Kheema has to be one of those dishes that brings me right back to family parties growing up. The sheer taste of the dish reminds me of family and leaving the table with full bellies. I have been making Kheema for about 20 years now and I rarely divert away from my fool-proof recipe. The recipe that I use has been passed down to me from my Masi(aunt) and I will forever be grateful! Now that I have my own family, I make sure that they fondly remember this recipe for years to come. What is Kheema/Keema you may ask? It is essentially minced meat, the dish I am making for you today can be made with lamb, turkey, chicken, or beef. It is spiced to the nine’s and the longer it sits, the more flavorful it gets. My family eats Kheema a number of ways- with buttery naan, tandoori roti, rice, in lettuce cups, or even in tacos. I have made quesadillas, nachos, and enchiladas with leftover kheema. I generally make a huge batch so that I can use the leftovers in numerous other dishes- my favorite being kheema naan! However you decide to eat it, I promise you that this will be a dish you make over and over again. If you prefer cooking in your Instant Pot; check out my Kheema Mattar Recipe. You can also check out my Kheema Egg Roll recipe! It is slightly different than this one but still delicious. If you make this recipe, please be sure to tag @themommyspice in any Instagram stories or posts! I love seeing all of your creations!
Kheema (Indian Spiced Ground/ Minced Meat)
Ingredients
- 2 lb minced/ground meat lamb, chicken, beef or turkey
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 4 tablespoon oil I used vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 piece star anise
- 3 pods green elaichi
- 3 cloves
- 2 pods black elaichi
- 1- inch cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ginger garlic green chili paste
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dhana Jeeru(Coriander/Cumin Powder) If you cannot find this; use 1/2 tsp of coriander powder and 1tsp of cumin powder.
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 4 black pepper seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/ teaspoon Shan Chicken Masala Optional but it adds amazing flavor!
- 1/2 teaspoon salt for tomato-onion mixture set side
- 1 teaspoon salt; adjust according to your taste.
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- lime wedges
Instructions
- In a heavy bottom pan or pot with a lid, heat oil on medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, star anise, fennel seeds, cloves, coriander seeds black pepper seeds, and cumin seeds. As they start sputtering, reduce to medium- heat and add in your onions. Sweat onions and cook until they turn translucent to light brown (about 8 minutes).
- Add ginger, garlic, and green chili paste and let sauté for 1-2 minutes. Next, add chopped tomatoes along with 1tsp of salt and mix- cover the mixture for 5 minutes. Remove lid and add in turmeric, salt red chili powder, garam masala, dhana-jeeru, Shan Chicken Masala; mix well. Cook this for about 5 minutes.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add minced meat to the mixture & and break it up with a wooden spoon for about 10-15 minutes. The meat will slowly start breaking apart, just keep breaking it and stirring. As it cooks it will sweat and water will release. Continue mixing until the meat is light brown and broken up to your liking.
- Cover the pot and reduce heat to low, let it simmer for about 35 minutes, make sure to stir occasionally to ensure the meat is not sticking to the bottom of your pot.
- Remove lid and check on salt level (adjust if needed). Increase heat to medium, lemon juice, and cook for another 5-7 minutes. If you feel that the kheema is too dry, add a little bit of water to it. Cook until you reach your desired consistency.
- Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. P.S. If whole spices in your dish isn't your thing-just remove them before serving!
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