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Aloo keema
آلو قیمہ (aloo qeema): minced beef or lamb cooked with potatoes, peas, tomato and green chilli
Aloo keema is the dinner that turns up in Pakistani homes from Karachi to Peshawar several times a month: quick, cheap, and loved by children and grandparents alike. Mince is browned with onion, tomato and whole spices, then simmered with potato cubes and peas until the potatoes soak up the masala. It is usually eaten with hot chapati or paratha, and leftovers become a filling for sandwiches and samosas the next day. Chef's tip: keep frying the mince until all the water it releases has gone and it starts to sizzle; that's where the browned, meaty flavour comes from.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the keema
To finish
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 bay leaves and 1 cinnamon stick and let them sizzle for 30 seconds.
1 minStep 2: Add 2 onions and fry for 8 minutes until golden. Stir in 1 tbsp garlic-ginger paste for 1 minute.
9 minStep 3: Add 1 ⅛ lb beef or lamb mince and turn the heat to high. Break it up with a wooden spoon and fry for 8–10 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated and the meat browns. A common mistake is stopping when the mince just turns grey; it tastes boiled, not browned.
10 minStep 4: Add 3 tomatoes, 1 tsp chilli powder, ½ tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsp ground coriander and 1 ¼ tsp salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until the tomatoes collapse and oil appears at the edges.
5 minStep 5: Add 10 ½ oz potatoes and 1 cup water. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a knife.
15 minStep 6: Stir in 3 ½ oz frozen peas and cook uncovered for 4 minutes. The mince must be cooked through to 160°F with no pink left. Finish with 1 tsp garam masala, 2 green chillies and 3 tbsp fresh coriander and serve with chapati.
4 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does aloo keema take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
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