Indian Spiced Keema

1. Prepare the onion-ginger-garlic paste

In a blender, combine the coarsely chopped onions, garlic, and ginger with about 3 tablespoons of water. Blend these ingredients until you achieve a smooth paste.

2. Heat the spices

Heat the vegetable oil in a 10-12 inch skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cinnamon stick, cloves, black peppercorns, bay leaf, and hot red peppers. Let these spices sizzle in the oil for about 10 seconds.

3. Cook the paste

Add the onion-ginger-garlic paste to the skillet. Fry this mixture for about 10 minutes, until it thickens and starts to stick to the pan.

4. Add ground spices

Stir in the ground coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Fry these ground spices with the paste for about 5 minutes.

5. Add tomatoes

Add the chopped tomatoes to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes until they soften and integrate with the spice mixture.

6. Cook the meat

Introduce the ground meat and salt to the skillet. Fry the meat for about 5 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks.

7. Simmer the mixture

Pour in 1/2 cup of water along with the lemon juice, bringing the mixture to a boil. Once it starts boiling, cover the skillet, reduce the heat, and let it simmer for about an hour. Stir occasionally.