Ground Beef Curry/Pakistani Keema Curry—My Most Requested Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. Learn more in our disclosure.
This Pakistani Kima (ground beef curry) is my most requested recipe, and for good reason! It’s a great kid-friendly dish, loaded with healthy ingredients, and is sure to be a favorite in your home.
As far as my family is concerned, I can’t serve this enough, and I’m sure you will agree!
So first of all, let’s get the pronunciation of this delicious dish down. It’s Pakistani Kima — pronounced “keema”.
It seems every family has at least a few recipes that are sure to please. For us, they are our Egg Roll in a Bowl, Homemade “Almond Joy®” Bars, “DORITO®” Popcorn, Savory Hummus, Honey Bunches of Coconut Chips, Surprisingly Good Popcorn, and this one — Pakistani Kima, otherwise known as Ground Beef Curry.
However, this one truly is my most requested recipe. Hands down.
Think you don’t like recipes for curry?
Think your kids won’t eat it?
Think you don’t like international fare?
Think again.
My kids literally jump up and down every time I make this.
This is one of my stand-by meals for company, and it’s also the one that I like to take to new moms or those who are sick. Almost always, I get a request for the recipe.
It’s also great that the main ingredient is ground beef (though you can make it vegan as well) so it is a frugal meal too.
Of course, you can use any kind of ground meat — kima is traditionally made with lamb, but venison or even chicken or turkey can be used.
We love dishes from other cultures.
Some people love Asian food like this Thai Chicken Soup or this Chicken Thigh Curry, but the deep, rich flavors of India, Pakistan, and the like are real hits in our home.
Enter your email and I'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get healthy living updates too.
Where This Recipe Came From
This Pakistani Kima recipe is adapted from one by the same name in the great “back to basics” cookbook, More-With-Less. I actually didn’t get this recipe initially from the cookbook, but from our dear friend, Margaret, who also is the source of my Applesauce Wheat Germ Muffins (w/ GF option).
Margaret, like all of us, is busy. But unlike me, she doesn’t like to cook.
One pan meals are her specialty and she shared this one with us at her home years ago. We loved it and have made it regularly ever since.
Years later, I took out More with Less from the library and saw this recipe and thought, “That’s it! That’s the same Kima (“keema”) we love!”
I’ve made a few changes and we think it tastes even better now.
Serving Ideas
You can serve this dish plain or on top of rice or cauliflower rice.
When we have company over, we typically serve it the following way for an amazing combination.
- Rice (I prefer brown organic, made in only 19 minutes in a pressure cooker)
- Cauliflower Rice (a great option for reducing carbs)
- Moroccan Carrots
- Chaat Masala sprinkled on top
- more Moroccan Vinaigrette on top.
More Easy Healthy Meals
By the way, for some other great easy and delicious meal ideas, you might be interested in……
– Easy Baked Chicken Nuggets
– Gluten Free Chili Mac – another great one pan meal with a low-carb keto option
– Savory Hummus
– Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
– Oven Barbecued Chicken
– Kid-Friendly Lentils (ready in as little as 9 minutes!)
Special Diet Options
- Low-carb, Keto, or whole30 option: sub green beans for the peas and cauliflower, radishes, or jicama for the potatoes. Kohlrabi is another great option.
- Vegan: substitute beans or a soy product (like TVP) for the meat. I don’t personally recommend soy, but it does work and tastes great.
- AIP: Omit the tomatoes for AIP and use Nomato Sauce instead (here’s a homemade version). Use Green Beans for the peas for AIP transition, or use broccoli for full AIP.
- THM: For those on the Trim Healthy Mama plan, this recipe is a crossover, unless you use the low-carb substitutions for the peas and potatoes. That will make this recipe an “S.”
Recipe Notes
- Note for Instant Pot: When you set your Instant Pot cooking time to “0 minutes,” the Instant Pot will get up to pressure, then immediately switch to the keep warm function and start counting up.
- Dice the potatoes small: Smaller dices will cook faster. If you like, you can even cook them with the meat to help them get done more thoroughly in less time.
- Slow Cooker Option: You can put all the ingredients in a slow cooker, adding the peas at the end. The potatoes will cook better this way. I’ve never done this but a reader shared that it’s worked out great for her.
- Add water if needed: You might find a need to add more liquid to the pan prior to or when simmering.
- Add the peas later in the cooking time to keep their color more vibrant.
- Curry: I use a mild sweet curry, but you can use any level of intensity that you like. This Mild Curry Recipe is a great option.
- Spices: Some readers have mentioned that they have added more or even doubled the spices for this dish. I haven’t tried it yet, but you can for sure try this and see how it goes.
- Sweet Potatoes: The recipe calls for potatoes but I have made this with sweet potatoes and it tastes great, plus it fits the paleo diet that way.
