A traditional, authentic, deep, rich, smoky dum ka keema or smoked ground beef recipe that wows!
There are foods that I think of as Paratha foods, the kinds where even the tenderest chapati does not have the same oomph. A good Dum ka Keema, spicy, smoky, heady punctured with the brightness of mint, the boldness of ginger, that just calls for parathas. It is a distinctly different vibe than my Keema Aloo, but so delicious!
It is the one dish that I will always eat at a dinner because there is something about this potent combination I find hard to resist. If there are parathas and a nice aloo curry on the table then whose counting helpings. Definitely not me.
How hard is Dum Ka Keema
For the longest time I was convinced Dum ka Keema is one of those dishes that I used to think you needed a spice mix for. I have since discovered that you can make it quite well with some spices and a grinder. Far less complicated than I thought it would be. I fry my own onions for this keema, but if you have a trusted brand of pre fried onions that isn't coated in flour then go ahead and substitute those.
3 Tips for the BEST Dum ka Keema
- Buying the right Keema: You want lean or extra lean meat, NO GRISTLE. In kababs that are barbecued that fat melts right off, in a dum ka keema it will manifest as bits. Yes, they are near impossible to extricate. If you are buying meat from a butcher ask them to take a lean piece, trimmed of fat, and then run it through the grinder twice for extra fine keema.
- Overnight Marinade (or longer): the longest this ground beef sits in it's marinade the more it breaks down giving you that velvety texture. I love it after 24 hours, but up to two days works well too.
- Charcoal Smoke: this is a MUST. If, like me, you don't have a gas grill you can use a cast iron pan or a stainless steel barbecue or roti handheld grill to heat the coal.
What to Serve with Dum ka Keema
Dum ka Keema goes BEAUTIFULLY with
- Nashtay Walay or Poori Walay Aloo
- Pudina Raita
- Chana Pulao or Paratha
- Some creamy delicious Kheer
Made this Dum ka keema? I'd LOVE to hear from you below!
Dum ka Keema
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef or mutton
Marinade
- 2 onions
- 3 tbsp besan
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 6-8 whole peppers
- 3-4 cloves
- 2 black cardamom
- 3 green cardamoms
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds (optional)
- 1 ½ tbsp chilli flakes
- ½ tbsp red chilli powder
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup yoghurt
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 2 tbsp papaya paste
- 1 piece coal + a piece of foil
For the main dish
- 4-6 green chillies
- 3 inch ginger, halved, cleaned and julienned
Instructions
Marinade
- Thinly slice the onions and fry till golden brown, set aside to drain and roughly crush by hand
- Dry roast the besan, add the cumin seeds, coriander powder, cloves, black pepper, black cardamom, green cardamom to the mix and toast for another minute or two
- Add poppy seeds if using and grind your spices
- Mix the ground spices and the remaining marinade ingredients (ginger paste, garlic paste, chilli flakes, yogurt, chilli powder, lemon juice, papaya paste and salt) together. Add crushed onions to this mix
- Thoroughly mix the above into the meat, best to do this by hand, wearing gloves if you have them. Marinate overnight for best results
Cook
- Take the marinaded meat out of the fridge half an hour before cooking.
- Add a lug of oil to a heavy bottomed pan and begin to cook the meat mixture
- The mixture will release a great deal of liquid as it cooks, keep stirring and cooking on medium high heat for 10-15 minutes, the mixture will start to look cooked, add a splash of water if it sticks or more oil if needed
- Turn the heat down and cook covered for another 20 minutes on low heat, stirring frequently, the meat will look darker and richer
- Add most of the ginger, the slit green chillies, and a tsp of garam masala, cook for another few minutes, adjust seasoning with additional salt and lemon juice. You can adjust the consistency with water as well.
