Keema is a delicious way to spice up ground lamb or beef. If you want to add some big Indian flavour to ground meat this is how.
Keema means ground meat in Hindi. It can be any ground meat. Lamb, beef, goat or even chicken.
So it probably doesn’t help that this recipe is named the way it is. Not so precise. But I didn’t name it. I just cook it.
Think hamburger helper done right. Beef or lamb with a nice dose of spice. Just enough to make sure it’s perfect when you use it in a curry. Or as a filling to some crazy tasty Indian appetizers.
Spice your keema properly
This recipe is written to be used in another dish. As an ingredient. For samosas. Or in a curry. It’s a little under spiced to stand on its own.
If you’re using it straight up you need to up the spice. Maybe add some chili powder. Wake it up. That’s covered in the notes. Just up the quantities and you’re good to go.
You can take it even further if you want. Toss in a little green chili along with the garlic ginger paste. Cilantro. Diced fresh tomatoes.
Nobody will come to arrest you. The keema police are busy elsewhere. Do what works for you.
Have fun with this recipe. It’s hard to go wrong. So make it your own. You may surprise yourself.
Keema is incredibly versatile
You can serve keema straight up with Indian flatbreads. It’s a dry curry so it works. Makes a fun meal. A little spiced lamb and some cucumber salad on a paratha. That’s good living.
Or use it as an ingredient in dishes like aloo keema or keema matar. Mixed with spinach. As a filling for killer samosas. Getting the idea? So many ways to use it.
You could even use it as pre-cooked meat in most of the Indian restaurant style recipes on this blog. Keema madras or jalfrezi. Maybe not conventional. But tasty. Very, very tasty.
Jalfrezi really works well. Could become a thing. Peppers and onions mixed with savoury ground meat. Like an Indian twist on chili. Totally different flavours though.
Don’t bring it to a chili cook off. People won’t understand. Their loss…
This is an easy recipe. But there’s a couple of things to keep in mind. Be ready with your prep. Have everything ready before you start cooking.
Measure out your spices. Have all the ingredients by the stove. It goes fast. So be ready.
Blooming the spices is key. To Indian cooking in general. And to this recipe as well. Blooming spices just means frying the spices in oil.
Something wonderful happens when you do that. Everything opens up. You know the aroma you smell when you walk past an Indian restaurant? That’s what happens when you bloom spices.
So don’t skimp on the oil. You need it to keep the spices from burning. Frying spices is not the same thing as scraping burnt spices in a dry pan. You don’t ever want to try that. So add enough oil. Trust me on that.
This recipe works well with beef or lamb. I like lamb better. But go with what you like.
Lamb is a little richer tasting. More complex. Beef is just in your face delicious. Don’t make it with lean beef though. You need a bit of extra fat for flavour. Nobody wants dry, crumbly keema.
Whatever you choose, try not to break it up too much. Little chunks is way better than micro-grains.
How’s that for a description? Micro-grains of meat. Not appetizing sounding is it? I think I’ve made my point. Chunks good. Micro-grains. Not so much.
The Indian ground meat dish everyone should know how to make.
What is Keema meat?
The word ‘Keema” means minced meat and it is one of the popular meat choices for quick Indian dishes. Ground meat cooks quickly and is widely available. You can also grind it up at home using a meat grinder attachment with your stand mixer. Here are some useful notes about the ingredients.
What is Keema & how to eat it?
Keema is a dish made of minced meat, onions, tomatoes, spices & herbs. This recipe will yield a delicious dish which be eaten with rice, or can be stuffed in sandwiches, wraps & naan. Heat a pan with oil and add the whole spices – bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms.
What meat is used in Keema Curry?
The Mughals are said to have brought this keema curry and a lot of other meat dishes, such as Mughlai chicken, to the Indian subcontinent from the Persian region. Kheema can be made with minced mutton, lamb, beef, turkey, or chicken. They each add a unique taste to the curry. So make keema curry with any minced meat you have on hand.
Is Keema vegetarian?
Keema makes a good weeknight meal with some rice and naan, and you don’t need any time for marination. If you are looking for a good vegetarian recipe, see Meera Sodha’s vegetarian keema in The Guardian. While the word keema simply means ground or minced meat, when you see a traditional keema recipe, it refers to a curry with ground meat.