Name: Minced Beef Curry Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Anglo Indian
Ingredients: 350g (12oz) Minced Beef; 200g (~1 1/3 Cup) Potatoes; 200g (~1 1/3 Cup) Onion; 3 Garlic Cloves; Ginger Thumb Sized Piece; 2 Red Chilli Peppers; 12 Curry Leaves; 1 Tsp Cumin Seeds; 1 Tsp Ajawain Seeds; 1 Tsp Brown Mustard Seeds; 1 Tbsp Ghee; 2 Tbsp Tomato Concentrate; 1 Tbsp Chickpea Flour; 1/2 Tsp Ground Coriander; 1/2 Tsp Ground Turmeric; 1 Tsp Chilli Powder; 1 Tbsp Dried Fenugreek; 1 Tsp Salt; 250ml (1 Cup) Water; 150g (~1 Cup) Green Peas; 1 Tsp Garam Masala

Jump to Recipe

This minced beef curry has its roots in a classic Mughal Keema, my version is a one-pot complete meal featuring potatoes & peas.

Add a naan bread and some slithers of red onion and dinner is served in right around an hour.

Minced beef curry with peas and potatoes served with a naan bread.

Beef Keema Curry.

My classic lamb keema matar recipe has been here since 2018 and it is perennially in my top 10 recipes. I also have a minced pork curry and a lamb keema rice recipe.

However in recent months I have been asked if both can be made with beef on many occasions.

Now I do not personally think that the protein element in any recipe can be swapped out, the sauces and spices should complement and contrast the main ingredient.

So I set out to create my perfect minced beef curry, and this is it.

A glorious one pot Indian meal. I’ve been using potatoes in curry recipes a lot of late and not serving without rice and I’m loving it.

Dishes like aloo gobi matar, a Bengali aloo paneer and aloo gosht are absolutely rocking the Krumpli household at the moment.

Close up minced beef curry with peas and potatoes.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Can I use lean minced beef?

I would not make this ground beef curry with lean beef.

Aim for something with around 20% fat, this helps keep the whole dish lubricated and makes the final sauce silky and smooth.

I tested the recipe with 10% beef and it was a little dry because of the lack of fat.

Where can I find curry leaves?

You will probably need to head to an Indian store for curry leaves.

They add a completely unique flavour to dishes.

Don’t be tempted to buy dried though because they taste of nothing.

Buy fresh and put them in the freezer, they will last in there for 6 months in an airtight container or bag.

They are an essential part of many of my Indian dishes, everything from my smoked mackerel kedgeree to my achar gosht.

How spicy is this beef mince curry?

Now there’s a question! Everyone has a different tolerance to spice, I find this dish fairly hot. The majority of the heat comes from the two Thai birds eye chillies that I usually use.

You should use chillies that you can tolerate and enjoy, if that happens to be ghost chillies then go for it… If you are a mild chilli kind person then again fill your boots

This is your dinner, it ain’t a competition!

Overhead minced beef curry with peas and potatoes served with a naan bread.

Serving Suggestions.

As I mention above I view this beef keema curry as a one pot dish…

There is however always room for flat bread when it comes to Indian food and my favourite is naan bread.

But because this dish is fairly dry, by that I mean that it does not swim in sauce, it is also great served with a chapati.

I like to garnish with fresh thinly sliced red onion, but it also works really well with a kachumber salad.

And finally, if you have a taste for something sweet with your curry then consider adding a little mango chutney on the side!

Don’t forget the poppadoms to start the meal off!

2 Servings

Minced Beef Curry Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

An Indian minced beef curry is the perfect midweek dinner that will not break the bank but will put a smile on everyones face!

Ingredients

350g (12oz) Minced Beef
200g (~1 1/3 Cup) Potatoes
200g (~1 1/3 Cup) Onion
3 Garlic Cloves
Ginger Thumb Sized Piece
2 Red Chilli Peppers
12 Curry Leaves
1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
1 Tsp Ajawain Seeds
1 Tsp Brown Mustard Seeds
1 Tbsp Ghee
2 Tbsp Tomato Concentrate
1 Tbsp Chickpea Flour
1/2 Tsp Ground Coriander
1/2 Tsp Ground Turmeric
1 Tsp Chilli Powder
1 Tbsp Dried Fenugreek
1 Tsp Salt
250ml (1 Cup) Water
150g (~1 Cup) Green Peas
1 Tsp Garam Masala

Instructions

Dice the onion as finely as you can.
Peel and mash the garlic and ginger.
Slit the red chilli peppers vertically, not all, do not cut in half.
Heat a wide based pan over a medium-high heat and add the ghee when it is hot.
When the ghee has melted add the seeds, the slit chillies, and the curry leaves.
As soon as the seeds begin to spit add the onions, ginger and garlic and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Peel and cut the potatoes into a 1.5 cm dice.
Add the potatoes, tomato puree and beef and turn the heat up a notch or two and fry until the beef browns.
Throw in the salt, chilli powder, turmeric, coriander, fenugreek, and chickpea flour then stir to combine.
Pour in the water and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
Add the peas and garam masala, stir and cook for a final 2-3 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 820Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 173mgSodium: 1399mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 12gSugar: 14gProtein: 60g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Ian Baker

Sunday 3rd of October 2021

Hi Brian, can I just check please, you list cumin seeds twice in the ingredient list? Should one of these be another seed or is it just a doubling up?

Thanks for the great recipes.

Brian Jones

Hi Ian... Thanks for pointing that out, no idea how it happened, it is a duplicate so I have deleted it :)

Brian