This Keema Lobia (ground beef & black-eyed peas curry) is an easy, dump-and-go Instant Pot keema recipe that I learned from my mother-in-law. It’s a lesser-known combination, but one that I had to share because of its ease and unique taste.

Keema Lobia on a white plate with a silver fork with rice, vegetables, and yogurt on the side

My parents-in-law have come to visit us for a bit – a common practice among spread out South Asian families. Growing up, my grandparents would come to stay for months, bringing gifts, stories, and culture. We found comfort and slowness in their presence, and I try to recreate the same with my in-laws – the homely, structured feel.

I make more of an effort around mealtimes, chopping up neglected vegetables, taking the rice out of the rice cooker, and sometimes, with the help of my mom-in-law, making two dishes for dinner (still don’t know how people do that every day).

Keema Lobia mixed with rice on a white plate with a silver fork, vegetables, and yogurt on the side

My mom-in-law teaches me things I wouldn’t think to Google, like how to cook ‘tinde’ (apple gourd) or determine if green chili peppers are dry enough for achaar. She’s swift in the kitchen – chopping everything directly into the pot, using the smallest pans possible, barely leaving any footprint or sign of effort.

There are some dishes I’m determined to learn from her because her versions are simply the best – kadhi pakora, maash ki dal, and these ‘keema beans’ as she calls them. Of course, she makes this dish a little differently every time, but here’s my best recreation of it.

Top view of Keema Lobia on a white plate with a silver fork with rice and vegetables.
A plate of Keema Lobia with a silver fork with rice, vegetables placed in front of a window.

Some Keema Lobia tips:

  • In this recipe, the ginger is added at the end. If biting into julienned or chopped pieces of ginger bothers you, feel free to crush and add them in the beginning along with the garlic.
  • You’ll notice this recipe has more oil, salt, and spice than usual. This is intentional and true to my mom-in-law’s homestyle Punjabi cooking.
  • This recipe uses pre-cooked black-eyed peas.
    • To cook 1 pound in the Instant Pot, first, soak them for 30 minutes and drain. Then pressure-cook the beans with 7 cups water on high setting for 20 minutes. Drain any excess water.
    • You can also use 1 (15.8 oz) can of drained and rinsed blackeye peas.
  • To keep the recipe extra easy, I use a food processor to chop onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Of course, you can manually chop these.
Close up of a plate of Keema Lobia mixed with rice with a silver fork and vegetables.

To Serve

Keema Lobia is wonderful with roti, but my in-laws grew up eating it with plain white basmati rice. It’s comforting either way.

P.S. Love keema? Don’t miss my Keema Matar and Aloo Keema (Ground Beef & Potato Curry).

More Instant Pot recipes:

For more ideas, check out my Instant Pot Pakistani Recipes Roundup!

5 (3 ratings)

Instant Pot Keema Lobia (Ground Beef and Black Eyed Peas Curry)

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
This spicy and delectable Instant Pot Keema Lobia curry comes together quickly and easily and has a unique, homestyle Punjabi taste.
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Ingredients 

To Pressure Cook:

  • 1 medium to large onion, cut into wedges
  • 2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges
  • 5-6 cloves garlic, cut into a couple pieces
  • 1 lb ground beef, both lean and full-fat work
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 ½-2 tsp mild red chilli powder, or to taste
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste – will need more if using kosher salt

After Pressure Cooking:

  • ¼ cup neutral oil
  • 1-1 ½ cups cooked black eyed peas, sub 1 (15.8 oz) can Blackeye peas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • 1 green chili or Serrano pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 inch ginger, chopped or julienned

Garnish:

  • 2 tbsp cilantro leaves, chopped
  • ½-1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, optional

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Add the onion, tomatoes, and garlic to a food processor and pulse to chop until a coarse mixture forms.
  • Heat the Instant Pot to High/More Sauté mode. Once hot, add the onion mixture, ground beef, cumin seeds, spice powders, and salt. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. You'll notice the mixture starts to release water.
  • Cover and pressure-cook on High for 15 minutes. You do not need to add water.
  • Allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure. Select Sauté – High/More again, and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until most of the water evaporates.
  • Add the ingredients listed under ‘After Pressure Cooking’ and continue to sauté for another 3-5 minutes, until the oil starts to release. Taste and adjust salt and spices as desired. Cancel the Sauté function and add cilantro leaves and lemon juice.
Calories: 522kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 81mg, Sodium: 970mg, Potassium: 710mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 762IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 5mg
Author: Izzah Cheema
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Pakistani