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:
Beef mince – That’s ground beef to those of you in the States! I’m using lean today, but regular is fine (fattier – juicier). I also made this recipe a few years ago using chicken mince which was terrific.
Fresh garlic and ginger – Key to flavour in this otherwise simple Indian dish, so don’t skip these.
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.
Fresh coriander/cilantro for garnish. (Skip if you’re not a coriander fan).
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
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 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.
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 can 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:
Indian Tomato Salad with Mint Raita Dressing
South Indian Carrot & Cabbage Salad with Coconut is fresh and popping with flavours – love the coconut flavour in this!
Give this Everyday Cabbage Salad an Indian spin by sautéing garlic and cumin seeds in oil before mixing up with other Dressing ingredients.
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
recipe credit
This Qeema recipe is very slightly adapted from this Authentic Indian Minced Meat Qeema recipe from Scrambled Chefs. I just spied a 5 Ingredient Indian Potato Curry and this Chicken Curry has just jumped to the top of my Must Try list!
Watch how to make it
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Qeema Indian Curried Beef
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil , or other neutral oil
- 4 tsp ginger , finely mince
- 5 large garlic cloves , minced (about 4 tsp)
- 1 large onion , finely diced
- 500g / 1 lb beef mince (ground beef)
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper or chilli powder (pure, not US chili powder spice mix), omit for not spicy
- 1 1/4 tsp garam masala (Note 1)
- 1 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- 1 1/4 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 cup water
Garnish
- 1 green cayenne pepper , deseeded, finely sliced
- Cilantro/coriander leaves
- Plain yogurt or Mint yogurt (below)
Mint yogurt (optional, pictured in post)
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup (lightly packed) mint leaves
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
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).
Mint yogurt
- Blitz then stir – Put just 1/4 cup of the yogurt with the mint leaves and salt in a jug just big enough to fit the head of a stick blender. Blitz until mint is very finely chopped. Then stir in remaining yogurt. (Note 4) Refrigerate until required.
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:
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).
Hi Nagi, this is the first recipe of yours that I’ve tried, and it was delicious. Simple and quick, with lovely Indian flavors. Thank you! My husband and I enjoyed it very much over cauliflower rice.
You are indeed correct about American chili powder. It is a relatively mild spice blend, and is not the same as pure ground chilies.
Made this instead of the usual chilli or bolognese. Really easy to make and delicious. Recipes on here are tremendous.
Just made this, it tasted so good!!! Never knew the amazing things you can do with just mince… Instead of salt I used fish sauce. Thanks, Nagi!!!
Great idea Willem!
Hi Nagi,
i have cooked this, your Korean beef, beef stroganoff and your sesame salmon. I have to say, they are all suberb. My whole family loved them. Thank you for sharing.😋 Brilliant recipes.
Love your site! Plan to add potato cubes and peas (in a slow cooker). When should I add the potato?
Hi Liz! Give the potatoes 3 hours in the slow cooker 🙂
My bf and I wanted to try something new and I stumbled upon this recipe and it was just what we needed. It was so so so good! All the food we’ve made from your recipes have turned out amazing! And I’m not sure if we’re just picking the best ones, but they’ve also all been so cheap and easy, which we really appreciate as college students. It seems like your recipes just make us want to cook more and more! You really make us feel like amazing cooks 🙂 Please keep up the great work!
So pleased you enjoyed this Elisa! And any recipe you pick is a best one!!! 😉 I’m super fussy about what recipes I share, you’d be amazed how many get ditched 🙂 N xx
Why is it called curried beef if there is no curry? Just wondering..
The spice mix in this takes the place of a pre-made curry powder 🙂
Not a fan of ground beef. Would this work with chunks of beef and if so what cut would you recommend?
I’m looking for a beef dish for an Indian meal. Preferably something to make ahead or I slow cooker. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
This will work great in a slow cooker with cubes of beef, no need to add extra water. 🙂 Bite size pieces of beef, 6 hours on low. Fab!
Hi Nagi,
I’m making this dish now. I have 3.5 lbs of cubes of beef and plan to slow cook it. Should i triple all the ingredients except the water? Also how many hours of slow cooking on HIGH?
Thanks. Hope you can reply asap
Hi Dianne, unfortunately I don’t know for this one, I haven’t tried it with cubed beef. As a guide – double rather than triple (ground / mince meat takes in more flavour) and just use enough water to cover the beef then slow cook on high for probably 4 hours until beef is tender. Hope that helps.
