Lamb Keema Curry

1. Place peas in a microwave-safe container and cover loosely. Microwave until just heated through and bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and immediately cover with cold water to stop the cooking process, preserve the color, and reinflate any dimples or puckers. Set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a nonstick frying pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Stir lamb, onion, and garlic into the oil. Break up the ground lamb into morsels, stirring into the onion, garlic, and oil. Cover and begin gradually browning the lamb. Cook slowly until lamb is browned and a pool of rendered fat and liquid collects in the bottom of the pan, 10 to 20 minutes. Drain all fat, oil, and liquids.

3. Combine parsley, curry powder, cumin, garam masala, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, turmeric and pepper flakes in a bowl, then stir into the lamb mixture. Cook over low heat until spices bloom, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in potatoes, tomatoes, and jalapenos. Cover and continue cooking and stirring until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Set the lid ajar and let any liquids in the bottom of the pan steam off. Drain the peas and stir them into the keema. The keema will reheat them. Garnish individual servings with cilantro leaves.

Cook's Notes:

You can use fresh parsley instead of dried.

Alternatively, cook peas on your stovetop to the same point of doneness. Then transfer them to a bowl or container before immersing them so that the pan's residual heat won't keep cooking them.

The keema should end up looking less like a Sloppy Joe and more like the much drier contents of a loose meat sandwich, almost unsauced in appearance.