Treat yourself to authentic, one-pot Pakistani aloo keema, a delicious combination of seasoned ground beef and tender potatoes sautéed in a rich blend of tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, and lots of spice. I serve the easy, homestyle meal with naan, roti, or basmati rice.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- “When in doubt, make keema” should be my family’s mantra or, at the very least, an unspoken rule because when my mother-in-law and I can’t decide what to make for dinner, we make keema.
- The mouthwatering meal is ready in less than an hour and uses simple ingredients, making it a perfect weeknight dinner. It’s one of my favorite meals to make in a hurry.
- Ground beef is something most people have sitting in the freezer, and now you know what to make with it.
- Aloo keema is an easy-to-make meal anyone can prepare.
What is Aloo Keema?
Aloo keema or qeema is a traditional dish and a staple in most Pakistani households, including ours! If you’re new to cooking Indian food, this beef and potato curry recipe is a great place to start! Keema means minced or ground in English. The ground beef (keema) and potatoes (aloo) cook together to make the ultimate easy comfort food. If you’re looking for a different way to prepare the dish, try aloo gosht, made with potatoes and tender goat.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ghee: Develop a deep, nutty flavor for the dish by sautéing the potatoes and onions in ghee.
- Potato: Experiment with different varieties of potatoes, like red potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, or fingerling potatoes. Russet potatoes work, but cut them small to ensure they cook at the same rate.
- Onion: The onions saute with the ground beef, garlic, ginger, tomato, and keema spices for additional flavor.
- Ginger: I love how the freshly minced ginger cooks alongside the beef. And because I like it so much, bites with fresh ginger are the best.
- Green Chiles: Simmer the green chiles with the ground beef for heat that doesn’t overpower the dish. You can chop the chiles if you want it more spicy.
- Roma Tomato: Puree the fresh tomatoes in a blender or food processor before adding them to the dish to reduce the cooking time. In a pinch, include a ½ can of diced tomatoes or chop the fresh tomatoes and sweat them down over low heat. However, the process may increase the cooking time.
- Keema Masala: Season the ground beef with coriander powder, ground cumin, turmeric powder, Kashmiri chili powder (cayenne pepper), black pepper, kosher salt, and homemade garam masala. Keema is one of those meals I make on the fly in our home, so if I am in a hurry, I use store-bought Keema Masala simply out of ease.
- Ground Beef: I use ground beef, but you can replace it with chicken, lamb, or mutton. Use Beyond Meat or lentils for a vegetarian option.
- Cilantro: Brighten and flavor the dish with fresh cilantro.
What is Keema Made Out Of?
Aloo Keema is a versatile meal, so feel free to get creative. Ground beef (beef keema) is the most popular meat option in Pakistan and North India.
Other variations include ground chicken (chicken keema), ground goat (mutton keema), and ground lamb (lamb keema). You can also use ground turkey. The most common vegetables to include are potatoes (aloo keema) and peas (matar keema) or a combination of the two (aloo matar keema).
How to Make Aloo Keema
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Warm the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Then, add the cubed potatoes and cook until they turn golden brown for about 15 minutes. Set them aside.
Step 2: In the same pan, add the onions, garlic, ginger, and chilies; saute until the onions become translucent and soften, for about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Stir in the coriander powder, cumin, Kashmiri chili powder, salt, turmeric, black pepper, and garam masala. Continue cooking for another minute.
Step 4: Increase the heat and add the ground beef, breaking it up with a meat chopper until finely minced. Cook the beef until brown and heated through for about 10 minutes.
Step 5: Pour in the tomato puree and increase to high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Step 6: Stir in the reserved potatoes and add cilantro.
Step 7: Garnish with fresh ginger and serve with naan, roti, or basmati rice.
Expert Tips
- If using lean ground beef, consider adding more ghee or a little water if the mixture appears dry. The desired texture for keema is a nice glaze.
- I rely on a cooking technique called ‘bhunning’ for this aloo keema recipe. During the cooking process, the ground meat cooks over high heat and fries alongside tomatoes and warm spices until it reduces and the ghee escapes to the sides, resulting in a highly concentrated and flavorful dish.
- Use a wok, heavy-bottomed pan, or karahi to cook the ground beef; this will help regulate the high heat as the meal cooks.
If you love this recipe, try one of these ground beef recipes!
Serving Suggestions
- Bread: Naan, Roti, Paratha, Chapati
- Rice: Basmati Rice, Yakhni Pulao
- Salad: Avocado Cucumber Tomato Salad, Chickpea Salad
- Sauce: Raita, Green Chutney
What to do with the Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze – Let the dish cool, and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Aloo keema freezes for 2-3 months.
