If you're looking for a delicious and comforting Indian dish that combines the richness of ground meat with the earthy flavors of potatoes, then Keema Aloo is the perfect recipe for you. It is an easy recipe from North India and Pakistan. This authentic and aromatic curry offers a delightful blend of spices that will tantalize your taste buds. In this blog post, I'll guide you through creating this mouthwatering Keema Aloo recipe that's sure to become a favorite in your home.
Apart from the taste, the best thing about this curry is that it’s such a simple recipe. We’re going to use Garam Masala as our spice mix, which means you don’t have to buy a million different spices, just one (unless you already have it at home). Garam Masala contains cloves, cinnamon, coriander powder, turmeric powder, black pepper, ginger and cardamom, all in one easy jar. I love this because it means I don’t have to buy whole spices, or spices that I rarely use, like cardamom.
While this is rich, it’s also very healthy. We’ll use sweet potato which is high in fibre and antioxidants, for a healthy gut and brain. I’ve also snuck in some grated zucchini at the end, and topped with coriander, which gives a hit of healthy greens.
What Ingredients do you need to make this Keema curry?
- Meat - 500 g lamb mince. You can also use beef of chicken mince.
- Aromatics - 3 shallots, 2 cloves garlic, chilli powder, garam masala, fresh coriander.
- Sauce - 400 g crushed tomatoes and ½ cup chicken stock.
- Vegetables - 1 Sweet potato and 1 zucchini.
- Serve with rice.
Substitutions
- Alternative proteins - Option to use beef or chicken mince instead to make Chicken keema.
- Vegetarian - Use chickpeas or lentils instead of mince. Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- Dairy Free - This recipe is dairy free, unless you add Greek yoghurt to your child's dinner. You can swap this for coconut yoghurt.
- Gluten Free - This recipe is gluten-free.
How to make Keema Aloo
- Sauté the Aromatics: In a lidded fry pan or large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the finely diced shallots and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they become translucent and soft.
- Brown the Ground Meat: Gradually add the lamb or beef mince to the pan, allowing it to brown as you add each handful. Stir in the garam masala, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Continue to cook for 5-7 minutes until the meat is fully cooked and has a golden brown hue.
- Add Potatoes and Tomatoes: Incorporate the cubed potatoes, canned tomatoes, and chicken stock into the pan. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes turn tender.
- Stir in Zucchini: Add the grated zucchini and half of the fresh coriander to the mixture. Gently stir everything together, allowing the flavors to meld.
- Serve and Enjoy: Scoop the Keema Aloo onto a bed of cooked basmati rice. Garnish with the remaining fresh coriander and add red chili flakes if you desire an extra kick.
Variations on Keema Aloo
- You can use fresh tomatoes, tomato puree or tomato paste instead of canned tomatoes if you prefer.
- Add fresh ginger or use ginger garlic paste instead of mincing your own garlic if you like.
- Add cumin powder if you want to deepen the earthy flavour of this potato curry.
- I've added zucchini to this dish, but you can swap that for green peas.
- I used sweet potato, but you can use different varieties of potatoes.
- You can also make this using an Instant pot instead of stove top.
Tips for the Perfect Keema Aloo
- You can adjust the level of spice by adding or reducing the amount of red chili powder. Green chilies can also be added for an extra burst of heat.
- For a leaner version, you can use lean ground beef or chicken mince instead of lamb.
- If you have any leftovers, the Keema Aloo curry tastes even better the next day as the flavors have had more time to develop.
What is Keema Aloo?
Keema Aloo (also known as Aloo keema recipe) is a Pakistani and North Indian curry made of minced lamb, potatoes, tomatoes, onion and spices. I’ve added in some extra vegetables by stirring through grated zucchini and coriander, and reducing the heat to make it suitable fo the whole family.
What does Keema mean?
Keema means minced meat or ground meat, and is the base of this dinner. We use ground lamb or ground beef to make this curry.
Top tip
To make sure you brown your lamb well, add mince a handful at a time to the pan. Why? When we add too much lamb at once, the fridge-cold lamb can cool the pan down too much and the lamb stews, instead of browns. Adding bit by bit, the temperature of the pan stays hot and you get a nice sear on your meat.
Kid-Friendly Variations of Keema Aloo
- Skip the chilli powder and coriander.
- Serve curry with rice, and option to add Greek yoghurt.
Equipment for Keema Aloo
You will need a deep, lidded frying pan, a stovetop, a microwave.
More Curry Recipes
If you like curries try these other curry recipes on The Dinner App.
This Eggplant Chickpea Curry is a Korma-based chickpea curry, topped with caramelised crispy eggplant.
For a Japanese-style curry, you can't go past Chicken Katsu Curry. This one is made from scratch and is so worth it!
This Thai-style Massaman Curry with Tofu is hearty and comforting. You can easily make it with chicken instead of tofu.
Another Indian curry is this Mild Kerala-style Fish Curry Recipe with Coconut Milk it is mild enough for kids to enjoy and such a nourishing recipe.
Recipe
Keema Aloo - Lamb and Sweet Potato curry
Equipment
- Deep lidded frying pan
- Stovetop
- Microwave
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potato
- 3 shallot
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 500 g lamb mince
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder opt.
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 400 g
- ½ cup water
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 1 zucchini
- ⅓ bunch coriander
- 450 g microwave rice
- ¼ cup Greek yoghurt opt.
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Peel and dice sweet potato. Peel and finely dice shallot and garlic.2 sweet potato, 3 shallot, 3 cloves garlic
- Heat oil in a lidded fry pan on high heat and add shallots. Fry for 2-3 minutes, or until translucent and soft.1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 3 shallot
- Add lamb a handful at a time to brown, then add garam masala, garlic and salt and pepper (opt.). Cook for 5-7 minutes.3 cloves garlic, 500 g lamb mince, 1 tablespoon garam masala, Salt and pepper
- Add sweet potato, canned tomatoes, water and chicken stock cube. Cover and simmer with a lid on for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, continue to the next step.2 sweet potato, 1 can crushed tomatoes, ½ cup water, 1 chicken stock cube
- Grate zucchini and roughly chop coriander.1 zucchini, ⅓ bunch coriander
- When potatoes are cooked, add zucchini and half the coriander to the mixture and stir through. Heat rice in the microwave.450 g microwave rice
- Serve kids rice with Keema Aloo on the side. Opt. to mix Greek yoghurt.For adults, season and add chilli if you want, then serve on a bed of rice, topped with remaining coriander.¼ cup Greek yoghurt, ½ teaspoon chilli powder
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