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Home » Recipes » Ground Meat Main Dishes

Posted by Mariam Sodawater on Mar 19, 2022 (Updated Mar 19, 2022)

Dum Ka Keema

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5 from 5 votes

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The authentic and unique Dum Ka Keema recipe from the royal kitchen of Nawabs of Hyderabad. Make this delicious keema in just 20 minutes of cook time. Serve it loads of zesty ginger and cooling mint.

Dum ka keema served in blue ceramic bowl on the black background.

Dum ka Keema is spiced and smoked ground meat curry. It is made by marinating ground meat (keema) with an Indian spice blend. Then ground meat is cooked with fried onions and yogurt. Gram flour is used to thicken the gravy. It is usually served with paratha and mint chutney. 

Keema means ground meat, throughout the post ground meat and keema will be used interchangeably. Dum means 'to smoke' so make sure your keema has a deep smoky flavor.

Jump to:
  • Why this recipe is so easy?
  • Ingredients
  • How to cook?
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

We love eating keema at home, no wonder I'm having so many mince recipes on the blog. The best once are bhuna keema, chapli kebab, keema cutlets, Mongolian meatballs and keema naan.

Why this recipe is so easy?

There are three basics of this recipe if you hooked them right, you'll end up with the most delicious keema very easily.

  • Finely grounded: The finely grounded texture gives this dish a curry like authentic look and taste.
  • Marination: This step makes sure keema is juicy and cooked to perfection. The papaya paste or any meat tenderizer also necessary for that soft juicy texture.
  • Smoking: This is most cruicial. Getting properly smoked mince can be tricky. I'd recommend re-smoking keema if needed, until you can taste and smell the smoke in the keema.

Ingredients

The ingredients are visible in the image below which are ground meat, yogurt, ginger, garlic, chili, gram flour, onion, oil, butter or ghee, papaya paste, and Indian spices. Read below for substitute for ingredients or skip to the how-to-make section.

Ingredients laid on the white background yo make dum ka keema.
  • Ground Meat: You may use beef, mutton or lamb mince to make this recipe. We want finely grounded meat so ask your butcher to process it through the machine twice.
  • Gram Flour: Gram flour is easily available in Indian stores, you can substitutes it with chickpea flour. You may skip it.
  • Black cumin: Black cumin has rich aroma so it is recomemded. But you can easily substitute it with white cumin.
  • Raw Papaya paste: The raw hard green papaya has capability to emulsify meat protien so it help tenderize the meat. You can use any meat tenderiser.
  • Onion: I used fresh onion in this recipe. You can also use crushed fried onion. You'll need about ⅓ cup crushed fried onions.
  • Ghee and butter taste amazing in this keema. I used a mix of ghee and oil.

How to cook?

Making Dum ka Keema is very easy, just sear (bhunnofy) it very well until browned. You can also marinate the meat a night ahead and store it in the fridge. Also, smoke keema in a wide pan so it smoked evenly.

A collage of steps to marinate ground meat and fry onions.
  1. Take all ingredients of marination in a bowl.
  2. Mix all and marinte overnight (8 to 36 hours) in the fridge or 2 hours on the counter in a cool dry place. Cover the ground meat with a thin cloth or mesh to allow air circulation. (Do not skip the marination.)
  3. Heat oil in a pan fry chopped until until golden brown. (Protip:You can also use crushed and fried onions to save time.)
  4. Add marinated ground meat. Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. As the keema begins to cook, it will release the juices and it will get easy to stir. Give it a good stir and break the lumps. Cover and continue to cook on low heat until water dries. Slow cooking can really enhance the flavors.
A collage of steps to fry and smoke keema.
  1. Now we need to sear (bhunna) the dum ka keema for a few minutes until the keema turns a little darker in color. Watch Video.
  2. Add gram flour to the keema and mix well. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes on low heat then remove heat.
  3. This is the most crucial step. Heat at least 2-inch pieces of thick charcoal. It has to be red hot, I keep it for heating when I start searing the keema. Keema should be in a thin layer in a wide pot. Then place the coal on the keema as shown in the above picture. Drizzle oil on the charcoal and cover the keema. Place a tight lid with no holes. The smoke must not escape. Smoke for 10 minutes for a deep smoky flavor.
  4. Now, this part is a personal choice. If you like keema to be juicy add ¼ cup water and let keema simmer on low for 5 minutes until you see the oil separating on the sides of the pan. You may keep it dry and skip this step.
  5. Dish out the keema and add a small dollop of butter in the middle. Garnish it with loads of julienne ginger, fresh mint, and sliced onion salad.

