This is an authentic Indian curried beef mince recipe called Qeema (or keema or kheema). It’s a gem of a find because it tastes incredible but unlike many Indian dishes, there are no hard-to-find spices in the ingredients. And it’s super fast – on the table in 20 minutes!
Qeema – Quick & Easy Indian Curried Beef Mince
This recipe is an excellent way to get an Indian food fix without having to hunt down hard-to-find Indian spices.
It’s also an excellent way to change up your usual rotation of beef mince recipes. Spag Bol, we love you, but sometimes it’s nice to try something new!!
And new this is. You probably haven’t seen Qeema on Indian restaurant menus because it’s a home cooking meal. But blimey, it’s a great find! 100% legit Indian flavours, 7 minute prep, 13 minute cook. Get all the spices from regular grocery stores – turmeric, garam masala, cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper.
What you need for Qeema
The key to achieving the bold, authentic Indian curried beef flavour in this quick ‘n easy recipe is a good amount of fresh garlic and ginger, and a generous amount of ground spices.
Here’s what you need:
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Beef mince – That’s ground beef to those of you in the States! I’m using leave today, but regular is fine (fattier – juicier). I also made this recipe a few years ago using chicken mince which was terrific.
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Fresh garlic and ginger – Key to flavour in this otherwise simple Indian dish, so don’t skip these.
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Spices – Garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper. You can get all these at regular grocery stores here in Australia. Garam masala is an Indian spice mix which I tell people is the “better curry powder” because it tastes more legit, whereas the curry powders you get at regular grocery stores are very Westernised.
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Fresh coriander/cilantro for garnish. (Skip if you’re not a coriander fan).
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Green cayenne pepper (optional garnish) – This is for garnish, and it adds fresh chilli flavour without much spiciness because cayenne peppers are not that spicy. But it’s entirely optional, so feel free to omit!
How to make Qeema
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Sauté – Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add ginger and garlic and saute for 30 seconds until golden, don’t let it burn! Add onion and cook for 1 minute until it is starting to turn translucent.
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Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it changes from pink to light brown. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT water. Cook for a further 2 minutes to let the spices bloom.
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Cook 10 minutes – Add water, give it a stir, then put a lid on (or cover with a baking tray if you don’t have a lid for your pan). Turn heat down to medium and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated, but still a bit juicy.
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Serve over with basmati rice or plain white rice, garnished with extra chilli and coriander/cilantro, and lots of Mint Yogurt. Naan or flatbreads would make it even better, though if time is not your friend, try frozen roti (pictured in post, more on this below the photo).
What to serve with Qeema
Serve over basmati rice and mint yogurt or plain yogurt (recipe below for mint yogurt). Then mix up the beef into the rice so it flavours the rice, then dig in!
It’s also pictured above with flaky, buttery roti which I stuffed with the Qeema and rice. Not homemade. I always have a stash of frozen ones which you can get at regular grocery stores. I love them because they have be cooked from frozen in a few minutes – how good is that! Ideal to use for any and all Indian / South East Asian saucy foods, like curries.
Though, if I have the time (or foresight to plan in advance), you can’t beat homemade naan. 😊
For vegetable sides, try one of these:
I really hope you try this Qeema recipe, the flavour is so authentic! Something a little different to make with that packet of beef mince you threw in your shopping trolley on the weekend. – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Qeema Indian Curried Beef
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Dinner
Indian
Servings4
Tap or hover to scale
Ingredients
Mint yogurt (optional, pictured in post)
Instructions
-
Sauté – Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add ginger and garlic and saute for 30 seconds until golden, don’t let it burn! Add onion and cook for 1 minute until it is starting to turn translucent.
-
Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it changes from pink to light brown. Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT water. Cook for a further 2 minutes to let the spices bloom.
-
Cook 10 minutes – Add water, give it a stir, then put a lid on (or cover with a baking tray). Turn heat down to medium and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the water has evaporated.
-
Serve over with basmati rice or plain white rice, garnished with extra chilli and coriander/cilantro, and lots of Mint Yogurt. Naan or flatbreads would make it even better, though if time is not your friend, try frozen roti (pictured in post, Note 3).
Recipe Notes:
1. American “Chili Powder” is not pure ground chilli, it contains other spices like paprika and is not very spicy. This recipe calls for pure ground chilli for spiciness, or cayenne pepper.
2. Garam Masala – Spice mix used in Indian cooking, a more legit curry powder. Sold at regular grocery stores in Australia -> Coles, Woolworths, Harris Farms.
3. Roti – Flaky Indian round flatbread that’s sold in the freezer section of large grocery stores these days. Love them because they’re so handy – cook from frozen on the stove in just a couple of minutes. Cheap, tasty, if you’ve never tried it, it’s a game changer! 🙂
4. Mint yogurt – Blitzing makes yogurt watery. So just blitz the minimum to puree the mint, then stir the rest in which thickens the sauce up again.
5. Leftovers keep for 3 – 4 days in the fridge, or freezer for 3 months.
Nutrition for beef only, not including rice or yogurt sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 172gCalories: 255cal (13%)Carbohydrates: 4g (1%)Protein: 28g (56%)Fat: 14g (22%)Saturated Fat: 3g (19%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 78mg (26%)Sodium: 525mg (23%)Potassium: 517mg (15%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 217IU (4%)Vitamin C: 3mg (4%)Calcium: 31mg (3%)Iron: 4mg (22%)
First published April 2016. Republished 7 years later with sparkling new photos, brand new recipe video (couldn’t make them back then!) and of course added a Life of Dozer section!
My easiest Indian recipes
More easy Indian recipes!
Life of Dozer
He doesn’t realise it’s a vegetable platter. (Yet).
