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Aloo Keema

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This is aloo keema just like you find at the best restaurants.

Aloo keema is comfort food. It can be prepared with any minced meat such as beef, chicken, turkey or lamb. Today I decided to make it with beef which is my personal favourite. Keema aloo is popular all over Indian and Pakistan and as I’m using beef, this would be an aloo keema you are more likely to find in Pakistan.

Aloo keema

What is aloo keema?

In Hindi and Urdu, ‘aloo’ means potato. Keema is minced meat that has been slowly cooked to perfection in a selection of spices. So what you are getting here is potato and minced meat curry.

About this aloo keema recipe

As you can see from the date of this recipe, it is one of the first restaurant style recipes that was featured on my blog. This is my updated recipe with step by step photographs.

Back in 2013 I was invited to a restaurant called Hasan’s in Leeds. Unfortunately, the restaurant stopped trading after the floods there a couple of years later so I feel it is my duty to keep Hasan’s delicious aloo keema recipe alive. It is so good.

At the restaurant, Hasan used chicken mince for his aloo keema. Chicken is great in a aloo keema but today I give you beef. Use whatever minced meat you like though.

What are the key ingredients in an aloo keema?

Recipes will of course vary but Punjabi aloo keema usually has most of the ingredients listed below:

  1. To make the base masala: Onions are fried in oil and then garlic, ginger and chillies are added. 
  2. The required spices: To the base masala, garam masala, ground coriander, ground cumin and turmeric are added along with Kashmiri chilli powder and/or paprika
  3. Preparing the sauce: Then chopped tomatoes and water or stock are added to bring to a simmer. This is your sauce. You can cook it down for a dry keema or add more for a keema with more sauce.
  4. Minced meat: You can add any minced meat you like to this aloo keema. Beef, lamb, mutton, turkey, chicken and venison are all good.

Which oil and how much?

The authentic Punjabi version of this recipe calls for ghee. If you have some and want to use it, this is a good recipe for it. The ghee adds a richness to the curry that is to die for. You can also use rapeseed (canola) or another neutral vegetable oil.

How much you use is up to you. I usually use a about 70ml (1/4 cup) but if you want your aloo keema to look and taste more authentic, go ahead and use 125ml (1/2 cup). This will give the curry an incredible flavour and glistening shine. 

It may not be good for you to eat that much fat but then, how often do you prepare an aloo keema? Go for it if you like.

What do you serve with aloo keema?

This curry can be served on its own. There are enough potatoes in there to give you the carbs you need so it really is a one pot dish.

If you want to make your aloo keema into a feast, why not make my Punjabi chicken samosas or beef samosas and serve them with a chutney or two? You might also like to have a go at making homemade poppadoms. If you do, you’ll never go back to shop-bought!

You could also make a good side dish or two for this traditional Punjabi curry such as Basmati rice, jeera rice or pilau rice. Onion bhajis or air-fryer onion bhajis are also a nice addition. Naans and/or chapattis won’t go amiss and don’t forget the cold lager.  The cold beer is what is lacking at many Pakistani restaurants in the UK and in Pakistan so your aloo keema experience could be so much more enjoyable if you just make it at home.

How long does aloo keema keep in the fridge?

You can store your curry in the fridge for up to 3 days. In fact, it gets better as it sits in the fridge as this allows the flavours to develop. Just wrap it tightly in clingfilm.

To reheat it, you could just place it in your microwave for a couple of minutes or heat it back up in a pan.

Can you freeze this?

Yes and it freezes really well. You can freeze it for up to 6 months with little to no loss of flavour. Some people actually say it gets better if frozen for a while.

To reheat it, just let it defrost completely and then heat it up in you microwave or in a pan.

Pro Tips

  1. Meat to Onion ratio: Be sure to use equal amounts of chopped onion and meat. This is how a traditional keema is prepared.
  2. Cooking the meat: Keema should be a smooth curry that can either be dry or have more sauce. The meat needs to be fine with no lump. This is why it is cooked in the liquid. 
  3. Cooking the potatoes: No one likes a hard potato! Be sure to cook the potatoes until they are fall apart tender. You don’t need to worry about overcooking the meat as you do this. It won’t overcook

Step by step photographs

Ingredients for the meat and potato curry

Get all your ingredients measured out and ready before you start cooking.

Infusing the whole spices in the oil in the pan.

Heat the oil or ghee over medium-high heat in a high sided frying pan. When the oil begins to glisten, add the peppercorns and cumin seeds and let them infuse into the oil for about 30 seconds.

Adding chopped onions and chillies to the pan.

Add the chopped onions and fry them for about 7 minutes or until soft, lightly browned and translucent. Then stir in the chillies.

Adding the garlic and ginger along with the ground spices.

Add the garlic and ginger paste along with the chopped green chillies and fry for a further minute, stirring regularly.

Adding the chopped tomatoes and water to the pan.

Then pour in the chopped tomatoes and about 250ml (1 cup) water or stock and bring it all to a simmer.

Adding the meat to the pan.

Add your minced meat of choice, I used beef. Stir the meat to break it down in into the sauce with your spatula.

Adding the cubed potatoes to the pan.

Stir in the diced potatoes and add another 250ml (1 cup) water or stock.

Cooking the potatoes.

Push the potatoes right down into the liquid. Bring to a simmer and then cover to cook over a medium heat until the potatoes are soft.

Simmering the curry with the lid on the pan.

Covering the pan to simmer will speed up the cooking process and help stop the sauce from going dry. Add more water if needed.

Adding chopped coriander to the curry to simmer and flavour the sauce.

Once the potatoes have cooked through, stir in about 3 tablespoons chopped coriander (cilantro) and replace the lid to simmer lightly for another 5 minutes.

aloo keema

Season with salt to taste and serve garnished with more fresh coriander (cilantro) and or red chillies.

