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Vegan Keema Madras with Red Lentils

August 2, 2019 By Richa 50 Comments

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Vegan Keema Madras with lentils. Keema is usually a minced meat dish made with combination of spices to add a complex flavor. This Keema uses red lentils. Serve this with flatbread, rice or with dosa, appam. Vegan Gluten-free Soy-free Recipe Nut-free Option  Jump to Recipe

Vegan Keema Madras on a black skillet

Here is another ridiculously delicious Indian meal. Indian Keema is a minced meat dish with various meats used depending on the region. North Indian Keema is cooked with spices and served with thick flatbreads. This South Indian Keema uses whole spices, poppy seeds, fennel seeds and coconut for a fantastic flavor base.

The red lentils and potatoes are cooked to al dente. The spices are ground and roasted in a bit of oil, then the onion and garlic are added and cooked with the spices. The pureed tomato is then added and simmered until the sauce thickens. Then the cooked lentils are mixed in. By mixing the lentils later, the spices and the sauce get time and surface area to roast well and develop flavor. If you add lentils before the sauce has cooked, or along with the tomato to cook, the overall flavor suffers as the extra volume hinders the roasting. You can use other cooked lentils or beans and veggies of choice in this delicious sauce.

As I always mention with the more involved recipes, don’t be intimidated by the spice list, and experiment with the flavor to preference. The flavors meld and get this meaty profile after sitting for a bit like most Indian recipes. Double the recipe and save a batch for the next day. This Keema Madras profile reminds me of the lamb keema being cooked in the neighborhood long ago. This one is All the meaty flavor without any meat. Lets make some!

Vegan Keema Madras on a white plate

Ingredients for Keema Madras and substitution options

  • Red lentils and potatoes are pre-cooked to al dente. This is done so that the flavor of the spices in the sauce stays concentrated in the sauce. When you cook the lentils in the spices, they absorb a lot of the flavor and it distributes. The flavor will show up after sitting for a few hours, but it isnt as concentrated. The balance of spicy sauce and non spiced textured lentils is much more pleasing.
  • Some coarsely crushed walnuts add more meaty texture.
  • garlic, onion are the aromatics. To make this without garlic and onion, omit them and add 1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds to the spices.
  • tomato puree and some coconut makes the rest of the sauce
  • carrots add a slight sweet balance. You can use other veggies or omit.
  • Whole Spices: whole black peppercorns, fennel seeds, and poppy seeds add amazing flavor
  • Ground spices: ground coriander, ground cumin, sage, ground cinnamon add the meaty flavor
  • Raw rice is added for texture and adds grittyness to the spice mixture allowing it to roast evenly without easily burning. You can omit it if you like.
  • Salt brings out the flavors in the sauce.
  • Nut-free: Omit the walnuts.

How to make Keema Madras

Add red lentils, potatoes, water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender.
Grind the the spices in a grinder or blender. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the spices and toast for 2-3 mins. If the pan is heating too quickly, roast at medium-low heat.
Ingredients for our Vegan Keema Madras in bowls

Ingredients for our Vegan Keema Madras in bowls Spices roasted for our Vegan Keema Madras on a black skillet

Add garlic, cook for a few seconds. (You can also add 6 curry leaves at this point). Add onion and good pinch of salt and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, blend the tomatoes with coconut and a few tbsp of water until smooth.

spices and onion for our Vegan Keema Madras on a black skillet Tomato puree for our Vegan Keema Madras on a black skillet

Add the blended tomato coconut mixture and cook over medium until it thickens and oil starts to leave the mixture.
Add the carrots and walnuts and cook for 2 mins.

Sauce for our Vegan Keema Madras on a black skillet Sauce for our Vegan Keema Madras on a black skillet

Add the cooked lentils and potatoes with the cooking water(it should be more than a half cup or so liquid). Add salt and mix and simmer for a few minutes. Garnish with cilantro, lime juice and serve with flatbread, rice or dosa crepes.

Vegan Keema Madras on a black skillet

More Indian Dishes to try

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Vegan Keema Madras on a white plate

Yum brown food!

If you make the recipe, do let me know in the comments how you liked it. Also do rate the recipe using the star rating above the comment box!

