PAKISTANI ALOO KEEMA (GROUND BEEF AND POTATO CURRY)

 Here’s a recipe for an authentic, homestyle, just-like-grandma’s Aloo Keema – Ground Beef & Potato Curry. This is a traditional, one-pot beef keema curry recipe that’s simple, easy-to make, and gives the most tender, flavorful results!

WHAT IS ALOO KEEMA?

Aloo Keema is a iconic Pakistani & North Indian dish consisting of curried, minced or ground meat (keema) and potatoes (aloo).

Keema curry, or qeema, can be made with any meat, but Pakistani versions typically use beef (here’s a beef curry roundup if you’d like more ideas

If I had to pick one traditional dish that sort of defines my childhood, it’d be Aloo Keema. It’s not glamorous, but it’s home. 

I test, dissect, and improve each recipe several times before I declare it ‘good enough’ to go on this here blog. We’re talking blood, sweat, and tears y’all (this is a country-style recipe, go with it guys).

And when it’s such a special, close to home, memory-evoking dish like Aloo Keema, the pressure is on! (Speaking of pressure, here’s an Instant Pot version.) Let’s just say I ate way more than my share of red meat to bring you this classic, deeply flavorful, yet simple recipe of Aloo Keema.

A NOTE ON A FEW OF THE INGREDIENTS

• Ground/Minced beef – Both lean or full-fat will work in this recipe. I lightly rinse my ground beef in a strainer, then squeeze out any excess water and allow it to to sit in the strainer while I prepare the curry.
• Potatoes: The smaller you cube the potatoes, the faster they’ll cook. I generally like to cut them into 1/2″-3/4″ cubes.
• Spices: Whole spices are meant to be discarded before/during eating. If you don’t want to bite into any whole spices, feel free to omit.

HOW TO MAKE ALOO KEEMA

Aloo Keema is hard to mess up, and this recipe is particularly forgiving, adaptable, and straightforward:

INGREDIENTS

Whole Spices (Omit any you don't have)

• 1 2-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds optional
• ½ tsp whole black peppercorns

Aloo Keema

• 1/3 cup neutral oil (I use grapeseed or avocado)
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 5-6 cloves garlic (~1 tbsp) crushed
• 1 inch piece ginger (~1 tbsp) crushed
• 1 lb ground beef lean and full-fat both work, though lean is a bit more dry
• 1 large tomato (or 2 small) finely chopped
• 1-2 Serrano or Thai chili peppers sliced
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder or to taste
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste
• 2 tbsp plain, whole milk yogurt
• 1 medium to large russet potato (~250 g) peeled and cubed into 1/2" cubes

Garnishing

• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp garam masala optional
• 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp cilantro leaves chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

• at a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil, whole spices, and onions and sauté until the onions are golden brown (~8-10 min). Deglaze the pan with 2 tbsp of water.
• Once the water dries up, add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a minute. Add ground beef and cook, stirring often, until it changes color and the moisture dries up (~4-5 min). Use a wooden spatula to break up the beef into small pieces to ensure no lumps.
• Add the tomato, green chili pepper, ground spices, salt, and yogurt and continue to sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until the tomato breaks down and the oil starts to separate from the ground beef. Add the potatoes and 1/4 cup water and stir to combine.
• Lower the heat to low-medium. Cover, and allow it to cook for 23-25 minutes (depending on the thickness of potato cubes), stirring once in between. The potatoes will be very tender.
• If needed, turn the heat to high and sauté out any extra moisture. Turn off the heat and add the garam masala (if using), lemon juice, and cilantro. Give it a quick stir and serve hot with rice, roti, naan, bread, or anything else you'd like

NOTES 

The smaller you cube the potatoes, the faster they’ll cook. I generally like to cut them into 1/2″-3/4″ cubes. To prevent browning, place the cubed potato in a bowl of water.