• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Tea for Turmeric

Authentic South Asian Cooking for the Modern Kitchen

  • Home
  • Recipe Type
    • Breakfast
    • Drinks
    • Snacks & Sides
    • Instant Pot
    • Gluten-Free Flatbreads
    • Main Dishes
    • Dessert
  • Shop
    • Food Items
    • Kitchen Appliances
    • Kitchen Organization
    • Utensil and Gadgets
  • About Me
  • Contact

March 7, 2019

Pakistani Aloo Keema (Ground Beef and Potato Curry)

Share30
Pin140
Tweet
Flip
Yum9
179 Shares
Jump to recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my privacy policy here.

Here’s a recipe for an authentic, homestyle, just-like-your-grandma’s (if your grandma happens to be Pakistani) Aloo Keema. This is a traditional, one-pot recipe that’s simple, easy-to make, and gives the most flavorful results!

Aloo Keema with basmatic rice garnished with cilantro, green chilies, sliced onion and lemon wedges on a round white plate with a silver fork.

What is Aloo Keema?

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

Keema, or qeema, can be prepared in a variety of ways (check out my beef curry roundup here) and is often paired with vegetables. Aloo Keema is a classic combination that’s deeply flavorful, comforting, and it just happens to be my favorite.

Aloo Keema with roti and lemon wedges on a speckled plate.

It’s taken me a long time to share this recipe. If you’ve been following Tea For Turmeric, you know I always 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!) I tested, perfected, and ate way more than my share of red meat to bring you this reliable, delectable, yet simple recipe of Aloo Keema.

Aloo Keema with roti and lemon wedges on a speckled plate.

How to make Aloo Keema

This is a very forgiving, adaptable, and straightforward recipe.

  1. First, you sauté the onions along with the whole spices until golden. Then you add in the garlic, ginger, and ground beef and continue to sauté so that the beef changes color and the moisture begins to evaporate.
  2. Next, you simply add in tomatoes, ground spices, salt, and yogurt while continuing to sauté.
  3. Add the potatoes along with a bit of water, cover, and let it cook until the potatoes are tender. Garnish with the usual suspects – garam masala, cilantro, and lemon.
Close up of Aloo Keema with roti and lemon wedges on a speckled plate.

A few notes and tips:

  1. I typically 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.
  2. The smaller you cube the potatoes, the faster they’ll cook. I generally like to cut them into 1/2″-3/4″ cubes.
  3. I’ve added 1/4 cup water before covering and allowing to cook, but feel free to add more if you’re afraid it’ll stick to the bottom. I grew up eating a dry version, but you can always increase the ‘curry’ by adding more water.
  4. The ingredient list may seem long, but the majority of it is spices. Since this dish is all about comfort, you’ll notice I’m generous with the spices, salt, and oil. Feel free to adjust these to taste.
  5. 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.
Aloo Keema with roti and lemon wedges on a speckled plate.

How to Serve Aloo Keema

Sometimes we like to serve it with some crunchy vegetables like red onions or cucumber, but it’s so flavorful that it doesn’t really need much enhancement. In terms of pairing, aloo Keema pairs well with just about anything:

  • Naan
  • Roti or Paratha (mmm!)
  • Basmati Rice
  • Good old’ sandwich bread

I hope you get a chance to try this recipe! If you do, let me know in the comments below! If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I love hearing from you!

More Keema (Ground Beef) Recipes for you to try:

Keema Matar (Ground Beef & Potato Curry)
Beef Kofta Curry (Meatball Curry)
Shami or Seekh Kabab

Aloo Keema (Ground Beef and Potato Curry)

Izzah Cheema
Here’s a recipe for an authentic, homestyle, Pakistani & North Indian style Ground Beef and Potato curry – Aloo Keema. This is a traditional, one-pot recipe that’s simple, easy-to make, and gives the most flavorful results!
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 50 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian, Pakistani
Servings 4

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 ground garam masala optional
  • 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp cilantro leaves chopped

Instructions
 

  • Heat 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).
  • Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a minute. Add ground beef and cook, stirring often, until it changes color and most of 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 495kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 22gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 988mgPotassium: 742mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 352IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 4mg
Keyword Aloo Keema
Did you try this recipe?Please let me know in the comments below. If you’re on Instagram, I’d love for you to tag me so I can see your creations.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nicole Basic says

    November 4, 2020 at 8:49 pm

    5 stars
    Made this tonight – mashaAllah it was so so good! I’ve been looking for a good, simple ground beef dish to keep on rotation in our house, alhamdulillah! Thanks for the recipes and the tips!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      November 4, 2020 at 8:51 pm

      So glad to hear that. Thanks so much for such a nice review, Nicole!

      Reply
  2. LPS says

    October 27, 2020 at 4:43 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! This is an easy dish with wonderful, vibrant flavors. I will be making this dish again very soon.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      October 27, 2020 at 6:32 pm

      Yay! Thank you!!

      Reply
  3. Nimrah says

    September 30, 2020 at 4:36 pm

    Izzah, I know for your mattar keema you mentioned adding aaloo, but what if we wanted to add mattar to this recipe? When would we do that? I made this as is and omg couldnt stop tasting it as I waited for the kids!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      October 3, 2020 at 9:55 am

      Thanks so much, Nimrah! You can add them after 15 minutes of cooking the aloo keema. If you don’t mind them very well done, I would just add the frozen peas along with the potatoes.

      Reply
  4. Andrea says

    September 8, 2020 at 10:27 pm

    5 stars
    This was delicious! It turned out a little lighter than yours, but the flavors were still amazing and it was so easy to make. Next time I’ll cut my potatoes a bit smaller, but even with having to cook this twice as long the meat definitely was not overcooked. It’s in my regular rotation now

    Reply
  5. Nancy says

    August 27, 2020 at 3:50 pm

    This sounds delicious! Would love to try it- do you recommend cooking the potatoes separate? I worry if the potatoes take too long to cook my meat will overcook.

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      August 27, 2020 at 7:49 pm

      I don’t recommend cooking them separately because they get infused with lots of flavor within the curry. Keema is typically very well cooked and hard to overcook. If you’re worried about it sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a bit of water before covering to cook. Hope that helps and hope you get to try it!

      Reply
  6. Foodie says

    August 8, 2020 at 11:13 pm

    So delicious and so full of flavorI I never knew keema aloo could come together so easily! Thank you!

    Reply
    • teaforturmeric says

      August 11, 2020 at 12:39 pm

      Thank you 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

If you enjoy this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating along with your comment. Not only do your reviews make my day, but they help others find my recipe online.

Thank you!
Izzah

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Looking for something?

Izzah tea For turmeric

Hi! I’m Izzah, and I look forward to brightening your day with good food and good vibes. Here you'll find tested & perfected South Asian recipes that are easy-to-follow yet authentic in taste!

More About Me

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Search By Category

Saver Award Finalist Badge

Copyright © 2021 Tea For Turmeric • Privacy Policy

Support by Foodie Digital