 

If you like this aloo keema recipe, you should give some of these a try too.

Beef Keema with Tandoori Hummus
Beef Chapli Kebabs
Keema Biryani
Turmeric Tomatoes with Saffron
Lamb Keema
Railway Lamb Curry
Grilled Butter Chicken – Delhi Style
Chicken Changezi
Jeera Chicken
Pakistani Chickpea Biryani
Beef Biryani
Chicken Biryani
Beef Nihari Sandwich
Beef Haleem
Chicken Haleem

Have you tried this aloo keema?

If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.

 

 

Yield: 4

Keema Aloo

Aloo keema
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 70ml rapeseed (canola) oil
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 3 onions (about 500g/1 ¼ lbs.), finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
  • 2 green finger chillies, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 225g (1 lb.) chopped tomatoes
  • 500g (1 ¼ lbs.) minced meat such as beef, chicken or lamb
  • 375ml (1 1/2 cups) water or unsalted chicken or meat stock
  • 2 potatoes, skinned and cut into small dice
  • 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika
  • 1 small coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a high sided frying pan. When the oil begins to glisten, add the black peppercorns and cumin seeds and let them infuse into the oil for about 30 seconds.
  2. Add the chopped onions and fry them for about 7 minutes or until soft, lightly browned and translucent.
  3. Add the garlic and ginger paste along with the chopped green chillies and fry for a further minute, stirring regularly.
  4. Stir in the garam masala, ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric and chilli powder or paprika. Then pour in the chopped tomatoes and bring it all to a simmer.
  5. Add your minced meat of choice, I used beef, and pour in the water or stock. Bring this to a simmer while stirring and breaking the meat down with your spatula. The idea here is to break down any large lumps in the minced meat.
  6. Stir in the diced potatoes and place the lid on your pan. Cook for a further 10 minutes this way or until the potatoes are soft. How quickly they cook will depend on the size of your potato chunks. Check it often and add a drop more water or stock if needed.
  7. Once the potatoes have cooked through, stir in about 3 tablespoons chopped coriander (cilantro) and replace the lid to simmer lightly for another 5 minutes.
  8. Try it and add salt to taste. If you want a spicier curry, you can also add a little more chilli powder at this time. Just be sure to simmer the newly added chilli powder for a minute or so to cook out the raw flavour.
  9. When you are happy with the consistency of the sauce, your aloo keema is ready. Serve hot over rice or with naans and/or chapattis.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 391Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 391mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 28g

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Sidra

Thursday 8th of November 2018

I made this dish for my husband and his bro yesterday. In the US, ground chicken typically comes in 1 lb packages (454 g) so I halved the recipe. It was enough for 3 of us, with about half cup leftover. It was quite easy, I started at 10 and it was ready by 10:45.

In step 10 (cooking the potatoes), the heat and time aren’t specified. I had it on medium (level 5) but my BIL told me that I should have it on low heat (level 2). This step took 20 minutes. At the last step, oil did not rise and he said I put too less oil. I put 50 mL. He mixed 2 tbsp of ghee in at the end and let it cook some more. So perhaps slightly more oil can be used. I served the keema with warmed flour tortillas as a lighter alternative to naan. For Pakistani palate, spices were a little mild, We added a bit of chili garlic sauce and it was good.

Dan Toombs

Thursday 17th of January 2019

Hi Sidra

Thanks for stopping by. Great to hear you liked the recipe and were able to adjust the ingredients to your personal taste. That's exactly what this style of cooking is all about. I like the sound of your version as I love garlic and spicy curries. I tone many of my recipes down so that people, like you, can make them hotter if they choose. Thanks, Dan

Sidra

Thursday 8th of November 2018

I made this dish for my husband and his bro yesterday. In the US, ground chicken typically comes in 1 lb packages (454 g) so I halved the recipe. It was enough for 3 of us, with about half cup leftover. It was quite easy, I started at 10 and it was ready by 10:45.

In step 10 (cooking the potatoes), the heat and time aren't specified. I had it on medium (level 5) but my BIL told me that I should have it on low heat (level 2). This step took 20 minutes. At the last step, oil did not rise and he said I put too less oil. I put 50 mL. He mixed 2 tbsp of ghee in at the end and let it cook some more. So perhaps slightly bit oil can be used. I served the keema with warmed flour tortillas as a lighter alternative to naan. For Pakistani palate, spices were a little mild, We added a bit of chili garlic sauce and it was good.

Dan Toombs

Monday 21st of January 2019

Hi Sidra

Great to hear you were able to adjust the recipe. I usually make it spicier too but tone it down for the blog.

Thanks, Dan

Michele

Tuesday 29th of November 2016

This recipie is superb, we used turkey mince and it was delicious and so easy to make!

Dan Toombs

Friday 9th of December 2016

Hi Michele

Thank you very much. I love it too. I've even tried it with turkey like you. Good and healthy. :-)

Cheers, Dan

YQ

Tuesday 28th of June 2016

In the pics you mentioned the minced chicken is added after the tomatoes. However, in the recipe instruction #7-8, you mention the chicken mince goes in first then the tomatoes, I'm confused, please help! Thanks! ?

Dan Toombs

Friday 8th of July 2016

Hi

Either is fine.

Thanks, Dan

Michelle

Saturday 5th of March 2016

Made this without the green chillies for my lily-livered in-laws. Was still tasty. Might use a little less garlic next time though. Thanks for a recipe which I'll use again and again.

Dan Toombs

Thursday 10th of March 2016

Hi Michelle

Thanks for trying the recipe. Glad it worked for you. I do love my garlic. :-)

Dan

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