- Heat a piece of coal on your stove top (you can do this on a ceramic top as well, just takes longer) till it gets seriously ashy. Place a piece of foil in your pot of keema. Place the coal on the foil, souse with a little oil, smoke will start to billow. Shut the lid immediately. Leave till the smoke dissipates
- Serve with paratha or naan and garnished with sliced onions, mint leaves, lemon wedges, and ginger.
Don't lose the recipe, just pin it right here!
Sania Z says
I was so nervous about this recipe because I have eaten this many times but never made it! I should have trusted you because this and your instant pot kheer were the super hits of my Niaz! Thank you Sarah for always coming up with the most foolproof recipes!
Sarah Mir says
Hi Sania! SO SO happy to hear this, thank you so so much for your review!
Nosheen says
Tried this recipe but it turned out nothing like the picture. Taste isn’t that amazing either despite following it to the T. Shame as it took a lot of effort with the marination and cooking compared to standard aloo keema 🙁
Sarah Mir says
Hi Nosheen! I am so sorry to hear that it didn't work for you! So for the colour not being the same obviously photos can vary a little but a well sautéed beef dum ka keema is quite dark in colour so my best guess is it needed a little more bhunnai, that would impact the flavour as well. It definitely is not an everyday dish like aloo qeema so I totally understand on the effort part!
Amir says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! My mother used to make this. She's the only person I know who did so. Seeing this recipe has brought back the most vivid of memories. May Allah swt grant her highest level of Jannah.
I will give this a try myself, insha'Allah.
جزاك اللهُ خيرً
Sarah Mir says
Amir I am so so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine that this will ever compare to anything your mother made for you with her mothers love, but I do hope you enjoy it nonetheless.
Raiya says
Hi Sarah, does the marinated meat freeze well to cook later - a couple of weeks out or so?
Sarah Mir says
easily! let me know how it goes!
Madiha says
Your recipes are bomb! Mashallah!
Sarah Mir says
thank you SO SO much Madiha!
Ayesha says
this is my absolute favourite keema recipe! turns out like a dream every time and i cook this at least twice a month.
Sarah Mir says
that is absolutely awesome to hear!!! thank you!
Crystal says
I must have tried a dozen of different recipes for dum ka keema but never got it right, however, this one was a hit! Quick prep, easy cook and tastes amazing. Balanced flavours, smoky and melt in your mouth goodness. I see this making an appearance on my dawat table again and again.
Sarah Mir says
Ohmigosh what a WONDERFUL review! thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Crystal says
I have been rying to make dum ka keema for
Fez says
I've been using this recipe for couple of years now and have tried others. I must say, this one has to be the best out there.
Anyone who's eaten it so far loved it and I can't get enough of this dish.
I'm in the middle of making this for for double the quantity as per the recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing it.
Sarah Mir says
Faizan! Thank you SO SO much for this review!!! Happy to hear you enjoy it and I appreciate you taking the time to share that!
AG01 says
Thank you for the recipe! I am hoping to make it today. Is it possible to make this recipe without the yogurt to make it dairy free? Any substitute for the yogurt or could I just omit it?
Sarah Mir says
Hey there! I am trying to think this through - I suspect you need the yoghurt for the iconic creaminess. Have you had any luck cooking with coconut yoghurt?
S says
First time making dum ka keema and I followed this recipe. Results were amazing, I marinated the keema for 48 hours. I will keep this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Sarah Mir says
So glad to hear it's a keeper! Thanks for this review!
Mariam says
Made this 3-4 times now, always a hit!
Sarah Mir says
Mariam! That is so great to hear, thank you!!
Fatima says
Hi Sarah, if we’re using 1lb of keema, how should I change the amount of spices I use instead?
Sarah Mir says
Hi fatima! Just halve it and you should be ok!
Zainab says
Dum keema is a staple at my parents' house for Eid, and I'm excited to try your recipe this Eid. A question: what do you mean by whole peppers in the ingredients? Would that be the dried round red chilis? Or something else? Thank you!
Sarah Mir says
sorry! I am JUST seeing this, whole peppers means whole black peppers