Minced Meat with Red Beans & Potatoes

Rajma with Keema & Alu

I saw a recipe on a food blog for minced meat cooked with garbanzo beans, but couldn't find it again. It didn't matter because there were no garbanzo beans in the house. A can of red beans, smaller in size than kidney beans, inspired me to make Rajma which I pumped up with minced meat and diced potatoes.

Rajma is a one-pot vegetarian meal that is usually made with kidney beans and without meat. Canned beans drastically reduce the time it takes to cook the beans. As the beans cook and break down, they serve to thicken the gravy and impart a creaminess to it. 

This stick-to-the-ribs comfort food is ideal for rainy and cooler weather. 

Ingredients:
1 lb. minced lamb or beef

1 (14 oz.) can red/kidney beans, rinsed in several changes of water & drained

1 russet potato, diced

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 cinnamon sticks

2 star anise

1 tsp. cardamom pods

1/2 tsp. whole cloves

1/4 tsp. shah jeera/cumin seeds

1 large tomato, minced

2 large onions, peeled and minced

10 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. ginger paste

2+ tsp. Kashmiri mirch/paprika/chili powder

1/2 tsp. Bengali garam masala powder

1 tsp. coriander-cumin powder

2 cups beef broth, set to a simmer

salt to taste

1 tsp. ghee

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat and sputter cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise and cumin seeds.
2. Add onions, garlic and ginger paste and stir-fry until onions turn translucent.
3. Stir in tomatoes, coriander-cumin powder & Kashmiri mirch.
4. Simmer until tomatoes break down and oil resurfaces.
5. Add minced meat and potatoes and stir-fry until meat browns.
6. Stir in garam masala powder and beef broth, bring to a boil and lower heat to medium-low.
7. Adjust salt to taste, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes until gravy reduces to about 1/2 cup.
8. Garnish with ghee, remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish

Serve over steamed Basmati rice or with naan or chapatis.