HI just come across this site as it was advertised in the Liverpool Echo uk paper I can’t wait to get cooking they all look shamazing 🥰🥰🥰
* in a slow cooker
Could you use beef chunks in this recipe? If yes what cut do you rw commend. I’m not a huge ground beef fan.
Thanks!
Hi Mary! This would be great with slow cooking cuts of meat, just add water and simmer for 1 hour or so until the beef pieces are tender. Delish!
Made this recipe today I was in the mood to cook Indian so it turned out superb! I made it in my big nonstick frying pan and left it on the stove top, when I got back home it was almost gone. My husband is the guilty one. Did not have garam masala so I did not add it but to give it some spice I sliced just one small size pepper and added lots of cilantro (love this) and added peas to make it colorful plus I used turkey instead of meat ( we do not eat beef 😉
Cheeky hubby!!! 😉 Thank you for trying my recipe Beatriz! I am so glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for letting me know! N x
I made the Qeema beef dish and absolutely loved it … my wife, not so much. I”m sure I’ll make it again for my satisfaction. Not sure why she loves her curried chicken, but not this. Just one question … While the recipe is delicious, don’t the Indians worship cattle and wouldn’t think of eating them?
Hi Mikw! You are absolutely right, Hindus consider cattle a sacred animal so therefore do not eat beef. And in fact, Hindus do not generally eat pork either 🙂 Much of India is actually vegetarian! But Muslims, Christians and Hindus in some areas of India do eat beef. 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!! Sorry it wasn’t to your wife’s taste though. 🙂
Thank you for being so accurate with this explanation! 💕
What a great way to jazz up minced beef! This looks perfect for a weeknight meal.
Thanks Sarah!!! 🙂
I respectfully disagree with the American chili powder. No paprika in what I buy.
Hi Kat! Sorry, I don’t know exactly what goes in American chili powder, I just know there’s more flavourings that just straight dried chilli! 🙂
Hi Nadi
I think that mild chili powder used in the US is what we call Kashmiri chili powder. I buy it online here in Australia and is great if you are looking for red intensity with little heat. See link here for explanation.
https://www.thasneen.com/cooking/difference-between-chili-powder-kashmiri-chili-powder-cayenne-and-paprika/
Hope this is helpful
Regards
Roger
Nagi, my Queen, you have done it again. This was amazing. I’ve gotten in the habit of checking your website every morning and pretty much making everything you post. This one was a favorite, for sure. Keep them coming!
Queen?? If I have a title, it would be CHEESE QUEEN! 🙂 Thank you so much for your lovely message Sheri, I am SO GLAD you enjoyed this!! The site I got this from – Scrambled Chefs – are so talented! N x
This sounds delicious, Nagi! Also love how quick and easy the recipe is 🙂
Thanks Sabrina! 🙂
I’ve been experimenting lately with some Indian recipes and they can be so delicious, but so darn complicated! Half the time I want to throw up my hands, pick up the phone and call forget takeout. But look at this beauty – no fuss and LOADED with flavor! I have every single ingredient right now and I love that it’s simple enough to make on a weeknight. Love love love this!
My problem is getting my hands on all the spices required!!! I’ll drive all the way to an Indian store, get home and realise I forgot ONE spice, that’s when I throw MY hands up!!! 🙂
You had me a curried. I’m seriously loving the big flavor and minimal spice list! And you’re right, I do have all of them in my cupboard. Of course my cupboard looks like a have a spice addiction, but you probably already knew that 😉
I bet your spice cupboard is seriously out of control!!!! I got your email, promise to respond this morn! N x
It was a spur of the moment decision to make this and boy am I glad I did. Surprisingly tasty for such an easy recipe. Thanks Nagi for yet another excellent recipe.
Yesssss!!! So glad you enjoyed it Jen, thanks for letting me know! N x
Hi Nagi,
One of my favourite dishes. Traditionally ,Kheema is made with minced lamb and we always add some green peas.
Growing up,I remember my mother also adding a few liver and kidney pieces. Delish !
Best,G
Lamb? That’s quite interesting, I actually don’t know many Indian lamb dishes!!!! Love the idea of adding peas! Bet your mum made a killer Kheema 🙂
In the UK, Keema is commonly made with minced lamb and it’s delicious. It tends to have a handful of frozen peas in it as well. I will definitely try it with beef though. Anyway Nagi, you’ve named tomorrow’s tea- Keema, tomato and cucumber salad with raita, naan and I might give the potato curry a go as well. Thank you very much!
Awesome curried beef recipe! Very quick and easy, can’t wait to try this!
I hope you do try it! I was blown away by how easy it was and yet authentic!!!