Ground meat, potatoes, peas, and spices come together in one pan in this Karahi Keema recipe.
It's hearty, wholesome, and packed with rustic and earthy flavors, and takes under 30 minutes to make.
I've always loved experimenting with foods from around the world, and when I tried my hands at an authentic Filipino Picadillo recipe, I was shocked at how similar it was to the classic Keema I usually made.
Everyone in my family is obsessed with curries, and Keema curries top our list- always.
My egg keema was a super hit, so of course, I knew I had to try making a rustic, one-pan version of keema too. And here we are!
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
This dish is actually a super flavorful beef stew that you can put together in one pan aka Karahi.
It uses a simple, classic blend of flavors, and a few pantry staples, which makes it an easy dish to make on a weeknight or even meal prep for the week.
And of course, so is my creamy chicken Karahi!
Ingredients For the Karahi Keema Recipe
Ground beef: Start with beef mince that has a decent amount of fat. Fresh or frozen- both work well!
Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes make the base of the curry, and also lend it some tanginess.
Potatoes: To bulk up the dish and make it more hearty.
Onions: Use finely chopped red onions for a more robust flavor.
Garlic: For the flavor, aroma, and umami deliciousness.
Jalapenos: For the heat! Use green chilies if you prefer something more spicy.
Green peas: For some extra protein and a pop of color.
Stock: To loosen up the curry. Use chicken, beef, or veggie stock- whatever you prefer.
Spices: Just some pantry staples- cumin seeds, red chili powder, black pepper powder, and garam masala powder.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
- You can use practically any kind of stock for the recipe- chicken stock, vegetable stock, mushroom stock, or even just water. Beef stock, however, offers the best depth of flavor and deliciousness.
- If you don't have fresh tomatoes, you can make do with canned tomatoes too. The idea is to bring some nice savory and tangy deliciousness into the dish.
How to Make the Karahi Keema
Step 1: Using a large skillet over medium-high heat, pour and heat vegetable oil.
Once the oil is ready add the cumin, garlic, and onion and cook until they have softened.
Step 2: Next, add the potatoes and ground beef. Mix and cook until the ground meat is no longer pink.
Now add the chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, jalapenos, seasoning, chili powder, peas, and stock.
Step 3: Mix, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil.
Adjust the heat to medium-low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes.
Step 4: Continue simmering your Keema until the vegetables are cooked.
Uncover, taste, and adjust seasoning. Mix, turn the heat back to medium, cover, and cook for 2 more minutes.
Step 5: Take the pan off the heat and transfer it to serving plates. Serve and enjoy your Karahi Keema!
Variations
- Carrots also make for another great addition to this dish. It can add tons of flavor and up the nutritional value too.
- Don't forget to top the keema with lots of chopped fresh herbs before you serve. Cilantro and parsley work great!
How to Store Leftover Keema
What I love the most about this dish is the fact that it freezes really well, which means you can easily make it in a big batch and store it for months. I like to use my favorite freezer-safe meal prep containers for these.
If you have some leftovers, you can transfer them to a food-safe container and refrigerate them for up to 3 days.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Karahi Keema
- Make sure the onions are finely chopped- the goal is for them to get to the caramelization stage faster, and then eventually almost disappear after the Keema is ready.
- Remember to use a good quality pan to make the Karahi Keema. A cast iron pan or any heavy-bottomed pan is ideal.
- Squeeze some lime juice over the top to brighten up the flavors and deliciousness of the keema.
- To make the dish healthier, add in more veggies like zucchini, bell peppers, and even sweet potatoes.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
The flavorful and delicious Karahi Keema tastes perfect when you pair it with some steamed rice or soft naan bread to mop it up.
This can, in itself, be a complete meal. However, if you’re looking to go the extra mile, you can also team it up with a nice crunchy salad on the side.
Sometimes, I also like to serve my favorite mint chaas along with it!
Recipe FAQs
While the dish is traditionally made using beef, you can substitute it with lamb or chicken mince if you want to.
Yes, you totally can! Simply make the keema as you would in a large batch and allow it to cool down completely before transferring everything to a freezer-safe container.
More Indian Curries
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Karahi Keema or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Karahi Keema
Ingredients
- ½ cup oil
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1.25 cup tomato (chopped)
- 1.5 cup stock
- 2 medium potatoes (diced)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin seed
- 2 pcs jalapenos (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ cup green peas
- 1 teaspoon salt and ground black pepper (for seasoning)
Instructions
- Using a large skillet over medium-high heat, pour and heat vegetable oil.
- Once the oil is ready add the cumin, garlic and onion and cook until they have softened.
- Next, add the potatoes and ground beef.
- Mix and cook until the ground meat is no longer pink.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, jalapenos, seasoning, chili powder, peas and stock.
- Mix, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil.
- Adjust the heat to medium-low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Continue simmering your Picadillo until the vegetables are cooked.
- Uncover, taste, and adjust seasoning
- Mix, turn the heat back to medium, cover, and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and transfer it into serving plates.
- Serve and enjoy your Karahi Keema!
Notes
- Make sure the onions are finely chopped- the goal is for them to get to the caramelization stage faster, and then eventually almost disappear after the Keema is ready.
- Remember to use a good quality pan to make the Karahi Keema. A cast iron pan or any heavy-bottomed pan is ideal.
- You can use practically any kind of stock for the recipe- chicken stock, vegetable stock, mushroom stock, or even just water. Beef stock, however, offers the best depth of flavor and deliciousness.