Recipe FAQ

How to serve? 

Serve Dum ka keema with paratha or romali roti and mint chutney. Alternately you can use this keema as filling in samosa or paratha roll. Also, pair some sliced onions and cucumbers to go along.

Can I freeze dum ka keema?

Yes, this keema is freezer friendly and will come out just as fresh.

Is it good for tin packing?

A large amount of searing and oil; the absence of potato, tomato makes this keema tin packing friendly. Make sure there is a layer of oil on top.

A photo showing depiction o

Hungry for more Keema? Try these!

  • Pakistani Keema Matar Recipe
  • Chapli Kabab Recipe
  • Pakistani Keema (Bhuna)
  • Keema Naan Recipe

If you try this recipe, I'd LOVE to hear your feedback in the comments. Your 5-ratings motivate me to do my best. Stay connected for more recipes and videos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube.

📖 Recipe

A close up shot of dum ka keema.

Dum Ka Keema

Make this delicious dum Keema with just 20 minutes of cook time. Serve it with Paratha or with lip-smacking rice and chutney plater.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep: 10 minutes minutes
Cook: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings : 4 servings
Calories: 424kcal

Ingredients

Marination

  • ½ kg ground meat, lamb or beef, use finely ground meat (that is minced twice or just process regular ground meat in a food processor for a fine texture).
  • 1 cup yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon green chili paste
  • 1½ tablespoon raw papaya paste, or use meat tenderizer as directed on the packet.
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • ½ tablespoon red chili flakes, or less
  • 2 teaspoon coriander powder, preferably roasted and grounded
  • 2 teaspoon cumin powder, preferably roasted and grounded
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder, skip for less spicy
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili, for color, optional
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon black cumin, optional
  • ¾ teaspoon salt

Cook Keema

  • ⅓ cup oil
  • ¼ cup ghee, tallow or butter
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon gram flour, (channe ka atta) ,optional
  • 2 inch piece of charcoal, to smoke

Garnish

  • 2 inch ginger, cut in juliene
  • A handful mint leaves
  • Butter, to serve with individual servings.

Instructions

  • Take all ingredients of marination in a bowl.
  • Mix all and marinate overnight (8 to 32 hours) the in fridge or at least 2 hours on the counter in a cool dry place. Cover the ground meat with a thin cloth or mesh to allow air circulation.
  • Heat oil in a pan fry chopped onions until until golden brown.
    (Protip: You can also use crushed and fried onions to save time.)
  • Add marinated ground meat. Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. As the keema begins to cook, it will release the juices and it will get easy to stir. Give it a good stir and break the lumps.
  • Now you need to sear (bhunna) the dum ka keema for about 5-7 minutes until oil separates on the side of the pan.
  • Add gram flour to ground meat and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes then remove from the heat.
  • Heat at least 2 inch peice of thick charcoal. It has to be red hot. In a wide pot place the coal on the keema as shown in above picture. Drizzle oil and cover the keema tightly. Smoke for 10 minutes.
  • If you like keema to be juicy add ¼ cup water and let keema simmer on low for 5 minutes until you see the oil separating on the sides of the pan.
  • Dish out the keema and add a small dollop of butter in the middle. Garnish it with loads of juliene ginger, fresh mint, and sliced onion salad.

