• 1 pound ground meat (such as lamb or beef)
• 1 cup water
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise pod
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 (2-inch) knob of ginger, peeled and cut into disks
• 1 small hot pepper, such as Serrano or japlapeño, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground cumin seed
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground dried chili (such as kashmiri powder, or any other spicy chili powder you’d like)
• 1 large beefsteak tomato, cut in half
• ½ pound shelled fresh peas or frozen peas, thawed
• Big handful chopped fresh cilantro

Step 1
Combine the meat and water in a bowl and squeeze with your fingers to make a kinda loose meat sludge. Wash your hands and set the meat aside.

Step 2
Heat butter in a wok or Dutch oven until melted. Add the onion, cinnamon stick, star anise pod, and bay leaves and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until onion is deeply browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and minced hot pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ground spices and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Step 3
Hold the cut-side of one tomato half against the large holes of a box grater with the open palm of your hand against its skin. Grate the tomato directly into the wok, leaving the skin behind. Stir the wok, then add the meat/water mixture and stir again.

Step 4
Cook, covered, until the sauce has reduced to a rich gravy, about 12 minutes. Stir in peas and cook for a minute longer, then stir in the cilantro. Serve.