This vegan Keema Curry is so flavourful, packed with plant-based protein and comes together in no time. Serve it over rice or with freshly baked naan.
Keema is a popular Indian dish and refers to minced meat. Back in the days when I lived with an Indian host family in the U.S. I loved the homemade Keema curry with my hostmum made on some rare occassions. I loved it so much and think back to it a lot that I decided to create my own meat-free Keema recipe.
Just like my vegan Butter Chicken recipe this vegan Keema pairs well with basmati rice, homemade chapati or naan bread. It is packed with flavor, easy to make and - thanks to the textured soy protein or TVP - high in protein (more than 25 g per serving!).
Ingredients
Even though the ingredient list may appear long at first glance, you atually only need a handful of ingredients plus a couple of spices to make this vegetarian Keema Matar:
- Textured soy protein crumbles – Also known as TVP. It provides a meat like texture and - as is has almost no flavor on its own - it soaks up all the added flavorings really well. If you prefer a less processed alternative you can use tofu, tempeh or cooked lentils (not red lentils!).
- Walnuts - Ground walnuts add texture and enhance the meatyness of the dish. If you can't eat nuts, simply omit the walnuts or use ground sunflower seeds instead.
- Onion, garlic and ginger – While the spices are necessary to bring out the aroma and intense flavor, nothing can top sautéed onion, garlic and ginger as a base for an Indian dish.
- Spices – No Indian-inspired dish does well without a bunch of spices. You'll need garam masala, cumin and coriander. If you like a bit of spice, feel free to add a pinch (or more) of chili powder.
- Tomato purée – There are different ways to prepare keema. As this recipe is oil-free, I added tomato purée to give it a saucy feel.
- Peas – A must, in my opion (sorry to disappoint all pea-haters out there). The peas provide a hint of sweetness and an extra layer of texture.
How to Make it
Cooking vegan Keema is very simple. You will need just one big pan and about 30 minutes + 15 minutes prep time to make this delicious minced (no-)meat curry. It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner!
Step 1: While soaking the TVP, sauté onion, then add garlic, ginger, shredded carrots and cook for a few minutes.
Step 2: Stir in the soaked and squeezed textured soy protein crumbles and ground walnuts.
Step 3: Add the spices and toast for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Step 4: Stir in the tomato purée and cook everything for 15 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, add the peas.
Tipps
Don't serve it straight away! As with many curries, this homemade vegan Keema mince tastes even better when it sits a bit longer.
Make it saucier! Authentic Keema Curry is not like a typical saucy Indian curry. But if you prefer, you can add more tomato purée. You may have to increase the amount of salt and spices then, too.
FAQ
Although I haven't tried it, lentils could work really well in this recipe. Go for around 1.5 - 2 cups cooked lentils. Don't use red lentils, though, as they become too soft while cooking. There is also a TVP alternative made from peas.
Simply add more tomato purée. Simmer a bit longer, then taste and add more spices if it lacks flavour.
Sure! Simply omit the walnuts or use ground sunflower seeds instead.
Related Recipes
Looking for other Indian-inspired recipes? Try these:
I hope you’ll give this oil-free, gluten-free and vegan Keema Curry a try. If you love this recipe, be sure to leave a comment, rate the recipe and tag me on instagram (#veggiejam) with your recreation.
PrintRecipe
Vegan Keema Curry
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 45 min
- Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
Description
This vegan Keema Curry is so flavourful, packed with plant-based protein and comes together in no time. Serve it over rice or with freshly baked naan.
Ingredients
- 1 cup textured soy protein granules (100 g)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, shredded
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- ⅓ cup walnuts (35 g)
- 2 cups tomato purée (500 g)
- 2 ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- ¼ tsp chili powder (optional)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed (140 g)
Instructions
- Soak the soy crumbles in ~1 ¾ cup hot water with ¼ teaspoon salt for 10-15 min.
- In the meantime prep all the vegetables.
- Process the walnuts into a coarse meal.
- Heat a large, deep pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion for about 5 min until translucent.
- Add garlic, ginger, shredded carrots and a pinch of salt and cook for another 3 min.
- Drain the soaked soy crumbles and squeeze out the ecxess water.
- Add the rehydrated soy crumbles to the pan, together with the walnut meal and cook everything for 5 min.
- Now add all the sprices and salt, stir and toast for 1-2 min until fragrant.
- Finally, stir in the tomato purée, cover and simmer for 15 min.
- After 10 min add the peas.
- Top with chopped coriander leaves, freshly cracked black pepper and serve with rice, naan or chapati.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅓ recipe
- Calories: 339.6 kcal
- Sugar: 16.4 g
- Fat: 9.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.6 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 25.5 g
This post is also available in German (Deutsch).
Laura says
Simply yum!! I‘ll be making this again real soon!
Melanie@Veggiejam says
Happy to hear that!
Becky says
This was super delicious - Thank you for the easy, tasty recipe! I made double so enough for another helping for dinner tomorrow. Only changes I made was I had a bag of frozen soy mince so used that, and needed a little water to loosen up the tomato puree. I will definitely make this one again soon.
Melanie@Veggiejam says
Makes me super happy to hear that you enjoyed my keema recipe! Thanks, Becky!