Ingredients
- 500g ground beef (or lamb — see Variations)
- 3 tablespoons oil or ghee
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced (fine half-moons)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped (or 1 × 400g tin, drained)
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1½ teaspoons coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Salt to taste
Whole spice tempering
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves
- 2 cardamom pods
To finish
- 1 tablespoon kasoori methi, crushed
- Fresh coriander, chopped
- Green chillies, sliced
Instructions
Prep
- Slice the onions into thin half-moons — not a dice. They'll caramelize and give the finished keema some visible texture rather than dissolving into the masala completely.
- Finely chop the tomatoes or drain a tin.
Cook
- Heat oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high. Add the whole spices if using; let them sputter for 30 seconds.
- Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden and softened — 12–15 minutes. Don't rush this; it builds the base flavour.
- Add ginger garlic paste; sauté 2 minutes until the raw smell is gone.
- Add red chilli, coriander powder, and turmeric. Stir 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they break down completely and the oil begins to separate from the masala — 8–10 minutes.
- Add the ground meat. Break up any lumps with a spoon and stir to coat with the masala.
- Cook on medium-high, uncovered, stirring every few minutes. The meat will release a lot of water — let it cook off completely. Continue until the keema looks dry and starts to sizzle and fry in the oil rather than steam. This takes 15–20 minutes and is the key step.
- Reduce to medium. Stir in garam masala and kasoori methi if using. Cook 2 more minutes.
- Taste and adjust salt. Top with fresh coriander and green chillies.
Storage
- Fridge: Up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat: In a pan with a splash of water, or microwave covered.
- Freeze: Freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat in a pan.
Variations
With peas (keema matar) — Add 1 cup frozen peas in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Don't add them early or they'll turn grey. Fresh peas take a minute longer.
With potatoes (keema aloo) — Cut 2 medium potatoes into small dice (about 1.5cm). Add them after the tomatoes have cooked down, before the meat. They'll cook through in the same time as the meat.
Lamb — Swap beef for equal-weight lamb mince. Lamb is fattier and more flavourful; a touch more garam masala at the end works well. The technique is identical.
Spice blend — Replace all dry spices with 1 packet Shan Keema Masala. Omit the individual red chilli, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala. Follow the packet's quantity guidance.
Notes
- The cook-down in step 7 is the difference between soggy and good keema. It's done when the oil visibly pools at the edges of the pan and the meat makes a frying sound rather than a steaming one.
- Goes well stuffed into a toasted bread roll (keema pav) or as a topping for naan.
Added Aug 27, 2026 · Updated Aug 27, 2026