Equipment
Ingredients
Keema Filling
- 500 g lamb mince, room temperature
- 30 g ghee
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic, minced
- 1 ginger, grated
- 1 green chili, finely chopped
- 10 g garam masala
- 5 g ground cumin
- 5 g ground coriander
- 3 g turmeric
- 30 g tomato paste
- 200 ml beef stock
- 240 g butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 5 g salt
- 15 g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Pastry
- 320 g shortcrust pastry, chilled
- 320 g puff pastry, chilled
- 1 egg, beaten
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Finely dice the onion, mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and chop the green chili. Drain and rinse the butter beans.
Heat the ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions and saute until softened and beginning to brown at the edges.
Add the garlic, ginger, green chili, garam masala, cumin, coriander, and turmeric to the skillet. Cook while stirring constantly until the spices are highly fragrant.
Add the lamb mince to the pan. Break it apart with a spatula and sear until completely browned and no pink remains. Ensure the internal temperature reaches 74°C/165°F.
Stir in the tomato paste, beef stock, and butter beans. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat and reduce until the liquid is thick and heavily coats the meat and beans.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the chopped fresh coriander and salt to taste. Transfer the filling to a wide bowl or tray to cool completely to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan).
Roll out the shortcrust pastry using a rolling pin and line the 23cm pie dish. Spoon the completely cooled keema filling into the pastry base, spreading it in an even layer.
Drape the puff pastry over the top of the pie. Crimp the edges together to seal securely. Using a pastry brush, glaze the top generously with the beaten egg and cut three small slits in the center to allow steam to escape.
Bake in the preheated oven until the puff pastry is fully risen, crisp, and deep golden brown.
Remove the pie from the oven and let it rest in the dish before slicing to allow the filling to set.
Chef's Notes
- Cooling the filling is non-negotiable for a good pie crust. If you are short on time, spread the hot filling on a large, flat baking sheet and place it in the refrigerator to rapidly bring the temperature down.
- Butter beans add a beautiful creamy, starchy contrast to the heavily spiced lamb, but chickpeas or standard garden peas can be used as a traditional substitute.
- If your pie dish is ceramic rather than metal, you may want to blind bake the shortcrust pastry base for 15 minutes with baking weights before adding the filling to guarantee a crisp bottom.
- Blooming the dry spices in the ghee before adding the meat is crucial to extract their fat-soluble flavor compounds and remove the raw spice taste.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container once completely cooled.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze unbaked or fully baked. If baking from frozen, add 20 minutes to the baking time.
Reheating: Reheat slices in a 180°C/350°F oven for 15-20 minutes to restore pastry crispness.
