Create a speedy weeknight curry with our Keema Aloo recipe! This classic Pakistani dish pairs ground beef and potatoes in a flavorful sauce, perfect for a quick and delicious meal.
The name of the dish, Keema Aloo literally translates to Ground Beef (Keema) and Potato (Aloo).
Keema Aloo Curry is definitely a recipe to keep in your back pocket to whip up whenever you’re in the mood for something simple.
It is a simple dish made with ground beef, potatoes and whole and ground spices resulting in a flavorful curry!
This keema aloo curry is a perfect recipe. It’s
- easy to make even for weeknights
- ready in under 30 minutes
- versatile – great for a side dish (dry) or main dish (more gravy)
- perfect for add-ins like peas and carrots
- and of course delicious
Everyone has their own list of spices and methods to making Keema Aloo. Some eat it like a dry sauce, like this version. Others prefer to make this dish a little more curry-like, in which case you can just add a little water when simmering the curry.
Recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for more easy Pakistani keema (ground) recipes try:
- Kofta Curry: Pakistani Beef Meatball Curry
- Keema Matar: Curry with Ground Meat and Green Peas
- Keema Masoor Pulao: One-Pot Pilaf with Lentils and Ground Beef
- Keema Naan
Ingredients
- Ground Beef – medium, lean or extra lean will all work in this recipe
- Potato – any type of potato will work for this recipe. The time it takes to cook may vary depending on the typeo of potatoes used. For this recipe, it is best to cut them into bite-sized pieces.
- Whole Spices – black pepper, cumin, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, and black cardamom are used in this recipe. The whole spices are added at the beginning of the recipe so that they get a chance to bloom.
- Ground Spices – coriander, cumin, red chili powder, turmeric, and garam masala are added right before you leave the curry to simmer. Adding ground spices too early might cause them to burn.
- Ginger & garlic paste – This is a popular addition to lots of Pakistani and Indian dishes. It is made with equal parts of crushed ginger and crushed garlic. If you opt to make your own, you can make a big batch ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for about two weeks.
- Tomatoes – Either fresh or ground tomatoes can be used in this recipe. You may need to cook fresh tomatoes a little longer.
- Onion – unlike many other Pakistani curry recipes where onions are fried or browned, we only cook the onions for a few minutes making this a much quicker weeknight curry.
Cooking Method
Step #1: Sauté ground beef in whole spices
Start by heating the oil in a medium pot, and cooking the whole spices until they are fragrant.
Then add the ground beef and sauté until the ground beef has browned.
You can use any kind of ground beef you prefer: regular, lean, or extra lean are all good options for this dish!
Step #2: Add ground spices, tomatoes, and potatoes
The next step is to add the rest of the ingredients, one at a time.
Start with the ground/powdered spices, then the tomatoes and onions, and finally the potatoes.
Step #3: Simmer on low heat
Once you’ve mixed it all together let it simmer for at least 15-30 minutes, on low heat until the potatoes are tender. It might take a bit longer, depending on the potatoes.
Mom’s Pro-Tip
For variations on this dish, you can add green peas (fresh or frozen), or even skip the potatoes!
What to serve with Keema Aloo?
You can serve this curry with any traditional side like rice, roti, or naan, pretty much any carb-based Indian/Pakistani side dish.
Be sure to serve some yogurt, or mint raita on the side as well!
To make it just a tad bit special, we recommend Bagara Rice (cumin-spiced rice), as the perfect accompaniment to this curry!
Any leftovers for this curry are a great addition to sandwiches the next day.
If you’re looking for more easy Pakistani weeknight curries, you might also enjoy:
- Aloo Palak: Potato and Spinach Curry
- Karahi Chicken: Chicken in Spicy Tomato Sauce
- Chicken Ka Salan: Pakistani Chicken Curry Recipe
- Karahi Kabab: Seekh Kabab Curry
If you give this recipe a try, we’d love to see it!
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Keema Aloo: Ground Beef and Potato Curry
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 medium Onion
- 2 medium Tomatoes, chopped or ½ cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Ginger & garlic paste
- 1 tsp Salt (or to taste)
- 1 large Potato, cubed
- 1/2 cup Neutral Oil
- 1 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
- 1-2 Green Chillis, chopped adjust to taste
- 1 Lemon cut into wedges
Whole Spices
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 Bay leaf
- 3-4 Cloves
- 2 inch Cinnamon stick
- 5-7 Black peppercorn
- 1-2 Black Cardamon Pods
Ground spices
- 1 tbsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Cumin powder
- 1 tsp Red chilli powder adjust to taste
- 1 tsp Garam masala powder
Instructions
- In a pot heat the oil, and all the whole spices (black peppercorns, cumin, black cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves) on low heat until fragrant.
- Add ginger-garlic paste.
- Add ground beef, cook on low heat and mix well until it has browned.
- Add all the ground spices, and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add tomatoes and potatoes, chopped onion and cook for a few minutes.
- Simmer on low heat until potatoes are tender, and the oil floats to the top.
- Garnish with green chilli, lemon and cilantro.
- Serve with roti, naan or rice.