- Thaw – When you’re ready to eat, defrost it in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat – Warm leftovers on the stovetop and prepare your sides.
What Dishes Can Be Made from Keema?
- Add boiled or scrambled eggs to the leftovers and serve it with paratha and mango achar; this combination is a go-to for breakfast or brunch in our family.
- Prepare keema samosas by adding the keema mixture to an egg roll wrapper. Wrap it into a triangular shape and bake it for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Serve the keema on sandwich bread or a tortilla for a quick lunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make aloo keema in the Instant Pot?
1. Warm ghee in an Instant Pot on saute mode.
2. Add potatoes and cook until they become golden brown for about 15 minutes. Set them aside.
3. The the same Instant Pot, fry the onions, garlic, ginger, and chilies until the onions become translucent and soften for about 8 minutes.
4. Stir in the coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder, black pepper, kosher salt, and Garam Masala. Continue cooking for another minute.
5. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a meat chopper until finely minced. Cook until brown and heated through for about 10 minutes.
6. Pour in the tomato puree and give it a quick stir. Secure the lid, and set the Instant Pot to manual low pressure for 8 minutes, then release the pressure.
7. Stir in the reserved potatoes and cilantro.
8. Garnish with ginger and serve with naan, roti, or basmati rice.
How to get rid of the keema smell?
You can use lean ground beef, which can have less of a smell than ground beef with higher fat content. And don’t skip a process called bhunna, where you fry the keema over high heat while stirring until the water releases from the beef. Then, continue frying until the liquid evaporates. Not only does this step alleviate the smell, but it deeply flavors the meat. I use the same technique for other meat dishes like chicken karahi and bhuna gosht.
More Pakistani Recipes:
Aloo Keema
- ½ tablespoon ghee
- 3-4 small yukon gold potatoes, ¼ – inch cubes
- ½ medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 – inch ginger, peeled and finely minced, plus thin batons to garnish
- 1-2 green chiles, slit lengthwise
- 2 medium Roma tomatoes, pureed
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, coarse ground
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 pound ground beef, finely minced
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped, plus more to garnish
- Warm the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Then, add the cubed potatoes and cook until they turn golden brown for about 15 minutes. Set them aside.
- In the same pan, add the onions, garlic, ginger, and chiles; saute until the onions become translucent and soften, for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the coriander powder, cumin, Kashmiri chili powder, salt, turmeric, black pepper, and garam masala. Continue cooking for another minute.
- Increase the heat and add the ground beef, breaking it up with a meat chopper until finely minced. Cook the beef until brown and heated through for about 10 minutes.
- Pour in the tomato puree and increase to high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Stir in the reserved potatoes and add cilantro. Garnish with fresh ginger and serve with naan, roti, or basmati rice.
- If using lean ground beef, consider adding more ghee or a little water if the mixture appears dry. The desired texture for keema is a nice glaze.
- I rely on a cooking technique called ‘bhunning’ for this aloo keema recipe. During the cooking process, the ground meat cooks over high heat and fries alongside tomatoes and warm spices until it reduces and the ghee escapes to the sides, resulting in a highly concentrated and flavorful dish.
- Use a wok, heavy-bottomed pan, or karahi to cook the ground beef; this will help regulate the high heat as the meal cooks.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
apkmodguru
Thursday 25th of January 2024
I do not expect that your recipe will be easy. I will try it. I found your content very easy to read. Thank you for this.
Tressa Jamil
Thursday 25th of January 2024
When you decide to make it, let me know what you think. And feel free to send me a message with any questions you have about the recipe.
Roma
Saturday 4th of June 2022
Love keema matter aloo. This is a fantastic recipe.
Tressa Jamil
Tuesday 7th of June 2022
Yes, keema matar is amazing also.
Bianca
Friday 3rd of June 2022
This is pure comfort food! Absolutely loved it.
Tressa Jamil
Friday 3rd of June 2022
It's one of those meals that make you feel at home, for sure.
Giangi
Tuesday 31st of May 2022
Thank you for the very easy instructions to follow. We all loved this dish and my family wanted more.
Tressa Jamil
Friday 3rd of June 2022
Keema is one of our family's go-to meals; I am glad they enjoyed it.
Olga Veiga Gonzalez
Monday 30th of May 2022
Seems delicious and easy to make! I will try this for sure
Tressa Jamil
Friday 3rd of June 2022
Be sure to let us know what you think when you've made it!