Keema aloo is a happy coming together of ground mutton or lamb, cubed potatoes and of course onions and tomatoes. Made in the instant pot or stovetop, it is a one-pot dish that's easy to make. Heavenly when eaten with roti or rice!
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In the mood for a filling, very satisfying meal? Make some keema aloo curry, spread it on a roti, roll it up and voila! You have an appetizing keema wrap ready to go. Reminds me of my school days when a keema wrap or two for lunch break kept hunger at bay.
Nowadays, I like having it with naan bread and a quick raita made with boondi (fried gramflour balls or an onion raita. And it tastes equally good with rice. Just mix some keema aloo with plain rice and taste the magic.
The beauty of ground lamb and potato recipes like this one is that they do not take ages to make. Both mince and potatoes cook quickly. Besides there are endless variations possible, all equally appealing. Don’t have potatoes? Substitute with sweet peas for a rather traditional recipe called keema matar which is just as tasty.
In fact, you can cook ground lamb with pretty much any vegetable at hand. I have experimented with sweet corn, mushrooms, capsicum and even okra with excellent results. Whatever vegetable you are using, toss it into the keema in the last 5 minutes and you’re done. Just remember to chop the veggie of your choice into small cubes for faster cooking, and if you’re using okra, slice it lengthwise.
This is a mutton keema recipe but you can swap the mutton for lamb if you wish. It will still taste awesome!
If you're into North Indian meat recipes, do try these recipes too: aloo gosht, dal gosht, mutton korma and karahi gosht. They won't disappoint, I promise:)
Ingredients
- lean ground mutton - you can use lamb as well
- potato, peeled and cubed
- red onion, sliced fine
- tomato, chopped - the riper and redder, the better!
- cumin seeds
- ginger and garlic pastes - easily available in Indian stores or even Walmart in glass bottles. But it's very easy to make your own pastes at home. In recipes that call for equal quantities of both, just put some peeled and chopped ginger and garlic in a blender along with a few tablespoons water and blend to a smooth puree. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and use as required. For this recipe, use 2 tablespoons of the paste if making your own.
- red chilli powder - substitute with paprika if you want a milder flavor
- turmeric powder
- coriander powder
- garam masala powder
- green chillies, sliced lengthwise
- cooking oil
- salt, to taste
- cilantro, for garnishing - optional
- ginger slivers, for garnishing - optional
Instant Pot Method
Preparation
Slice the onion, tomato and potato and keep aside. Make the ginger garlic paste if making your own (5-10 minutes)
Cooking
Step 1 - Turn the instant pot to saute mode - normal and add oil. Add cumin seeds along with sliced onions. Caramelize the onions (10 minutes).
Step 2 - Add the ginger and garlic pastes, chopped tomato, powdered spices and salt. Saute until the tomatoes soften and the raw smell goes (5 minutes).
Step 3 - Add the mince and some water if required, mix well and let it cook (5 minutes)
Step 4 - Cancel the saute mode and put the instant pot on pressure cooking mode. Add one cup water, close the lid, make sure the vent is sealed and set the timer for 5 minutes. Do a QPR after 5 minutes (10-12 minutes).
Step 5 - Open the cooker and add the cubed potatoes. Turn on the pressure cooking mode again and set the timer to 1 minute. Do a QPR after the timer beeps. Open the cooker and garnish with cilantro, green chillies and some slivered ginger. Aloo keema is ready to be served with some warm naan!
Stovetop Method
Preparation
Do the prep exactly as in the instant pot version.
Cooking
Step 1 - Heat a karahi (wok) and add oil. When it heats up, add cumin followed by the onions. Caramelize the onions on medium heat (10 minutes)
Step 2 - Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt and all the powdered spices and saute. Add a few splashes of water to prevent the masala from drying out. It is done when the oil leaves the sides of the wok and the tomatoes soften (10 minutes).
Step 3 - Add the mince and saute on medium heat for 5 minutes. Then, add 1 cup water, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Give it a good stir every now and then.
Step 4 - Add the cubed potatoes and cook covered for another 10-12 minutes.
Garnish with some chopped cilantro, green chillies and slivered ginger.
More ground mutton or lamb recipes
📖 Recipe
Keema Aloo
Ingredients
- 1.3 lbs lean mutton mince
- 1 big potato peeled and cut into small cubes
- 1 medium-large onion sliced finely
- 1 big tomato chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder or paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2-3 green chillies
- ⅓ cup cooking oil
- salt to taste
- a sprig cilantro chopped (optional)
- ginger slivers optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Slice the onion finely.
- Chop the tomato.
- Make the ginger-garlic paste - put equal amounts of peeled and chopped ginger and garlic along with a few tablespoons of water in a blender and blend to a smooth puree. Skip this step if using store-bought paste.
Instant Pot Method
- Turn the instant pot to saute mode (normal) and add cumin. When it splutters, add onion and saute until it turns reddish-brown.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste, tomato, salt and powdered spices. Saute for 5 minutes, adding splashes of water to keep the masala from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the mince and saute for 10 minutes. Add ½ cup water and cancel the saute mode.
- Turn on the pressure cooking mode, secure the lid, make sure the vent is in sealing position and set the timer to 5 minutes.
- Do a QPR (Quick Pressure Release) after 10 minutes and open the cooker.
- Add the cubed potatoes and again pressure cook for 1 minute with QPR.
- Open the cooker and garnish with cilantro, green chillies and slivered ginger. Serve warm with Indian bread or steamed rice.
Stove-top Method
- Heat the oil in a pan and put the cumin seeds in it.
- Add the sliced onions and cook until they turn brownish-red.
- Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a minute or two.
- Add the tomatoes, salt and powdered spices and sauté for 5 minutes, Add splashes of water to prevent the masala from sticking to the pan, and cook until it becomes a thick, shiny paste. (approx. 10 minutes).
- Add the mince and mix it together with the masala. Sauté for 10 minutes on medium heat.
- Add one cup of water, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir a few times in between.
- Take off the lid and add the potatoes. Add more water if necessary. Cook for another 10-12 minutes. When all the water has evaporated, keema aloo is done.
Notes
- If you don’t have ginger-garlic paste or don't want to make it, just chop the stuff (1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic and 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger). Chopped ginger-garlic tastes just as good.
- For even better tasting mince, add a small, finely chopped onion (omelette style) along with the potatoes. The onion will turn translucent very quickly and look and taste great.
VV says
Have you tired with Chicken minced meat? Just curious how it tastes with chicken instead of mutton.
Saima says
I haven't tried it with chicken mince. It should taste fine, just a little different!
Susie says
I love your recipe, Its lovely to follow and as you say its very adaptable 👏
Kirstie says
Can this be frozen?
Saima says
Yes, you can freeze it.
Abbas Vijlee says
instead of QPR and then cooking Potatoes for 1 minute, how about using precooked potatoes such as Potato O'Brien (Breakfast)? or steam tomato cubes separately and add these cubes to cooked Kheema and let it simmer for 10 minutes so that potatoes absorb the flavor.
Saima says
I haven't tried either of those variations, but go ahead and see if it works out. If the result is good, let us know as well! It certainly looks doable.