Heat the oven to 200c (180C fan). Bake the potatoes - this will take between 1h and 1h 30 minutes. See our potato Tip. Chop the onions into medium pieces. See our onion Tip. Finely chop the garlic. See our garlic Tip. Peel & grate the ginger, see our ginger Tip. Chop the chillies, removing the seeds and white pith if you want the keema less hot. See our chilli Tip. Squeeze the lemon(s). See our lemon Tip. Chop the mint, this is easiest with scissors. See our herb Tip. Measure out the spice mix (but not the garam masala). Put a little vegetable oil into a large frying pan or wok, and place over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and fry, stirring, until just softened and beginning to turn translucent - 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, and stir for another minute or two.
Turn the heat up slightly, and add the mince to the pan, breaking it up as you do. Also add the chillies, ginger and spice mix (but not the garam masala yet). Stir well, breaking the mince up further with your spoon. Brown the mince until it is uniform in colour, and no pink or red remains, at least 5 minutes.
Add 150-175ml water, and bring the keema to the boil over a high heat. Then turn the heat right down and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If using lamb mince, you will most likely need to skim the keema as it can be quite fatty (with beef you are less likely, and less so with most other minces). To do this, look for glossy pockets of fat on the surface of the sauce. Press a tablespoon onto the keema near any fat so it runs into the spoon. Skim into a bowl. Repeat until you are happy with the texture and fat level - this is a personal preference. Discard the fat.
Now add the peas, a little of the lemon juice, and season with salt. Stir and add another 100-125ml water. Turn the heat up and bring to the boil, then turn down again to a simmer. Cover with a lid, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the peas are tender.
You can now add the final flavourings and serve immediately, or turn the heat off and reheat the keema when you are ready to serve. It will also keep well in the fridge for a few days, or it freezes well too.
When the potatoes are done and you are ready to serve, finish the keema. Taste, and add a little more lemon juice, plus more salt, if needed. Add the garam masalas and stir well, then add the chopped mint. Stir again and cook for another few minutes. Taste again, and adjust any of the flavourings until liked.
Optional - if you keema lacks richness, as ours did today, add a jelly stock cube that ideally matches your meat, lamb in our case. But a chicken stock cube will also work well. Bring the keema back to a boil, then turn back down. (Note - your keema my not need one at all.)
Serve the baked potato topped with the crème fraiche, with the mince & peas on the side.
Enjoy!
