Keema matar: one label at the meat counter, 141 calories a bowl.
Keema matar is spiced ground meat with peas, and the meat does most of the talking. Buy the 95% lean pack and use 15 g of oil, and a bowl goes from 476 to 282 kcal with more protein.
- 282 kcal a serving, down from 476 for the classic, with 31 g protein, 18 g carbs and 10 g fat
- 2 swaps, each with what it does to a serving, and 2 ways to add protein, up to 39 g a serving
- 5 servings, weighed at 1,400 g when finished, from 10 USDA FoodData Central entries in the library
Classic vs lighter, per serving.
The same keema matar, made two ways from the same library entries and the same 5 servings. The lighter version is the one built on the screens below.
| Per serving | Classic | Lighter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| kcal | 476 | 282 | −194 |
| Protein g | 26 | 31 | +5 |
| Carbs g | 18 | 18 | 0 |
| Fat g | 34 | 10 | −24 |
| Saturated fat g | 10.5 | 3.2 | −7.3 |
Saturated fat comes from the same USDA entries; the recipe sheet itself shows calories, protein, carbs and fat. Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice.
Swap by swap.
Each change in turn, from the classic to the lighter version, and what it does to one serving.
1. Buy 95% lean beef, not 80/20
−141 kcal, +5 g protein, −18 g fat, −6.5 g saturated fat a serving
Same 600 g, 141 kcal and 18 g of fat less a bowl, and 5 g more protein.
2. Use 15 g of oil, not 45 g
−53 kcal, −6 g fat, −0.8 g saturated fat a serving
Lean meat needs less help in the pan. The extra 30 g was 53 kcal a bowl.
More protein, if you need it.
Hitting a protein target is the hard part for most people. Each option is added to the lighter version on its own, with what it does to a serving of 31 g protein and 282 kcal. Save the one you like as its own recipe.
Use 800 g of beef
+55 kcal, +8 g protein, +2 g fat, +0.8 g saturated fat a serving, making 39 g protein a serving
Another 200 g of 95% lean beef adds 8 g of protein a bowl for 55 kcal.
Stir in 150 g of lentils
+106 kcal, +7 g protein, +19 g carbs a serving, making 38 g protein a serving
Dry brown lentils simmered in the pot add 7 g of protein a bowl for 106 kcal, with fibre.
Ground meat: read the lean percentage, not the animal.
The number on the pack moves the calories more than the animal does. A 96/4 pack sits between the 95% and 97% entries: choose the closer one, or scan the barcode.
| Ground meat, per 4 oz raw, 113 g | kcal | Protein g | Fat g | Sat fat g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef, 80% lean (80/20) | 287 | 19 | 23 | 8.6 |
| Beef, 85% lean | 243 | 21 | 17 | 6.5 |
| Beef, 90% lean | 199 | 23 | 11 | 4.4 |
| Beef, 93% lean | 172 | 24 | 8 | 3.3 |
| Beef, 95% lean | 155 | 24 | 6 | 2.5 |
| Beef, 97% lean | 137 | 25 | 3 | 1.7 |
| Turkey, 85% lean | 203 | 19 | 14 | 3.9 |
| Turkey, 93% lean | 170 | 21 | 9 | 2.5 |
Oil and fat: the type changes the fat, the amount changes the calories.
The three oils below are each 884 kcal per 100 g, and ghee is within a few calories of them. Swapping one for another moves the saturated fat, not the calories; using less is what saves them. Butter is lower per gram only because part of it is water.
| Fat, per tablespoon, 14 g | kcal | Fat g | Sat fat g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 124 | 14 | 1.9 |
| Canola oil | 124 | 14 | 1.0 |
| Avocado oil | 124 | 14 | 1.6 |
| Ghee (butter oil) | 123 | 14 | 8.7 |
| Butter, salted | 100 | 11 | 7.2 |
The sample data
These are the amounts of the lighter version used on the screens below, with each figure taken from the library entry for that ingredient. They are sample figures for a pot or tray of this size, not a measurement of anyone's kitchen.
| Ingredient | Amount | kcal | Protein g | Carbs g | Fat g |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef, ground, 95% lean, raw | 600 g | 822 | 128 | 0 | 30 |
| Green peas, frozen | 300 g | 231 | 16 | 41 | 1 |
| Onions, raw | 250 g | 100 | 3 | 23 | 0 |
| Tomatoes, red, raw | 250 g | 45 | 2 | 10 | 1 |
| Ginger root | 15 g | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Garlic | 15 g | 22 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Olive oil | 15 g | 133 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Curry powder | 8 g | 26 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Cumin seed | 4 g | 15 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Coriander (cilantro) leaves, raw | 24 g | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Whole recipe | 1,481 g | 1,412 | 153 | 89 | 49 |
| Per serving (5) | 280 g | 282 | 31 | 18 | 10 |
Calorie and macro figures are fitness estimates, not medical or dietary advice. Ingredient values are from USDA FoodData Central, which is in the public domain.
Why this recipe
Keema matar is a good recipe to build because the dish is mostly one decision: how lean the meat is. The peas, onion and tomato barely move the total, so the pack and the pan oil are what you are really logging.
What to weigh
Weigh the meat raw, as the library entry describes it. The pot simmers down, so the sample weighs 1,400 g from 1,481 g of ingredients and a bowl is 280 g.
The full workflow, in four steps.
1. Open Create a recipe and search the library
Open Add food, choose Create a recipe and name it, then choose Add ingredient. Typing "beef ground 95%" lists the entries by lean percentage.
2. Enter the amount you weighed
Pick the 95% lean raw entry, switch to grams and enter what the scale showed. The sheet shows 822 kcal for the meat.
3. Add the rest, then set the servings and finished weight
Add the frozen peas, onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, oil, spices and cilantro, then enter 5 servings and the 1,400 g you weighed. One bowl comes to 282 kcal.
4. Save it and log a serving
Save the recipe and it becomes one of your own foods, ready to log by the bowl or any weight.
Tips while you build it
- Read the lean percentage on the pack and pick the library entry that matches. A 96/4 pack sits between the 95% and 97% entries; choose the closer one, or scan its barcode.
- Brown the meat hard before the onions go in. Lean meat takes colour well, and the colour is the flavour.
- A bowl is about 280 g. Log by weight when you are measuring, and log rice or flatbread separately.
Go further
- Using lamb? Search the library for ground lamb, save it as a second recipe and compare the per serving lines.
- Stirring in a spoon of yogurt at the end? Log it as its own food.
Each change is a second recipe with its own name, so the first stays as you built it.
Keema matar questions.
How many calories are in keema matar?
It depends on the meat and the oil. The sample comes to 282 kcal a bowl made lighter, with 31 g protein, 18 g carbs and 10 g fat, against 476 kcal with 80/20 beef and 45 g of oil.
How much does 80/20 vs 95/5 beef change?
In the sample, 141 kcal and 18 g of fat a bowl, for the same 600 g of beef across five bowls. It is the largest single swap on the page.
Can I use frozen peas?
Yes. The library entry is for frozen green peas; weigh them from the bag.
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Keep going.
- Recipe builderWhat the builder does, and every example recipe in one place.
- Indian food caloriesPer 100 g tables for the dishes the food library finds.
- Nutrition and macro trackingBarcodes, label reading, targets that follow your weigh-ins.
- Help: scan, create and recipesThe same steps in the Help Center.
Cook it once. Log it for good.
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