This authentic Indian minced meat Qeema recipe is so delicious, it’ll become a regular at your house!! And nothing’s better than the fact that you make it within 20 minutes!!
Qeema is a classic Indian dish that won’t ever disappoint you! Plus this recipe is SO simple that anyone can make it! Have it with naan, chapati or some rice, you’ll love it in every way!
This minced meat recipe goes super well with some green chutney and naan – that’s the way we love it the most! You can even get creative with it and make lettuce wraps out of it. It’s spicy, but it won’t burn your mouth. It’s delicious, yet super easy to make. Basically, we think this is the best Qeema recipe you’ll ever try!!
And as promised, we’re back again with a new recipe!! To be honest we were dying to put this one out – because it really is one of our all-time favorite Indian foods.
We’ve decided to make some changes too that we wanted all of you guys to know! So from today’s post onwards, Aena will be solely writing all the posts, while Arvin will be taking care of the photo editing, social media promotions etc. And of course, Aena is the Pinterest queen – as we like to call her! ? So let’s let Aena take over from today! (warning: she loves to talk! ?)
Hi guys! So you’re left with me now! ? I have taken over the blog!! ?
So yes, qeema. I absolutely love qeema in general – I’ve grown up eating it and this recipe was handed down to me by my mother. Some thing many people don’t know is that my mom is actually a certified chef like Arvin and I! And she did the course with us!! Now that’s a whole new story for another day.
This recipe uses very simple ingredients. The only special Indian ingredient you’ll need is garam masala – which is basically a mix of spices, ground together. It goes in almost all Indian dishes, so it really is worth investing in. It’s also the only special Indian ingredient we used in our super easy to make Spicy Indian Chapli Kebab recipe as well as our Authentic Indian Karahi Curry. So my advice is to head over to your local indian grocery store and buy this spice!
Till not too long ago, Arvin hadn’t even tried qeema! The first time I ever made this for him was more than a year ago, back when we were still living in Dubai. I generally have a habit of having super spicy food, while Arvin – not so much. Okay no, to be fair, he does have spicy food quite often – I just have a different level of spicy.
So yeah, in the beginning, I would accidentally end up making Indian food that was way too spicy for him to handle. And being the sweetheart that he is, he would keep eating it despite tears falling down his face because of the excessive spiciness and he’d keep telling me that he loved it. Cute, right?
We have come a long way from then. Actually he has ?. His spicy level has seriously gone up! And I’ve tried to control the spices in my Indian cooking.
Anyway, jokes aside, this really has become even his favorite Indian food and that’s why we’ve been so excited to share this on the blog! Better late than never right?
Don’t worry though!! This recipe is just the right kind of spicy – it won’t burn your mouth and it will still have a nice subtle flavor!
So let’s get on with today’s chef tips! If you don’t already know, we write tips everyday along with each of our recipes detailing all the little things no one else points out! Basically everything you need to know to make the recipe the right way.
Chef Tips ?
- Make sure the onions are finely chopped to get the authentic indian qeema taste. Otherwise, the onions will be too chunky and won’t mesh into the meat by the time the qeema is completely cooked.
- You can substitute the garlic and ginger that goes in the qeema with garlic and ginger paste – but trust me the flavor will not be the same. What makes this recipe special is its fresh ingredients!
- Top off the qeema with some julienned ginger and chopped green chillies.
- A green coriander and mint chutney goes really well with this minced meat recipe!
So here’s the perfect qeema recipe! ?
Authentic Indian Minced Meat Qeema
This CLASSIC authentic Indian minced meat Qeema recipe is so delicious, it’ll become a regular at your house!! And nothing’s better than the fact that you make it within 20 minutes!!
Ingredients
- 400g minced meat
- 1 large onion chopped (or 1 ½ medium onion)
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tbsp heaped ginger finely chopped (1 ½ inch long piece of ginger)
- 1 tbsp heaped garlic, finely chopped (5 cloves)
- ½ to 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes (for garnishing)
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder (heaped)
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Heat oil on medium heat then add in onion – cook until transparent and add garlic and ginger.
- Cook till the onion is golden brown then add the minced meat.
- Cook the meat till the its color changes to brown. Reduce to low heat.
- Add in spices when the meat starts taking out its juices.
- After 30 seconds of adding the spices – add 1 cup water.
- Cover the sauce pan and leave on low heat till the water evaporates.
- Garnish with julienned ginger, red chili flakes and serve with naan or rice.
Notes
1. Make sure the onions are finely chopped to get the authentic indian qeema taste. Otherwise, the onions will be too chunky and won't mesh into the meat by the time the qeema is completely cooked.
2. You can substitute the garlic and ginger that goes in the qeema with garlic and ginger paste - but trust me the flavor will not be the same. What makes this recipe special is its fresh ingredients!
3. Top off the qeema with some julienned ginger and chopped green chillies.
4. A green coriander and mint chutney goes really well with this minced meat recipe!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 392Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 89mgSodium: 393mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 28g
Loved this super easy Qeema recipe? Then you’ll definitely love our Authentic Indian Karahi Curry recipe!! Trust us, everyone’s been loving it! Plus this was our first recipe that went viral – and for a good reason! We’re sure it’ll quickly become your favorite!!
This looks amazing!
Thanks Julie!! <3
Nice (experimental) recipe. I would have liked to see some fresh chopped tomatoes added. Otherwise, a complimentary dish.
I have never tried an Indian recipe before. I followed your instructions and the result was superb.
This sounds so good. What is your recipe for the green chutney?
