Elevate your everyday meals with this B.C. lamb keema recipe, featuring British Columbia-raised lamb and bold, aromatic spices. Starting with rich, locally made ghee and finishing with fragrant garam masala, this dish delivers exceptional flavour while supporting B.C. producers. Perfect for crowd-pleasing weeknight dinners or meal prep, this versatile recipe transforms simple ingredients into a flavourful centerpiece for your table.
This spiced ground-lamb keema is comforting and easy to prepare. Made with fresh, local lamb, it’s an ideal solution for busy schedules—simply double the recipe and freeze portions for quick, time-saving meals.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ghee (like Anmol Foods Desi Ghee)
- 1 ½ cups onions, diced
- 2 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
- 1-2 green chilies, finely chopped (optional, adjust to taste)
- 1 tbsp cilantro stalks, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cup B.C. tomato, diced (like Windset Farms)
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- ½ tbsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chilli powder (optional, adjust to taste)
- 1 pound ground B.C. lamb (keema)
- 1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen B.C. peas)
- ½ tbsp garam masala (like The Indian Pantry)
- ¼ cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Preparation
- Prep. Chop all your ingredients and portion out your spices before you begin cooking.
- Brown the onions. Add ghee to a heavy bottom pan and warm up on medium heat. Add the onions and cook on medium high heat for 5-7 minutes until they are golden brown
- Cook the aromatics. Add the ginger, garlic, green chili, and cilantro stalks. Mix well and cook for 90 seconds
- Finish the tempering. Add the tomatoes and spices – coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric, red chili powder, and salt. Mix everything well to combine. Cook the onion and tomato mixture on medium heat for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes soft and has a jammy texture
- Cook the lamb. Add the lamb keema, mix well to incorporate with the onion and tomato mixture. Add the peas and mix to combine. Cook everything together on low to medium heat for 12-15 minutes
- Finishing touches. Finish with garam masala and cilantro, serve warm with naan or rice
Featured B.C. products
Serving and beverage pairing
To elevate your meal, serve your lamb keema with locally made tandoori naan from Barakah Eats (Surrey, B.C.) and a glass of Sandhill’s (Kelowna, B.C.) Sparkling Brut for the perfect pairing.
Tips
B.C. lamb keema is a great recipe to batch up and freeze for easy weeknight dinner. Use it as a base for pasta sauces or a pizza topping; the possibilities are endless. Here are some ideas:
- Take out a portion and add a little cream for an easy ‘Bolognese-style’ pasta with a twist
- Use it as a pizza topping
- Pair it with hamburger buns for a fusion take on sloppy joes
Watch Raj make this recipe and more at @eatdrinkbuybc.
Raj Thandhi
@pinkchai | pinkchailiving.com
Raj Thandhi is a beloved community-rooted chef, recipe developer, educator, and content creator whose work celebrates cultural recipes made with B.C. ingredients. Inspired by her grandparents’ agricultural roots and childhood summers spent in local berry fields, she brings a deep appreciation for seasonal, local food to everything she creates. Raj has built a vibrant online community of over 100,000 followers by simplifying traditional Punjabi recipes and making them accessible to home cooks. Her culinary expertise has been featured by CBC, The Globe and Mail, Vogue India, and more. As a Buy BC Chef Ambassador, Raj shares practical tips and easy recipes to inspire delicious meals using ingredients grown right here in B.C.
