Minced Beef and Potato Curry (Aloo Keema)

Minced beef and potato curry is my take on an easy Indian keema aloo, a medium-spiced curry, with sweet garden peas and heady with fenugreek.

Cooking this delicious curry takes around an hour, but you will only spend around 20 minutes of that in the kitchen prepping and cooking!

Ground Beef (Keema) Curry

My classic lamb keema matar recipe has been here since 2018, and it has been in my top 10 recipes ever since.

But lamb ain't the only keema in town, because I also have a pork keema curry, chicken keema curry.

Now we can add a minced beef, potato and pea curry, or keema aloo matar recipe, to the list, and it is gloriously simple and utterly delicious!

Beef isn't commonly associated with Indian or Pakistani recipes, and whilst the consumption per capita is low, both countries sit inside the top 10 global consumers of beef.

We all know that beef holds up beautifully to spicy flavours. But I also think that it has a fantastic affinity with fenugreek, which features boldly here.

It's a curry that will take you about an hour to put together, but the process is very easy and you need no special tools or equipment!

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Buy them 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.

Can I use dried curry leaves?

I would honestly rather omit them from a recipe than use dried curry leaves, because they have very little flavour.

Can I use lean minced beef?

Yes, if reducing fat is important to you, then feel free to use lower-fat minced beef.

I think that this recipe is best made with beef with a fat content between 10 and 20%, but the flavours work well with lower-fat beef too.

How spicy is this curry?

Everyone has a different tolerance to spice, I find this curry to be a "medium" spiced curry, however, you should trust your experience! If the two chillies in this recipe sound like they would be too hot for you, then reduce the amount.

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

A NOTE FOR MY US-BASED READERS!

Tomato puree in the US is called tomato paste (concentrated tomato).

Serving Suggestions

I've served my minced beef curry with my tandoori-style naan bread in the photos on this page.

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 it with thinly sliced red onion and fresh coriander, 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!

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/Stovetop.
• 30cm or 12" frying pan with a lid.
• Kitchen knife.
• Chopping board.
• Vegetable peeler.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
• A sieve or colander (if you are using frozen peas).
• Serving and serving spoons.