Garnish with cilantro leaves!

We have another ground/minced meat recipe on the blog – Minced lamb and spinach curry, do check it out as well – https://masalapaleo.com/minced-lamb-spinach-curry/

Notes

You can use other kinds of ground meat for this. I have cooked it with chicken and lamb as well
You can cook it without any veggies or add different veggies like greens or peas. But don’t skip the onions and tomatoes
The optional spices can be omitted if you don’t have access to them. They do add a lot additional flavor to the dish.