Comfort Food: Kheemo

Growing up, this was one of my family's staple dishes. These days, it is still one of my favorite comfort foods and now even my husband, who didn't grow up on the stuff, often asks for a little "kheemo"-therapy. Kheemo is a pan-Indian dish, though it's often attributed to Punjab or Hyderabad. It consists of spiced ground beef cooked with tomatoes, potatoes and peas. Parsis generally serve it with khitchri, a rice dish made with red lentils and yellow split peas, and there's usually a yogurt raita and tomato or mango chutney to accompany.

Parsi Kheemo
1/2 kg. ground beef
one onion (chopped)
2 or 3 potatoes
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ginger paste
1 tsp. garlic paste
1 tsp. cumin seed
1 tsp. turmeric
salt to taste
4 green chilis
dash Worcestershire sauce
handful fresh coriander
1/2 cup green peas (optional)

Fry onions till golden brown. Add all spices (except cumin seed). Cook gently then add meat. Add tomatoes, potatoes, chilis and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat and simmer till potatoes are cooked.

Add fresh coriander just before serving. Serve over rice.