Thu 17 Jul 2008
Keema (aka kheema or qeema) is a flavorful minced meat (beef or lamb) dish said to have originated in Persia but extremely popular in the Indian sub-continent. Other meats such as mutton, chicken or turkey can also be used in this recipe. Try this delicious version with matar or mutter (green peas). You’ll be surprised how easy it is to make.
Ingredients:
Oil – 2 Tbsp
Bay Leaf – 1
Cinnamon Stick – 1 inch piece
Black Cardamom – 1
Green Cardamom – 2
Whole Cloves – 2
Onion – 1 large, finely chopped
Ginger – 2 tsp, minced
Garlic – 2 tsp, minced
Green Chilies – to taste, finely chopped
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder – to taste
Salt – to taste
Coriander Powder – 2 tsp
Cumin Powder – 1 tsp
Tomatoes – 2 large, pureed
Ground (Minced) Meat – 1 pound, any variety
Frozen Green Peas – 1/2 cup
Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp
Water – 1/2 cup or little more
Cilantro – finely chopped for garnishing
Method:
1. Heat Oil in a medium non-stick pan on medium heat.
2. Add Bay Leaf, Cinnamon Stick, Black Cardamom, Green Cardamom and Whole Cloves. Stir for 30 seconds.
3. Add Onions and a little salt, mix well, cover and cook for about 15 minutes stirring frequently.
4. Add Ginger and Garlic, mix well and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes until Onions turn brown and oil starts to separate from the mixture.
5. Add Green Chilies and Tomatoes, mix well, cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Be sure to stir a few times in between.
6. Remove cover and continue to cook until oil starts to separate from the mixture again.
7. Add Red Chili Powder, Turmeric Powder, Coriander Powder and Cumin Powder. Mix well and switch off stove.
8. Add the above Masala to a pressure cooker and add washed and drained ground meat. Mix well and cook until the color of the meat starts to change.
9. Add water and salt, mix well, close the pressure cooker lid and cook for 1 whistle on medium heat.
10. After the first whistle sounds, reduce the flame to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 minutes. More whistles may sound and that is OK.
11. Remove pressure cooker from heat and allow the pressure to go down before opening the lid.
12. Add Green Peas (cooked in the microwave for 1 minute with a little water) and Garam Masala and cook for 2-3 mintues.
13. Garnish with fresh Cilantro.
14. Serves 4
Tip: Save over half the cooking time with ready made masala. Watch our “How to make Masala (in Bulk)” video.
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Orkut
July 26th, 2008 at 4:25 am
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
Simply mouth watering!
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Phil Reply:
August 9th, 2011 at 5:30 pm
I was a cook in the British army for over six years and I’ve never cooked a curry as good as this recipe, mouthwatering and unbelievably simple.
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hetal Reply:
August 10th, 2011 at 8:21 pm
Thanks for the feedback Phil!
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October 10th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
if you don’t have a pressure cooker, for how long should you cook it for?
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October 11th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Unfortunately, we don’t know how long it would take to make the Keema-Matar without a pressure cooker. And if you are not using one, I would suggest using some kind of tenderizer to speed up the process just a little bit. Also, I would cook it a pan that has a tight lid and cook on low heat to cook the meat through and through.
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October 23rd, 2008 at 3:19 pm
what can u eat this with?
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November 2nd, 2008 at 1:25 am
RE: No pressure cooker – I made keema quite often without a pressure cooker, just in a large, open pot. Steps 1 – 7 are pretty much the same – after the onions are browned and the herbs aromatic, I add the beef and cook until browned. Then, instead of only 1/2 a cup of water, I use about 2 and a half to 3 C of hot water with a cube of beef bouillon soaked in, and I simmer everything on medium-low, stirring occasionally.
The cooking takes about an hour or an hour and 15 minutes, until the meat has soaked up all of the water. You can add a bit of butter (1 Tbsp) about halfway through. Steps 12-14 are also the same.
I usually serve this over basmati rice, with pickle and naan. Bindi is a good accompaniment, or potatoes and cauliflower.
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Ritu Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 4:46 am
I have never used a pressure cooker for preparing kheema and it comes out so delicious, also I don’t add the black ilaychi to it. Yogurt (curd) which is one important ingredient in kheema is also missing!
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November 16th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
you ladies are great, keep up the good work !!
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March 5th, 2009 at 1:53 am
Anuja,hetal,
If I use soybean granules in place of keema, should i still pressure cook it?
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March 6th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Hi Bindu,
The soy granules (dry), you can follow the instruction on the box and soak them and then pressure cook them. They taste a lot better and absorb a lot more flavor.
The soy granules that you get at American grocery stores, in freezer section, do not need to be pressure-cooked. After making the masala, add the soy and a little water and cook till the soy starts softening up (don’t let the say dry out, it’ll get rubbery). Add peas and cook for another few minutes and it’s done:)
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April 10th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Hi guys,
Want to try this recipe with chicken, do i still have to pressure cook it for 20mins or less since here the chicken gets done so fast.
thanks.
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hetal Reply:
April 10th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
If you use chicken, you do not even need to use a pressure cooker. Just cook the chicken in a covered pan until done.
