Another midweek saviour, heading your way! I can’t believe how much flavour you can pack into beef mince, but this recipe really shows how vibrant and versatile this staple supermarket ingredient can be. This savoury mince is bursting with Indian spices and umami, plus the tender potato adds a lovely creaminess to proceedings too. I love serving this dish with delicately fragranced rice and some fresh flourishes at the end. All up, this is a wonderful weeknight option for the whole family to enjoy – as well as your tastebuds.
PREP TIME
35-40 minutes
COOK TIME
30 minutes
SERVES
4
Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
500g (1 lb) beef mince
1 onion, finely sliced
3 cloves of garlic, finely grated
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
sea salt, to season
4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
2½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 large tomatoes (about 300g/ 10 1/2 oz, chopped
4 smallish all-purpose potatoes (about 500g/1 lb), washed, cut into thin wedges (don’t use floury ones as they won’t hold their shape)
finely sliced red onion, to serve
lemon or lime wedges, to serve
small handful fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, to serve
fresh mint leaves, to serve
2 medium green chillies, sliced, or to taste
natural yoghurt, to serve
Cumin rice
2 tbsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups basmati rice, rinsed, drained
Steps
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For the cumin rice, heat the ghee in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and black pepper; the seeds will sizzle. Quickly add the rice and 2½ cups of water, bring to the boil, then cover with a tight fitting lid. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then cook for 12-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and stand for 8-10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, for the aloo keema, heat the oil in a large non-stick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the beef mince, using a wooden spoon to break the beef up, and spread the meat out so it has as much contact with the hot pan as possible. Leave it to sear for 4–5 minutes until the meat develops a deep golden colour. Flip the mince, then continue to cook until the beef is almost cooked and all the excess water has evaporated. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to combine, and cook for a minute until onions are beginning to soften.
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Add the cardamom pods, cumin seeds and cinnamon and give everything a good mix. Now add the chilli powder (if using), ground coriander, turmeric and garam masala. Reduce the heat to medium, then cook, stirring constantly so the mixture doesn’t catch on the base of the pan, for 3-4 minutes or until very fragrant
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Add the tomato paste, chopped tomato, potato wedges and ½ cup water to the pan. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the potatoes are nearly tender. Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, then cook, stirring, for about 8 minutes or until the excess liquid has evaporated, the potatoes are tender but still holding their shape, and you can see the oil start to separate out.
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Place the onion, lime wedges, herbs and chilli on a small plate. Serve alongside the aloo keema, cumin rice and natural yoghurt.
Very good
I really liked it, even though I definitely made some mistakes along the way (it happens). I didn’t have ginger, so I did feel like something was missing but that’s my own fault
Aloo keema
I made aloo keema with plant based mince from beyond burger. It turned out so delicious and the right amount of spiciness. I also made the JEERA basmati in instant pot and again was the winner. My husband and daughter were very impressed. Thank you for this amazing recipe. Will look out for more in your website.
Yummy + a bit spicy!
Easy to make and super tasty! Even though I didn’t have all the ingredients, it turned out really well. Garam masala was dominant in my version 🙂