Ground Beef Curry | Pakistani Keema Curry
Ingredients
- 2 – 3 tablespoons oil (I recommend coconut oil)
- 1 cup chopped onion (I use 1/4 cup minced)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 pound ground beef (any ground meat works well. See Special Diet Option section for vegan option)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder (see Recipes Notes about spices)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper (omit for AIP)
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups tomatoes (about 1 1/2 14 ounces cans–see AIP alternative above)
- 3 medium potatoes or sweet potatoes (About 4-5 ounces each. See low-carb options in notes. Use sweet potato for AIP)
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups peas (see notes for low carb/paleo options. Use snow peas for AIP)
Instructions
- Melt oil or butter in a large pan.
- Add onion and garlic (if using minced, add a bit of water to reconstitute).
- Cook until onion softens and garlic begins to brown (watch it carefully – garlic burns easily!)
- Add meat and cook thoroughly.
- Add curry, salt and spices. Stir well.
- Dice potatoes.
- Add potatoes and tomatoes to the pan. Bring to a simmering boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are done.
- Add peas and cook until peas are done.
- Serve alone or over rice or cauliflower as desired.
For Instant Pot
- Melt oil or butter in a pan.
- Place butter in Instant Pot and add onion, garlic, and meat (if using minced garlic, add a bit of water to reconstitute).
- Cook thoroughly on saute feature (watch it carefully – garlic burns easily!)
- Add tomatoes.
- Add curry, salt and spices.
- Add potatoes.
- Cook under high pressure set for 0 minutes then after 5 minutes release the pressure quickly.
- Put the frozen peas in.
- Cook it again under high pressure for 0 minutes and do a quick release of the pressure.
Notes
- Note for Instant Pot: When you set your Instant Pot cooking time to “0 minutes,” the Instant Pot will get up to pressure, then immediately switch to the keep warm function and start counting up.
- Dice the potatoes small: Smaller dices will cook faster. If you like, you can even cook them with the meat to help them get done more thoroughly in less time.
- Slow Cooker Option: You can put all the ingredients in a slow cooker, adding the peas at the end. The potatoes will cook better this way. I’ve never done this but a reader shared that it’s worked out great for her.
- Add water if needed: You might find a need to add more liquid to the pan prior to or when simmering.
- Add the peas later in the cooking time to keep their color more vibrant.
- Curry: I use a mild sweet curry, but you can use any level of intensity that you like. This Mild Curry Recipe is a great option.
- Spices: Some readers have mentioned that they have added more or even doubled the spices for this dish. I haven’t tried it yet, but you can for sure try this and see how it goes.
- Sweet Potatoes: The recipe calls for potatoes but I have made this with sweet potatoes and it tastes great, plus it fits the paleo diet that way.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Well, there you have it. Our family’s favorite — Pakistani Kima. Updated for those of you on the Autoimmune Protocol Diet. And now it’s your favorite too (I hope :-)!)
And I guarantee that any new mom you take this to will be very grateful!
This recipe was first published in 2016. New images were added later. For reference, the following is the original photo.
What’s one of your family’s favorite meals?
Have you ever had a non traditional meal for a holiday celebration? What did you serve?
I have never had anything like this before and felt like trying something new. I used radishes in place of potatoes, mixed peas and carrots and ground chicken instead of beef. It required longer to simmer, but was delicious!!
Great option using the radishes. I LOVE using radishes in place of potatoes. So glad you liked it! I was just telling a new friend how much we love this recipe!
I have used this recipe so many times over the years. It’s very good and customizable. Thank you.
Awww you made my day. I know it’s just a recipe but we love it and I’m so glad you enjoy it too and that you took the time to come and tell me. Now I’d better make it for my family soon — it’s been too long!
This is one of my very favourite recipes, my kids back in the day loved it as well. I use the instant pot to make it now as I find the potatoes cook well in there, which sometimes wasn’t the case on the stovetop.
Thank you for posting. The recipe I use is exactly like yours and this dish is definitely a keeper.
Awww thanks! This made my day. Yes, they do need to be small in the pan or maybe added sooner. Do you put the peas in at the end?
I put the peas in when I close the Instant Pot, it doesn’t seem to affect them in a negative way. We had this last night and it was as good as ever, plus we have leftovers, always a good thing in my eyes!
Thanks so much! I’ll have to try it. I just add that to the post – thanks for sharing!!
This is one of my very favorite meals since childhood! I was fortunate enough to live next to a Pakistani family when I was younger and my Mother was great friends with her. We always ate this with a wheat tortilla like flat bread made on a cast iron skillet for a good char. The only thing different from your recipe ( which is delicious!) is that my mother used Chick Peas or Garbanzo beans (depending on what part of the country you live in) in place of the green peas that you used. I haven’t thought of this dish in years when I came across your recipe! Thanks for the memories! I will be making this all of the time now.
Hi Catherine! What a treat to have this as part of your childhood memories. Sounds great with garbanzos! We’ll have to try that! We love them (as you can see by all of the hummus recipes on my site – like this one. I hope you like this version!!