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April 11th, 2009 at 8:51 am
Thanks for the prompt reply. After we add chicken, we wait till the color change, in this case with all the masala, its hard to tell when its done so could you pls tell me, roughly how long would i have to cover and cook to make sure its fully cooked. With bones or breasts its easy to see but with keema mixed with masala, w/o tasting it, its hard to tell.
Thanks.
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anuja Reply:
April 14th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Once the chicken is in the pan, even with all the masalas, you will be able to see a color change.
Make sure the keema does not lump up, use your ladle and keep seperating the chicken. Once the chicken is all seperated, cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Hope that helps!
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April 13th, 2009 at 12:51 am
Hi Hetal/Anuja,
I do not have a pressure cooker which whistles, how long do i need to cook the meat for it to be approximately equal to 1 whistle?
regards,
Sukesh
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anuja Reply:
April 14th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Without a pressure cooker, it’ll take about 1 hr to 1:15 min.
A lot depends on the meat and wheather it is fine ground or coarsely ground. Also, it will need more water than what is mentioned in the recipe. So keep adding a little water at a time, cook covered, stir occasionally and allow it to cook.
The other option is that you try to get some tenderizer, it will reduce your cooking time by about 15-20 min.
Hope that helps!
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May 18th, 2009 at 12:32 am
Hi Hetal/Anuja,
I just made this receipe with ground turkey burger and it came out great!!! I also do not have a pressure cooker but I cooked my turkey burger separate from the Masala mixture then added it all together. I also used can peas and the juice from it in place of water. My husband liked it and so did others who had never tasted indian food before…Thanks so much.
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June 16th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I just wanted to say thank you so much for this recipe, i have made it before and Iam back for more as forgot how to make it.
Im so glad i found your website as i was looking for punjabi recipes as obviosly I m punjabi and thats all i know because of my mum and every time i cook something its never right! Oh but my mum got a real surprise as its always right these days hee hee heee hee hee I have not told her my secret yet showmethe curry.com. Hip hip hooray !
Big Cuddle to both of you ! X
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Jessica Reply:
August 6th, 2009 at 3:31 am
Hi,
I was just wondering what are the ingredients of the garam masala that you use? I’m kind of new to Indian cooking so that’s why I don’t know. Thanks so much and I would appreciate it if you replied soon. God bless!
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August 6th, 2009 at 3:38 am
Hi,
I was just wondering what are the ingredients of the garam masala that you use? I’m kind of new to Indian cooking so that’s why I don’t know. Thanks so much and I would appreciate it if you replied soon. God bless!
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hetal Reply:
August 6th, 2009 at 4:16 am
Hi Jessica,
Basic ingredients for garam masala are cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaves. Each different brand you purchase will have these plus a host of other ingredients mixed in (black peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mace, etc). Garam masala also differs from region to region. I would suggest trying a couple of different brands to see which one you prefer…after all, your taste matters most.
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December 18th, 2009 at 12:48 am
hi, i had a question for you, what will be the quantity of ingredients, if one is making this recipe for 10 people? also, including some other spices like curry powder?
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December 18th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
hi, still awaiting for an answer to my question. also, why is it important to cover and cook the keema, cant i cook it uncovered?
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March 28th, 2010 at 5:49 am
Thanks a lot for the receipe. I cooked kheema for my mom and she was very happy.
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January 23rd, 2011 at 3:42 pm
Hello,
Thank you for the recipe! When you puree a tomato, do you just run it through a food processor or blender? Do you core and skin the tomato first? Also, and this is kind of a silly question, what does it mean when you talk about the oil separating from the tomatoes or onions? I hear this expression a lot but don’t know what I’m looking for.
Thank you for the recipe and for all of your help!
Ann Marie
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OtherSilentBob Reply:
August 28th, 2011 at 12:23 am
Hello Ann Marie,
I just made this and used 4 Roma tomatoes. I just cut them into large pieces and used and immersion/stick blender to puree them.
The goal is to cook out the moisture from the onions and tomatoes which concentrates and deepens the flavors. While you are cooking the onions or tomatoes, you will reach a point where you will see them getting dryer and deepen in color and you see the oil start to come out of them. It may take a while, and you may have to adjust the heat. You don’t want them to burn. You are building flavors. Keep giving them a stir, and be patient…you will be rewarded.
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March 21st, 2011 at 12:06 pm
Loved this recipe… it turned out very good last week… your video is very useful for a new cook… Thanks a lot for all your recipes.
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August 28th, 2011 at 12:03 am
Namaste! Thanks for all your great recipes! Everything I have made from your site has been delicious and comforting.
I am a vegetarian and made the Keema with vegetarian ‘burger’ crumbles and it worked really well!
Thanks again!
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hetal Reply:
August 30th, 2011 at 3:14 pm
Thanks for the feedback! Glad you are enjoying our show!
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January 25th, 2012 at 9:00 pm
Made this this evening. Didn’t use a pressure cooker but followed all other steps. Was pleasantly surprised… Very tasty. Will be using your site again. Thank you.
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