Notes

  • Ground Meat: You may use beef, mutton, or lamb mince to make this recipe. We want finely grounded meat so ask your butcher to process it through the machine twice.
  • Gram Flour: Gram flour is easily available in Indian stores, you can substitute it with chickpea flour too. You may skip it altogether.
  • Black cumin: Black cumin has a rich aroma so it is recommended. But you can easily substitute it with regular cumin.
  • Raw Papaya paste: The raw hard green papaya has the capability to emulsify meat protein so it helps tenderize the meat. You can use any meat tenderizer powder as well. Meat tenderizer powder quickly tenderizes meat compared to papaya. So it is a good option if you have little marination time.
  • Oil and ghee: Keema tastes best when cooked in ghee. I find a mix of butter and ghee also tastes great.
  • Onion: I used fresh onion in this recipe. You can also use fried onion. You'll need about ⅓ cup of crushed fried onions.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 424kcal ,Carbohydrates: 11g ,Protein: 3g ,Fat: 42g ,Saturated Fat: 10g ,Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g ,Monounsaturated Fat: 22g ,Trans Fat: 1g ,Cholesterol: 37mg ,Sodium: 499mg ,Potassium: 244mg ,Fiber: 2g ,Sugar: 5g ,Vitamin A: 372IU ,Vitamin C: 5mg ,Calcium: 108mg ,Iron: 1mg
Author : Mariam Sodawater

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Comments

    5 from 5 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    If you enjoy this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating along with your comment. Not only your reviews motivate me to do my best, but they also help others find me online. Thank you! Mariam




  1. Maha says

    March 25, 2025 at 6:33 am

    5 stars
    This is a great recipe! I didn't have papaya or meat tenderitizer so I put in about a tbsp of vinegar and 1-2 tbsp seekh kabob masala, and marinated for 2 hours. I also didn't have coal to smoke the dish, but even with all the changes it turned out super delicious!

    Reply
    • Mariam Sodawater says

      March 27, 2025 at 1:18 am

      Thanks a lot Maha for detailed feedback. I'm so glad you liked it.

      Reply
  2. nk says

    October 19, 2022 at 12:10 am

    I appreciate the response. Next time I will head to the market to check out black cumin. This ended up being my favorite creamy keema recipe ever. For green chili paste I used 1/2 a jalepeno mirch de-seeded and instead of making a paste I tossed the mirch and the remainder of the marination ingredients into a blender (except the meat).   I was truly surprised by how quickly it came together, especially after 24 hours of marinating. I omitted all of the red chili flakes, red chili powder, and kashmiri mirch because of the children; instead, I used 1 TSP paprika for a light flavor and color. Since I liked the consistency once it was thoroughly cooked and the water had dried out to 85%, I omitted the gram flour from the final stage. Thank you again for your recipes, techniques, and explanation! We live in a digital era but I would buy your cookbooks!

    Reply
    • Mariam Sodawater says

      October 20, 2022 at 5:42 pm

      Hi Nudrat, thank you so much for the detailed comment. Your tips on omitting chilies and gram flour will definitely help anyone looking forward to a milder version of this recipe. I'm genuinely humbled by your kind words and appreciation of my work. You definitely gave me the energy to work harder and happily on the blog. Have a nice day.

      Reply
  3. nk says

    October 17, 2022 at 10:12 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Mariam, is black cumin seed and black seed (kalonji) the same spice?

    Reply
    • Mariam Sodawater says

      October 18, 2022 at 12:31 am

      No, Black cumin is similar to regular cumin but has a stronger and richer aroma. They are also called shah zeera. While black seeds or kalonji are a completely different spice. You can use regular cumin instead of black cumin with little compromise in taste.

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Mariam Sodawater, a passionate home chef dedicated to sharing authentic South Asian taste with simple recipes and easy-to-find ingredients. My motto is EASY, HEALTHY, and FRUGAL food. Home cooking can be fun and therapeutic!

About Mariam

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