Vegan Keema Madras on a black skillet

Vegan Keema Madras on a black skillet
Print Recipe
5 from 20 votes

Vegan Keema Madras with lentils

Vegan Keema Madras with lentils. Keema is usually a minced meat dish made with combination of spices to add a complex flavor. This Vegan Keema uses red lentils. Serve this with flatbread, rice or with dosa and appam. Vegan Gluten-free Soy-free Recipe Nut-free Option 
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Gluten-free, Indian, Vegan
Keyword: keema madras, madras kheema, vegann keema
Servings: 4
Calories: 222kcal
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup (60 g) red lentils (masoor dal)
  • 3/4 cup (157.5 g) cubed potatoes , small cubes

Spices:

  • 1/2 tsp  pepper corns or freshly ground , use 1 tsp for the real deal
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon or 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 3/4 - 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
  • 1 tsp raw rice (optional), or use rice flour
  • 1/2 tsp sage

Sauce:

  • 2 tsp oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic , finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup (80 g) finely chopped onion
  • 2 medium tomatoes , or 11 oz diced
  • 2 tbsp shredded coconut
  • 1/3 cup (39 g) coarsely crushed walnuts
  • 1/3 cup (42.67 g) shredded carrots ,optional
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • Cilantro, pepper flakes, lime juice for garnish

Instructions

  • Lentils + Potatoes: Add red lentils, potatoes, and 2 cups water in a saucepan. Cook uncovered over medium heat until potatoes are tender. 13-14 mins. Add in a good pinch of salt mid way. Do not drain.
  • Spices: Grind the the spices in a grinder or blender. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the spices and toast for 2-3 mins. If the pan is heating too quickly, roast at medium-low heat.
  • Add garlic and cook for a few seconds. (You can also add 6 curry leaves at this point if you have some). Add onion and good pinch of salt and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, blend the tomatoes with coconut and a few tbsp of water until smooth.
  • Add the blended tomato coconut mixture and cook over medium until it thickens and oil starts to leave the mixture.  5 to 7 mins. Add the carrots and walnuts and cook for 2 mins.
  • Add the cooked lentils and potatoes with the cooking water(it should be about a half cup or so liquid after evaporation during cooking in step 1). Add salt and mix well to combine the spiced mixture and lentils.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 5 to 7 mins. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.
  • Add a dash of lime juice, generous pepper flakes or cayenne, and cilantro and serve with rice, flatbread or dosas. Or add to wraps, tacos.
    Store: Refrigerate for upto 3 days.

Video

Notes

Nut-free: Omit the walnuts.
Variation:
Use 1 cup of cooked lentils(brown or green), Or use 1.25 cups of cooked chickpeas, lightly mashed to make a coarse texture instead of red lentils. 
Add other veggies instead of potatoes such as zucchini, fennel or celery.
Canned tomatoes: Traditional Indian recipes usually use fresh tomatoes and are written for fresh tomatoes. Canned tomatoes have a stronger and sweeter flavor profile and usually overshadow some spices. Double the spices for canned.
Heat: The heat in this dish comes mainly from black pepper and the garnish. To adjust, reduce the black pepper to preference and omit garnish.
For additional heat, add 2-3 dried red chilies with the ground spices. 
Nutrition is for 1 serve, does not include flatbread or rice. 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Vegan Keema Madras with lentils
Amount Per Serving
Calories 222 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Sodium 510mg22%
Potassium 587mg17%
Carbohydrates 24g8%
Fiber 9g38%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 2295IU46%
Vitamin C 16.4mg20%
Calcium 63mg6%
Iron 3.3mg18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Filed Under: gluten free, Indian Vegan Recipes, main course, main course:India, nut-free option, soy free Tagged With: vegan, video



⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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  1. Cheryl says

    August 2, 2019 at 4:42 pm

    Do you eat the 6 curry leaves or are they removed like bay leaves?

    Reply
    • Richa says

      August 2, 2019 at 5:05 pm

      you can eat them or discard them. they are soft and edible. but they are a leaf, so personal preference.

      Reply
      • Douglas says

        September 16, 2019 at 2:33 pm

        5 stars
        I really enjoyed it. The spices are warming and the touch of coconut adds a nice flavor. I was going to serve it over rice but the lentils and potatoes make a nice thickness. The only mistake I made was using black walnuts and not dicing them small enough. I ended up with big pieces that were sort of overpowering. I didn’t have curry leaves but the other spices were fine and made a great flavor. And I used canned diced tomatoes. I’d make this again.

        Reply
        • Richa says

          September 16, 2019 at 3:00 pm

          Awesome! Thanks! I put the walnuts in the processor for a coarse meal. that texture works really well.

