Method
- Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Splutter cumin seeds. Add onions; cook 8 minutes until deeply caramelised.
- Add ginger-garlic paste; fry 90 seconds. Add ground spices (Kashmiri chili, turmeric, coriander, cumin) and stir 90 seconds.
- Add minced beef. Break apart and stir-fry for 6 minutes; the meat should brown and the moisture release.
- Add tomato puree and salt. Cook 4 minutes — the bhuna step where the spices, meat and tomato integrate.
- Add potato cubes. Stir to coat. Add 200ml water. Bring to a simmer; cover and cook 25 minutes until potatoes are tender and the keema has absorbed most of the moisture.
- Uncover; cook another 5 minutes if too wet. The dish should be moist but not soupy. Add slit green chilies and garam masala; cover and rest 10 minutes off heat. Garnish with cilantro and julienned ginger. Serve with chapati or naan, eaten by scooping with bread.
Common questions
Can Aloo Keema be made ahead?
Aloo Keema is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 40 minutes.
Is Aloo Keema spicy?
Aloo Keema as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Aloo Keema vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe is suitable for most diets. If you have specific restrictions, the substitutions section in each ingredient note covers the most common swaps.
How hard is Aloo Keema to make at home?
Aloo Keema is approachable for a home cook with basic stove skills — total time about 55 minutes, no special technique required.
Can Aloo Keema be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 4 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Aloo keema is the Pakistani household dish — eaten weekly in middle-class Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad homes, and the most-requested dish of children. The dish is also commonly found in lunchboxes, scooped onto chapati and rolled into a wrap. Each Pakistani family has slight variations: some add peas (matar keema), some skip potatoes (just keema), some use mutton instead of beef. The dish embodies Pakistani comfort food — substantial, mildly spiced, eaten with bread, and improving the next day.
