Spiced Minced Beef Keema with Potatoes
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen and NYT Cooking.
Aloo keema uses the classic keema spice base and method, with small potato cubes and a little water simmered alongside the tomatoes until tender. Hearty, warming and great with rolls or chapatis.
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Method
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Equipment
- large saucepan or deep frying pan (24-28 cm) with lid
- wooden spoon
- instant-read probe thermometer
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 556 kcal |
| Protein | 34.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 53 g |
| of which sugars | 9.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 4.4 g |
| Fat | 22.8 g |
| of which saturates | 6.3 g |
| Fibre | 5.7 g |
| Salt | 2.09 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
6.2 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 4 servings
Keema
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 6 black peppercorns
- 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced about 150 g
- 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 500 g beef or lamb mince (10-15% fat)
- 4.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¾ tsp
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (or 1.5 tsp sweet paprika plus a pinch of cayenne)
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 60 g whole-milk natural yoghurt
- 1 long green chilli, halved lengthwise optional
- 300 g waxy or all-rounder potatoes, peeled, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
- 100 ml water
To serve
- 15 g fresh coriander, chopped
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 4 soft white bread rolls (pav), warmed or rice or chapatis
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 1
Flavour the oil. This follows the classic keema, with potatoes simmered into the sauce. Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium heat and fry the peppercorns, cardamom and cinnamon for 30 seconds until aromatic, so their flavour infuses the oil.
- 2
Deeply brown the onion. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 8-10 minutes until richly browned. This browning adds the sweetness that balances the spices.
- 3
Fry the mince. Stir the garlic and ginger through for 30 seconds before adding the mince and salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 8-12 minutes, breaking the meat into tiny pieces, until all the liquid has cooked off, the meat sizzles and the base of the pan is dry and browned.
- 4
Stir in the spices. Add the coriander, chilli powder, turmeric and cumin and cook for 1 minute, stirring, to toast them gently in the fat.
- 5
Simmer the potatoes. Add the tomatoes, yoghurt and green chilli along with the potatoes and water, and stir until simmering. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, allowing 20-25 minutes, and a spoon drawn across the pan leaves a clear trail. The potatoes absorb the spiced sauce as they cook, and the small cubes soften in time with it.
- 6
Check temperature. Confirm that a thermometer pushed into the keema reads at least 71 °C before finishing.
- 7
Finish and serve. Fish out the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods if you wish, stir in most of the coriander and top with the garam masala and remaining coriander. Bring to the table with the warm rolls and lime wedges.
Storage
Cool within 2 hours and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat until piping hot (74 °C); freezing can make the potatoes grainy.