          Reply
  2. Lin says

    August 3, 2019 at 5:27 am

    I see where the recipe says you can add six curry leaves but I don’t see this in the listing of ingredients. Are they optional? Thanks to my favorite cook.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      August 3, 2019 at 10:55 am

      yes they are optional. in the interest of not making the ingredient list any longer, i did not add the optional ingredient. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Romy says

    August 3, 2019 at 3:30 pm

    5 stars
    Deeelicious!
    I had a package of lentils from Trader Joe’s I’d forgotten about. This sauce was perfect. I wanted to keep it light so I made the sauce and added just the package of pre-cooked lentils…it was light and satisfying at the same time. My husband and I ate all of it in one sitting.
    Thank you Richa!

    PS curious about adding the tsp. raw rice to the spice blend…I’m assuming so it all stays light and fluffy?

    Reply
    • Richa says

      August 3, 2019 at 10:15 pm

      Awesome! The rice gets blended/ground up with the whole spices. It adds a bit of volume and nuttyness. The volume esp helps the whole spices roast evenly without burning easily. For a more traditional recipe, i would also use coriander, cumin and cinnamon as whole spices so then the rice would be more essential.

      Reply
  4. Srichand Dodeja says

    August 4, 2019 at 5:00 am

    I can not see the ingredients list on your recipe page. Can you help?
    I love your recipes!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      August 4, 2019 at 11:11 am

      i can see them at my end, can you send a picture of what you see?

      Reply
  5. Garrett says

    August 6, 2019 at 1:25 pm

    Hello! I don’t have access to much of the spice mix, wondering if harissa paste could be a good substitute without throwing the dish off too much. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      August 6, 2019 at 1:48 pm

      harissa is quite different. Do you have any of the individual ground spices?

      Reply
  6. Linda Watson says

    August 10, 2019 at 6:54 pm

    5 stars
    So wonderfully delicious!!!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      August 10, 2019 at 7:37 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply
  7. Ellen says

    August 11, 2019 at 6:41 pm

    5 stars
    I made this the day you posted it because I happened to have all the ingredients on have. Thankfully I doubled the recipe, but even then my husband and I devoured it in two meals. We both love your stuff and use your cookbook often.

    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      August 11, 2019 at 9:30 pm

      Thank you Ellen!!

      Reply
  8. Sérgio Costa says

    August 13, 2019 at 6:10 am

    5 stars
    Delicious! I let mine cook for a little bit longer because it was a little watery, but the flavour was amazing!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      August 13, 2019 at 2:21 pm

      yay

      Reply
  9. Krista says

    August 13, 2019 at 4:36 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is SO DELICIOUS!!!! It is an immediate favorite now! The spice blend is so good! Thank you Richa!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      August 14, 2019 at 11:26 am

      Awesome!!

      Reply
  10. Kristi says

    August 18, 2019 at 5:11 pm

    I don’t have a motor and postal so I didn’t ground my fennel seeds, and I realized I didn’t have poppy seeds and sage too late. Despite these issues this turned out fantastic, I can’t even imagine how good it would be if I followed the directions

    Reply
  11. Surabhi says

    September 11, 2019 at 6:27 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing! Totally different flavors for me. Tasted very “meaty”, filling, and satisfying.
    My hubby said “save this recipe!”

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 11, 2019 at 6:59 pm

      Awesome! Thanks!

      Reply
  12. Denisa Selagea says

    September 12, 2019 at 5:38 pm

    5 stars
    Loved it. Made it last night for our Sabbath lunch. I added a a bit of coconut milk as I wanted to have a bit more coconut flavour. But the rest of the ingredients works together awesomely. Thank you Richa.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 12, 2019 at 5:43 pm

      Thats awesome!

      Reply
  13. Laura says

    September 25, 2019 at 3:09 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! Mine isn’t as red and pretty as yours, but the flavor is excellent.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 25, 2019 at 3:18 pm

      aweesome!

      Reply
  14. Bianca says

    October 13, 2019 at 10:03 am

    5 stars
    Thank you, great recipe! I made it several times now, with red lentils and with brown lentils and personally I like the texture of the brown lentils better. I love your flavors!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      October 13, 2019 at 12:42 pm

      yay! yes use lentils or split peas etc.

      Reply
  15. Rochelle says

    November 20, 2019 at 11:23 am

    5 stars
    Beautiful dish and full of flavor. I added 1tsp of curry powder since I didn’t have curry leaves. Omitted the walnuts and half the oil to reduce fat. I’ll be making this again and again. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      November 20, 2019 at 12:00 pm

      awesome!