Amazing recipe! Can we add vegetables to the minced meat qeema. My husband loves veges☺️
I’ve never had qeema before but it looks amazing- I can’t wait to try it!
This looks simply delicious. The combination of the spices and minced meat sounds fantastic. I think it’s a dish I am going to love.
This qeema looks so good! I love Indian food but I don’t make it at home that often, I never seem to be able to get that authentic taste. This looks perfect though so I need to give it a go soon!
Have you tried making this recipe
Ok so for the minced meat, is that hamburger?
Now I know I would love this recipe just reading the ingredient list and checking out these delicious photos. Wishing you a super weekend.
Keema is such a fave at my house too..and I am with you on the spice level. I have a different level of spice..and most of my recipes come with the warning “adjust chillie to suit your taste.I prefer it real hot”.. hahaha..
The older I get the more I like spicy food! I didn’t used to be a big fan of spicy stuff, but now I love it! This dish looks so full of flavor, I would love some for lunch right now!
Totally loving this. I am crazy about minced meat and I have tried some new dishes with it but not this one and I’m actually wondering why? Will definitely try this one asap!
I’ve just made this, lovely
Yay! So glad you liked it – this is my mom’s recipe and I’ve grown up eating it. Always makes me happy when someone else enjoys it just as much too <3
Hi Aena,
What type of minced meat did you use? Beef? Thanks in advance! I’m excited to try this recipe!!
Hi Abby!!
I used Australian minced meat for the recipe – but that wasn’t a deliberate choice to be honest, it was whatever I could find easily here in Malaysia. The spices in the recipe really make any type of minced meat truly shine – traditionally, Indians use the Indian minced meat which is cheaper in terms of price (and locally available here), but the result is always the same delicious qeema regardless. So as long as you have minced meat, you’re good to go!
Do let me know when you’ve tried the recipe and what you think of it!! If you have any questions while cooking, email me at aena@scrambledchefs.com and I’ll reply back asap!
Happy cooking 😀
Hi Aena!
I made this tonight and it was WONDERFUL!! My husband and I both loved it. I’m excited to try more of your recipes 🙂
Thanks a bunch!
I need your help please. I would love to try the recipe but was wondering where I could get minced meat? Stupid question but is minced meat ground meat?
Hi Betsy!! Yay! So happy you want to try out the recipe. Yep, minced meat and ground meat are the same thing. You can use any type of minced/ground meat – it doesn’t have to be anything special like Australian ground meat etc.
Let me know if you have any other questions! Would love to know what you think of the recipe once you make it!
If you have any other questions that you want me to answer quickly, just email me at aena@scrambledchefs.com and I’ll get back to you asap.
Happy cooking!!
GREAT, cooked this for my wife and she gave me 10/10 , added a couple of chillis and put the curry inside a bell pepper ( deseeded ). Then put the peppers into my Instant Pot pressure cooker for 8 minutes and the result was amazing.
Served it with pilau rice and 4 chipattis . Thank you for this lovely recipe.
Green pea are sometimes added to qeema.
Great recipe, easy and quick, plenty of flavor! I added 1/2 c. frozen peas at the end for color (as I didn’t top with ginger and chilies due to finicky eaters here). I served it with baked baby bhindi (okra), cucumber/tomato salad, mint and mango chutneys, and parathas. Will definitely make again.
Made this last night using ground beef. It turned out really really well. I added the juice from half a lime and a tsp of brown sugar at the end. Would definitely make again.
I was taught how to make Kheema (Qeema)by a wonderful Indian lady when I lived in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, many years ago. It was remarkably similar. Fresh Ginger and fresh Garlic makes a huge difference. I still make it to this day. In addition to the peas I also add potatoes cut into large chunks. Of course, one can make it more spicy or less spicy by adjusting the amount of chili powder and chili flakes, but I do like my food ‘hot’. I haven’t made it in a while but now that’s it’s on the front burner I will be making it soon. I serve with Naan/Chapati or Rice. Some nice pickles on the side too.
Hello
This seems like a really nice recipe, but there is one thing I don’t understand in it.
In step 6, how is the water supposed to evaporate with the lid on?
But smell of it is really nice.
🙂
This is SOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOD!111111
Try this with boiled spaghetti yummy
Delicious! I used coconut milk instead of water turned out great, really nice recipe – well seasoned, spicy and tasty – thanks.
Delicious! My husband and I both loved it. Packed with flavor.
Thank you for this delicious recipe! Made it as part of my meal prep for the next few days. Had to force myself to stop “tasting” it or there would have been very little left! Definitely in my regular rotation. Thank you again
Thank you for the delicious recipe! We make in Morocco also minced meat like that to stuff bread and pastries. We use typical moroccan spices but I will try this Indian version, it seems delicious. My husband likes very spicy food and I am sure your recipe will be a new family’s favorite dish!
How long will it take for the water to evaporate?
I was shown how to make this by an Indian man who owned a restaurant but forgot the procedure. I have tried your recipe and it taste exactly the same as his recipe and love it. Have saved the details so I can make it your way from now on. Thanks you
Hello, I’ve made this qeema recipe a few times after getting it from Recipe Tin Eats. On my last visit to the page, I discovered that it’s actually your recipe, so I had to come here to post my thanks to the originators. Thank you very much! My husband and I really enjoy this qeema. We love the authentic but accessible flavors, and the fast and simple preparation. Absolutely delicious.
I really loved this. I don’t know anything about Indian cooking but for my preferences I added salt, a heavy extra shake of all the spices, a cup of stock as mine was a little dry. And some kale, spinach and peas. Usually my recipe amendments go badly but this turned out well!