Keema Biryani Recipe
A fragrant biryani made with spiced minced meat, yoghurt, fried onions, and herbs, layered with saffron-infused basmati rice for a comforting meal. Serve with raita and salad for the best festive meal.
Servings: 3 people
Calories: 640kcal
Ingredients
For the keema masala
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 2 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 2 black cardamom
- 2 to 3 green cardamom
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 8 to 10 black peppercorns
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 medium onion
- 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 450 grams ground meat beef, lamb or chicken (see notes)
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes
- Salt to taste
- 5 to 8 green chillies adjust to suit your heat tolerance
- 1 tablespoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ cup yoghurt
- ½ cup fried onions
- ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
For par-boiling the rice
- 2 cups basmati rice rinsed and soaked for 30 mins
- 8 to 10 cups water
- 2 to 3 green chillies
- 2 to 3 tablespoon salt
For assembling
- 1 tablespoon rose water
- 2 tablespoon brewed saffron optional
- 2 teaspoon ghee or butter
- Fried onions
- fresh mint leaves
- garam masala
- 2 potatoes boiled and pan fried (optional) (see notes)
Instructions
Prepare the keema masala
- Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.2 tablespoon ghee
- Add caraway seeds, black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Sauté for a few seconds until aromatic.2 teaspoon caraway seeds, 2 black cardamom, 2 to 3 green cardamom, 2 to 3 cloves, 8 to 10 black peppercorns, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf
- Add chopped onions and cook until translucent and starts to brown.2 medium onion
- Stir in ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 1–2 minutes.2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- Add the ground meat and break it apart as it cooks until no longer pink. Let it release its moisture, then sauté until the liquid evaporates and the keema turns almost dry.450 grams ground meat
- Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, green chillies, red chilli powder, turmeric and yoghurt. Stir well and cook until the oil separates. This can take 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat.2 medium-sized tomatoes, Salt to taste, 5 to 8 green chillies, 1 tablespoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ cup yoghurt
- Sprinkle fresh coriander leaves, mint leaves, fried onions and garam masala. Stir and cook for 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat.½ cup fried onions, ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves, ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, 2 teaspoon garam masala
Par-boil the basmati rice
- In a large pot, bring water to a full boil and salt it heavily.8 to 10 cups water, 2 to 3 tablespoon salt
- Drain the soaked rice and add it along with a few green chillies. Bring the water back to a full boil on high heat and cook until it’s about 70-80% done (grains should still have a bite).2 cups basmati rice, 2 to 3 green chillies
- Drain the par-boiled rice into a colander and then add it over the keema masala.
Layer and steam (Dum)
- Sprinkle the top with a little saffron milk, rose water, ghee, fried onions, mint leaves, and a pinch of garam masala. Place the boiled and fried potatoes, if using.1 tablespoon rose water, 2 tablespoon brewed saffron, 2 teaspoon ghee, Fried onions, fresh mint leaves, garam masala, 2 potatoes
- Cover tightly with a lid (or foil) and cook on lowest heat for 20–25 minutes for the flavors to meld.
Serve
- Gently turn out the biryani into a large platter. Garnish with lime slices and fried onions and serve hot with simple raita and onion salad.
Video
Notes
- Potatoes: I boiled large potato chunks in salted water with a dash of turmeric powder until cooked through. Then, pan-fried to get it golden and crispy outside. You may do this in the oven.
- beef, lamb or chicken: The cooking time of keema masala will differ based on the type of ground meat you use.
- The nutrition is calculated for a single serving, considering ground beef.
Nutrition
Calories: 640kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 28g
