Ask any Pakistani kid about their favourite dinner and aloo keema will come up more often than biryani. It's the quiet workhorse of our kitchens — no ceremony, no whole spices to fish out, just brown, simmer, eat.
My mother's version leans a little heavier on the tomatoes and finishes with a squeeze of lemon. Both are non-negotiable. So is a stack of hot, floppy chapati and a plate of sliced onions with green chilli on the side.
Once you make this, you'll understand why it never leaves the rotation.
Why home cooks love this recipe
- Uses one pot, one cutting board, and pantry spices you already have.
- Reheats beautifully — Monday's leftovers make the best keema paratha.
- The lemon at the end brightens everything; don't skip it.
Ingredients
- 500g minced beef (or mutton)
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 tomatoes, chopped or pureed
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 4–5 green chillies
- ½ cup oil
- Fresh coriander, lemon wedges, sliced ginger to garnish
Method
- Heat oil, fry onions on medium-high until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
- Add ginger-garlic paste, stir 1 minute. Add mince, break it up with the back of the spoon, cook 6 minutes until it changes colour.
- Add tomatoes, all the ground spices except garam masala, salt. Cover and cook 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Uncover, bhunofy — turn heat up and stir until oil separates and floats on top, 4–5 minutes.
- Add potatoes and 1 cup water. Cover and simmer 15 minutes until potatoes are tender and gravy thickens.
- Sprinkle garam masala, green chillies, fresh coriander and julienned ginger. Finish with a big squeeze of lemon. Serve with chapati.
Chef's tip
Fry the onions properly golden — pale onions = pale keema. If yours brown too fast, add a splash of water and keep going; the colour is worth the extra 2 minutes.
If you make this recipe, we'd love to see it — tag @saveur or drop a photo in our reader gallery. Happy cooking.