      Reply
  16. Lisa says

    December 28, 2019 at 4:06 am

    5 stars
    This was unbelievably delicious! Thankfully, we doubled the recipe last night so we can have it again tonite. So glad to have found your blog, Richa. Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 28, 2019 at 11:47 am

      yay! so glad you found me too!

      Reply
  17. Rahul says

    January 29, 2020 at 8:38 pm

    Can store-bought tomato puree be used instead of blending chopped tomato with coconut flakes? And can dried curry leaves be used or should they be fresh?

    Reply
    • Richa says

      January 29, 2020 at 8:55 pm

      dried curry leaves are ok. If you use canned puree, use less of it as it is more concentrated.

      Reply
  18. Ana says

    March 31, 2020 at 10:18 am

    5 stars
    So, I didn’t do like I’m supposed to and read the entire recipe before beginning. Which resulted in me blending *everything* listed under “sauce” in a food processor. It still turned out amazing though!! Really, really delicious. Don’t be like me.. read the entire recipe before starting! 😆

    Reply
  19. Anouk Booneman says

    April 13, 2020 at 11:18 am

    5 stars
    Delicious! And easy to make.

    Reply
  20. Sylke says

    May 27, 2020 at 8:16 am

    5 stars
    Tried this today and while I didn’t have everything required (rice flour, poppy seeds and walnuts), it was still delicious. I added a little coconut flour at the end as it wasn’t as thick as I was expecting it and that worked well. We had it with rice. I think it might become a regular dish!

    Reply
  21. Julia says

    June 16, 2020 at 9:51 am

    5 stars
    Outstanding!!! Good thing too because I went all in and made a humongous batch. I had a good feeling:) I pretty much followed the recipe, adding a touch of cayenne for heat. The spice blend is heavenly and unique. The final product was totally fantastic. I served it with slow cooked greens and homemade naan. I also love the suggestion of serving tacos with this.
    Another incredible recipe!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      June 17, 2020 at 12:46 am

      Awesome

      Reply
  22. Vanshika Bansal says

    July 25, 2020 at 2:41 pm

    Where I can buy sage in Delhi.

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      July 26, 2020 at 10:44 am

      good question….🤔🤔 I reside in USA. But here’s a link!! I hope this helps.

      Reply
  23. Sue says

    July 26, 2020 at 1:05 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely banging delicious. !!! Used tinned tomatoes and was perfect, will never get a takeaway madras again.

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      July 26, 2020 at 9:51 am

      wow!!! that’s amazing. I”m so pleased to hear. thank you!

      Reply
  24. Dee says

    September 8, 2020 at 4:26 am

    5 stars
    Delicious! Loved the spice blend. I used canned tomatoes but drained the juice and it was yum. I doubled the spices like you suggested. Adding it to my list of favourites. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      September 9, 2020 at 12:53 pm

      Awesome !! thank you Dee

      Reply
  25. Nicola says

    September 9, 2020 at 1:07 am

    5 stars
    We had this lentil curry last night and it was a big hit with my vegan and non-vegan family. They said they would definitely eat it again, so I’m adding it to my book.
    I made it as per instructions, with walnuts and carrots. I used whole spices and freshly blitzed them. The only (minor) flaw with the recipe was that it definitely would not have fed four people; at least not four in my family! I tripled the recipe and it made for six adult servings. I still have to rate the recipe five stars though because really, it is worth it.
    After making this recipe I have gone on to buy your Indian cookbook; which I’m excited to arrive in the mail 🙂

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      September 9, 2020 at 8:32 pm

      i’m glad everyone enjoyed it! thank you so very much for your support – You’re going to Love the cookbook =).

      Reply
  26. Satin says

    October 7, 2020 at 3:38 am

    5 stars
    5 stars from me! My lentil dishes always end up morphing into one same flavour but this was amazing! I omitted the walnuts and used arrowroot powder as a substitute for the rice. Thank you, my family (including a ten year old and a teenage boy) are thriving on an exclusively vegan diet for almost two years now thanks to wonderful vegan recipes like yours. Anyone who thinks children need animal products for growth and health, please rest assured that this is not the case. Since going vegan we have had optimal nutrition and health. In gratitude for your work and your compassion for animals 🙏🏼

    Reply
    • Richa says

      October 7, 2020 at 8:39 am

      Awesome

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options. Read more about me and the blog...

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