Introduction
Dum ka Keema is a spicy and smoked meat curry. It is made by marinating ground meat (keema) with a blend of Indian spices. The ground meat is then cooked with fried onions and yogurt. Chickpea flour is used to thicken the gravy. It is usually served with paratha and mint chutney.
Keema means ground meat, ground meat and keema will be used interchangeably throughout the rest of the recipe. dum ka keema means ‘to smoke’ so make sure your keema has a deep smoky flavour.
We love to eat dum ka keema at home, no wonder I have so many keema recipes on the blog. Roasted keema, chapli kebabs, keema cutlets, Mongolian meatballs and keema naan are some of the best.
Why dum ka keema recipe is so easy?
There are three basic ingredients to this recipe that if you combine them correctly, you will get the most delicious mince very easily.
Fine grinding: The finely ground texture gives this dish an authentic curry-like texture and flavor.
Marinating: This step ensures that the mince is juicy and fully cooked. Papaya paste or any meat tenderizer is also essential for that soft juicy texture.
Smoking: This is the most important. Getting properly smoked mince can be tricky. If necessary, I would recommend re-smoking the mince, until you can taste and smell the smoke in the mince.
Ingredients
The ingredients in the picture below are ground beef, yogurt, ginger, garlic, chillies, gram flour, onion, oil, butter or ghee, papaya paste and Indian spices. For ingredient substitutions, read below or go to the How to Make section.
Ground Meat: You can use ground beef, mutton or lamb to make this recipe. We want finely ground meat so ask your butcher to process it through a machine twice.
Chickpea Flour: Chickpea flour is easily available in Indian stores, you can replace it with gram flour. You can leave it out.
Black Cumin: Black cumin has a rich aroma hence it is recommended. But you can easily replace it with white cumin.
Raw Papaya Paste: Raw hard green papaya has the ability to absorb the protein of the meat hence it helps in tenderizing the meat. You can use any tender meat.
Onion: I used fresh onion in this recipe. You can also use minced onion. You will need about ⅓ cup of minced fried onion.
The ghee and butter taste amazing in this dum ka keema. I used a mixture of ghee and oil.
How to cook?
Making ground beef is very easy, just fry it well until it turns brown. You can also marinate the meat the night before and refrigerate it. Also, wash the ground beef in a wide pan so that it smokes evenly.
Step 1
Take all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
Step 2
Mix everything together and marinate overnight (8 to 36 hours) in the refrigerator or on the counter in a cool, dry place for 2 hours. Cover the ground beef with a thin cloth or mesh to allow air circulation. (Do not skip the marinating.)
Step 3
Heat the oil in a pan and fry until golden brown. (Protip: You can also use crushed and fried onions to save time.)
Step 4
Add the marinated beef. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. As the beef begins to cook, it will release its juices and become easier to stir. Stir it well and break up the lumps. Cover and cook on low heat until the water dries up. Slow cooking can really enhance the flavors.
Step 5
Now we need to fry (roast) the Dum Ka Keema for a few minutes until the colour of the dum ka keema darkens a little. Watch the video.
Step 6
Add the gram flour to the dum ka keema and mix well. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes then remove from heat.
Step 7
This is the most important step. Heat at least 2 inches of coarse charcoal. It needs to be red hot, I keep it to heat up when I start grilling the Keema. The Keema should be in a thin layer in a wide pot. Then place the charcoal on the Keema as shown in the picture above. How to make Dum Ka Keema Pour oil on the charcoal and cover the Keema. Keep a tight lid without holes. There should be no smoke. Bake for 10 minutes for a deep smoky flavour.
Step 8
Now, this part is a personal choice. If you like the mince to be juicy, add ¼ cup of water and let the mince cook on low heat for 5 minutes until you see oil separating from the sides of How to make Dum Ka Keema in the pan. You can keep it dry and skip this step.
Step 9
Take out the mince and add a small dollop of butter in the middle. Garnish it with julienned ginger, fresh mint, and chopped onion salad.
Checkout more recipes
Recipe of Dum Ka Keema
½ kg ground meat, lamb or beef, use finely ground meat (that is minced twice or just process regular ground meat in a food processor for a fine texture).
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 tablespoon green chili paste
- 1½ tablespoon raw papaya paste, or use meat tenderizer as directed on the packet.
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ½ tablespoon red chili flakes, or less
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder, preferably roasted and grounded
- 2 teaspoon cumin powder, preferably roasted and grounded
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder, skip for less spicy
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili, for color, optional
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon black cumin, optional
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Cook Keema
- ⅓ cup oil
- ¼ cup ghee, tallow or butter
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon gram flour, (channe ka atta) ,optional
- 2 inch piece of charcoal, to smoke
Garnish
- 2 inch ginger, cut in juliene
- A handful mint leaves
- Butter, to serve with individual servings.
Instructions
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
- Mix everything together and marinate overnight (8 to 32 hours) in the refrigerator or at least 2 hours on the counter in a cool, dry place. Cover the ground meat with a thin cloth or mesh to allow air circulation.
- Heat oil in a pan and fry the chopped onion until golden brown.
- Add the marinated meat. Cover the pot and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. As the mince starts to cook, it will release its juices and become easier to stir. Stir it well and break up any lumps.
- Now you need to fry the tail mince for about 5 to 7 minutes until the oil separates from the sides of the pan.
- Add the gram flour to the ground meat and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes then remove from heat.
- Heat at least a 2-inch piece of coarse charcoal. It needs to be red hot. Place the coals on the mince in a wide pan as shown in the picture above. Drizzle oil and cover the mince tightly. Smoke for 10 minutes.
- If you like the mince to be juicy, add ¼ cup of water and let the mince cook on low heat for 5 minutes until you see the oil separating from the sides of the pan. How to make Dum Ka Keema
- Take out the mince and add a small dollop of butter in the middle. Garnish it with julienned ginger, fresh mint, and chopped onion salad.
Notes
Ground meat: You can use ground beef, mutton, or lamb to make this recipe. We want finely ground meat so ask your butcher to process it through a machine twice.
Gram flour: Gram flour is easily available in Indian stores, you can also replace it with gram flour. You can leave it out completely.
Black cumin: Black cumin has a rich aroma, so it is recommended. But you can easily replace it with regular cumin.
Raw papaya paste: Raw, hard green papaya has the ability to absorb the protein in meat, so it helps in tenderizing the meat. You can also use any meat tenderizer powder. Meat tenderizer powder tenderizes the meat quickly compared to papaya. How to make Dum Ka Keema So, if you have less time for marinating dum ka keema, this is a good option.
Oil and ghee: Mince tastes best when cooked in ghee. I also like a mixture of butter and ghee.
Onion: I used fresh onions in this recipe. You can also use fried onions in dum ka keema. You will need about ⅓ cup of crushed fried onions.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 424kcal ,Carbohydrates: 11g ,Protein: 3g ,Fat: 42g ,Saturated Fat: 10g ,Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g ,Monounsaturated Fat: 22g ,Trans Fat: 1g ,Cholesterol: 37mg ,Sodium: 499mg ,Potassium: 244mg ,Fiber: 2g ,Sugar: 5g ,Vitamin A: 372IU ,Vitamin C: 5mg ,Calcium: 108mg ,Iron: 1mg