Vegan Green Keema
Vegan Green Keemna - a meatless spin on the Indian minced meat curry using a blend of lentils and walnuts simmered in a fragrant herby spicy sauce. Vegan Mumbai Hara Keema. Glutenfree Soy-free! Nutfree option
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the green sauce:
- 1 cup packed cilantro
- 1/2 cup frozen spinach
- 1/4 cup loosely packed mint, optional, or use more cilantro
- 1 whole green chili such as serrano or Indian green chili (or use 2 tbsp green bell pepper instead for mild)
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds or ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds or use ground cumin
- 1 green cardamom pod or use 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns or use 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup water
For the Keema:
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1 green chili minced
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste or use minced ginger and garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 to 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 3/4 cup split red lentils (masoor dal) soaked in hot water for at least an hour
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts chopped into a coarse meal
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/4 cup non dairy yogurt or use cashew cream or coconut cream
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup green peas
- chopped red bell pepper or tomato for garnish
Instructions
- Soak your dried split red lentils, if you haven’t already. They need to soak for at least 30 mins in hot water. Prep them ahead.
- Make the green sauce. Add all the ingredients to a blender and then blend until the seeds have broken down. Set aside.
- Make the keema. Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Once hot, add onion, green chili, and fenugreek leaves and mix well. Add a good pinch of salt and cook until the onion is golden. 6-8 mins
- Then add the ginger garlic paste, spices- dill, ground coriander, and garam masala and mix in for a 10-15 seconds. Then add in your drained lentils and mix well. (I like to cook the lentils for 2-3 mins here slightly toast the lentils but this is optional)
- Then add the walnuts and 1/2 a cup of water and cook. Mix really well and cook for about five minutes.
- Add the non dairy yogurt, salt, and green sauce paste. Mix well. Bring to a boil and cook for 5-7 minutes. Then add in the peas and mix in. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.
- Continue to cook for another 2 minutes then take off the heat. You don’t want the lentils to completely soften and break down. You want them to have a bit of a meaty bite. Cook until your preferred texture of lentils.
- The lentils and the walnuts are supposed to make a mincemeat kind of texture. But you can also cook them down because the sauce is really delicious any which way.
- Garnish with chopped bell pepper or tomato, red pepper flakes, and a little bit of lemon juice, and serve with flatbread or dinner rolls, or garlic bread. or add to pita bread or over pizza.
- Store refrigerated for upto 3 days. Freeze for upto a month.
Video
Notes
- nutfree: omit the walnuts. Add 2-3 tablespoons chopped pumpkin seeds or hemp seeds
- No onion garlic: Use zucchini instead of onion. Add 1/2 teaspoon more dried fenugreek leaves instead of garlic
- Lentils: you can use other lentils such as whole red lentils, split yellow lentils or brown lentils. Adjust cook time based on the lentils
- This green Keema is usually served with some buttered dinner rolls which are called pav. you can also serve it with some flatbread or fill it up in a piece of pita bread or make sandwiches with it like sloppy joes
- I also like to sometimes make a pizza, I use a naan, top with the Keema, put some cheese and sliced jalapeño or onion and vegan bacon, and makes an excellent pizza.
- Protein options: Use tempeh, TVP, chopped soycurls or seitan, crumbled chickpeas or other vegan mince of choice
Nutrition
Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 470mg | Potassium: 612mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2796IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 4mg