Quick and easy to cook, with layers of flavor, and cheap, beef keema curry can be made with any ground meat you love, or with firm tofu crumbles for a vegetarian spin. Dishes for keema are on top of rice, it fills samosas, tops a pizza, and much more!
Gather your ingredients, mix the Spice Mix together if using, and place a small container of water by your stovetop.
In a skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add in the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook until the onion is golden brown, stirring frequently. About 8 to 12 minutes.
Add the ginger garlic paste and minced green chili. Cook for one minute or until the paste no longer smells raw. Stir frequently and add a bit of water if the mixture is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Sprinkle in the ground spices and Kashmiri chili powder. Stir for another minute, adding a tablespoon of water as needed to prevent sticking.
Add the ground beef and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Break it up with the back of a spoon. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Mix the tomato paste with 1/ 4 cup of water and stir into the meat.
Turn the heat up to high and add the potatoes now if using. When the sauce is boiling, cover and turn the heat to low, or the setting that allows for a gentle simmer.
Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or if using potatoes, until they are tender. You are typically looking for a dry curry; simmer for a few more minutes uncovered until the desired consistency. If you are topping rice with the keema or as an Indianish Sloppy Joes, leave some liquid. If stuffing samosa, or topping pizza you will want a fairly dry mixture.
If using peas: Over low heat stir in fresh or frozen peas and allow them to cook through. This will take just a few minutes.
Taste for enough acid, heat, and salt. Be sure to season your keema well. I find for my palate that another 1/8 teaspoon of salt and an additional sprinkle of lemon juice does the trick. If your dish tastes flat it needs a tiny bit more of these two ingredients or even a shake of ground red chili.
Skim any fat that collects on the top if you wish. And if you have time, allow the keema to rest covered, but off the heat, so that the flavors have some time to combine. As with most curries, it will taste even better the next day.
Garnish the beef keema curry as you wish with the optional ingredients listed above. Serve with a soft bun, flatbread, rice, and a salad. See Storing & Serving Notes above if needed.
Notes
Substitute for the ground spices: Instead of the 5 spices listed under the Ground Spice Mix, stir in 2 teaspoons of Madras curry powder at the same time. Alternatively, skip the ground spice altogether, and add 2 teaspoons of garam masala with the lemon juice in the end.
Use any ground meat you prefer or go vegetarian using crumbled firm tofu or mushrooms. You may want to add a bit more spicing for ground poultry as it is quite bland.
Tomatoes: The beauty of tomato paste is that it is already cooked down. However, if you want to use tomato purée, add 1 cup to the sauce after the spices have been bloomed. Cook the tomato mixture down until it thickens and the oil comes to the surface. About 8 to 10 minutes. Then proceed with the recipe.
Other vegetables: Besides peas and potatoes, you could add carrots, mushrooms, or cauliflower florets.
Keema curry can be eaten the same day, but like many curries, it is even better the next day.