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Keema balti with naan

Keema balti with naan

The keema balti brings together tender lamb mince, onion, ginger, garlic, chilli, pepper and a blend of aromatic spices. Finished with butter and fresh coriander, this curry is perfectly paired with soft, blistered naan bread brushed with ghee and sprinkled with crushed fenugreek leaves.

Prep: 1-2 hours
Cook: 30 mins to 1 hour
Serves: 4 serves
Dietary: Egg-free, Nut-free
Saturday Kitchen Chef photoBy Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes

Nutri-Score D The lamb mince and ghee add fat, while the naan bread brings refined carbs, making this keema balti rich and indulgent. Treat it as a comforting, spiced curry that works well as a hearty main with charred homemade naan.

Estimated nutrition (per serving, 4): kcal ~680–780, fat ~32–42g, saturated fat ~12–16g, carbs ~62–74g, sugars ~8–12g, fibre ~5–7g, protein ~28–34g.

Equipment

Ingredients

For the naan

  • 7g dried yeast
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 500g/1lb 2oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp natural yoghurt
  • 2 tbsp ghee, plus extra for brushing
  • 200–300ml/7–10fl oz warm water
  • 2 tsp crushed fenugreek leaves, to serve

For the keema balti

  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 green chillies, chopped
  • ½ large red pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp dried fenugreek
  • 1 tbsp Kashmiri or Bassar curry powder
  • ½ tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • 400g/14oz lamb mince
  • 100g/3½oz tomato purée
  • 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • 1 cooked potato, peeled and chopped into 1cm/½in pieces
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 150ml/5fl oz water
  • Fresh coriander, to serve

Method

Make the naan dough (prep: 15 mins, prove: 1 hour)

  1. Activate yeast with warm water and sugar. To make the naan, mix 200–300ml/7–10fl oz warm water with the yeast and caster sugar in a mixing bowl to activate. This starts the yeast and creates the base for your soft, charred homemade naan dough.
  2. Stir in flour, salt, yoghurt and ghee. Stir in the plain flour and salt, then the yoghurt and ghee until it forms a dough. Knead for 10 minutes then cover and prove for around an hour, or until doubled in size. Kneading develops the gluten for fluffy naan bread, and proving makes it light and tender.

Cook the keema balti (cook: 35–45 mins)

  1. Fry onion slowly for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, to make the keema balti, heat the vegetable oil in a frying or balti pan over a low heat. Add the onion and fry for 20 minutes. Slow frying softens the onion and sweetens it for the keema balti base.
  2. Add ginger, garlic, chilli and pepper. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli and cook for 2–3 minutes. Add the pepper and cook for a further 5 minutes. These aromatics build layers of flavour for your keema balti lamb mince curry.
  3. Add spices and brown the lamb. Add all of the spices and cook for a minute before adding the minced lamb. Brown lightly and then add the tomato purée and 150ml/5fl oz water. The spices infuse the lamb mince with aromatic keema balti flavour.
  4. Simmer 15 minutes and add tomatoes and potato. Simmer gently for 15 minutes before adding the tomatoes and potato. Taste, season with salt and pepper and keep warm. Simmering lets the lamb mince become tender and the sauce thicken for your keema balti.
  5. Stir in butter and garnish. Stir the butter into the keema balti and garnish with coriander. The butter adds richness and the coriander adds freshness to finish the keema balti lamb mince curry.

Cook the naans (cook: 5 mins)

  1. Knock back dough and divide. Knock back the naan dough and divide into 4 balls. Knocking back releases excess air and divides the dough for even naan bread sizing.
  2. Preheat grill and roll dough. Preheat the grill to high. On a lightly floured surface, roll the balls of dough into teardrop shapes using a rolling pin. Lightly dampen one side of the dough with water. Rolling creates the classic teardrop naan shape and dampening helps it stick to the pan.
  3. Blister naan in hot pan. Heat a dry ovenproof frying pan until very hot and lay the wet side of the naan into the pan to blister. This starts the char and blister for your homemade naan.
  4. Grill to blacken top. Place the naan, still in the pan, under the hot grill to blacken and blister the top, this should take 1–2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining naans. The grilling gives the naan its signature charred, blistered finish.
  5. Brush with ghee and sprinkle fenugreek. When all of the naans are cooked, brush with more melted ghee and sprinkle with salt and fenugreek. The ghee and fenugreek add richness and aromatic flavour to your charred homemade naan.
  6. Serve keema balti with naans. Serve with the naans alongside. The soft, charred naan is perfect for scooping up the rich keema balti lamb mince curry.

Helpful tip: Fry the onion slowly for 20 minutes to sweeten it – this makes all the difference in the keema balti base. The charred homemade naan should be blistered and blackened for the best texture to scoop up the rich lamb mince curry.

  • Shop-bought naan instead of homemade? Yes; toast store-bought naan under a hot grill, but homemade naan is softer and more aromatic for keema balti.
  • Can I make it without lamb mince? Yes; use beef mince or chicken mince, but lamb gives the classic rich keema balti flavour.
  • Don’t have ghee? use vegetable oil or butter, but ghee gives the naan its signature rich, aromatic taste.

 

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