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Pakistani · Indian

Aloo keema

Non-vegetarian

آلو قیمہ · aloo qeema

Minced meat cooked down with onion, ginger, garlic, tomato and warm spices, with chunks of potato simmered in until tender. A thrifty weeknight favourite in Pakistani homes.

Aloo keema is a Pakistani curry, ready in about 1 hour and made with ground beef and potato. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Delicious minced meat stew with potatoes and green peas, garnished with fresh herbs in a white bowl.
Photo: Laura oliveira / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
45 min
Total
1 h
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
495

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat, add the cumin (opens in a new tab), then the onion (opens in a new tab), and fry until golden.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the garlic (opens in a new tab) and ginger for a minute, then the mince. Turn up the heat and fry, breaking it up, until it is browned and any liquid has evaporated.

    • 8 min
    • medium-high heat

    Food safety: Cook minced meat all the way through — no pink should remain.

  3. Step 3

    Add the tomato, green chilli (opens in a new tab), yogurt (opens in a new tab), ground coriander (opens in a new tab), chilli powder, turmeric (opens in a new tab) and salt. Fry, stirring, until the tomatoes (opens in a new tab) break down and the oil separates (this 'bhuna' step builds the flavour).

    • 8 min
    • medium heat

  4. Step 4

    Add the potatoes (opens in a new tab) and water, cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is thick.

    • 18 min
    • medium-low heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Stir in the garam masala (opens in a new tab) and coriander and serve.

    • 1 min

About this dish

Origin
Indian subcontinent · Commonly attributedKeema dishes are cooked throughout Pakistan and North India.Also popular in Pakistan, India
Dish
Dinner · Lunch · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Sautéed, Simmered
Taste
savoury, spicy (chilli heat), aromatic / warmly spiced, rich
Diet
No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
With the listed swaps: Beef-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Everyday · Budget-friendly · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with
Ground beef · Potato · Cumin · Onion · Garlic · Fresh ginger
Techniques
Sautéing · Simmering · Bhunao

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom yogurt

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

495 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 453 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 22%
  • Carbohydrate 24%
  • Fat 54%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy495 kcal109 kcal
Protein27.6 g6.1 g
Carbohydrate29.3 g6.5 g
Net carbohydrate24.4 g5.4 g
Sugars5.6 g1.2 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre4.9 g1.1 g
Fat30.1 g6.7 g
Saturated fat8.3 g1.8 g
Trans fat1.1 g0.2 g
Cholesterol86 mg19 mg
Sodium978 mg216 mg
Salt equivalent2.4 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1121 mg
Calcium
95 mg
Iron
4.7 mg
Magnesium
72 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
45 µg
Vitamin C
41 mg
Vitamin D
0.1 µg
Vitamin B12
2.8 µg
Folate (DFE)
45 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: coriander leaves.
  • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Frying the mince until dry before adding the masala avoids a boiled, grey texture.

Common mistakes

  • Cutting the potatoes too small — they collapse into the mince.

Serve with

  • Serve with chapati or plain rice and a salad.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen.

Reheating

  • Reheat until piping hot with a splash of water.

Variations

  • Keema matar: Use peas instead of (or as well as) potatoes.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 2, 3, 4

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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