If you’re looking to explore a delicious meaty dish, let me introduce you to Dum ka Keema, a classic Pakistani recipe that has been beloved for generations. This dish isn’t just a meal, it’s a staple you’ll often find on Pakistani brunch menus, making it perfect for breakfast or as a satisfying main course for lunch or dinner.

One of the best parts is how perfectly it pairs with flaky, buttery parathas, which add the ideal crunch and they complement each other so well that you’ll want to savor every bite. What truly sets this dish apart is its unforgettable smoky taste infused in the. Honestly, this recipe is a total winner, and can’t get enough of it!

Explore More Mince Meat Recipes

Pakistani Seekh Kabab
Keema Curry
Chapli Kabab
Aloo Keema Curry

About The Recipe

Dum ka Keema gets its name from “dum,” which is a special cooking method. In South Asian cooking, “dum” means cooking food slowly in its own steam or juices.

What I love most about this dish is how straightforward it is to prepare. You simply combine all the ingredients in one pan, let them marinate overnight, and then cook them together the next day or after few hours. This no-fuss method makes it easy to enjoy a delicious homemade meal without the hassle or complexity typically associated with cooking elaborate dishes. It’s as simple as that, minimal effort for maximum flavor.

One important step is using coal smoke at the end during the cooking process, which adds a unique taste. To finish it off, garnishing the Dum ka Keema with sliced green chilies and fresh ginger adds, and the result is this amazingly delicious dish!

Spices And Ingredients

This recipe consists of three main steps. First, we have the marination, followed by the cooking, and finally, adding the smoke of coal for flavor. In the first step, you’ll need to gather all the vegetables and spices required for the marination.

Vegetables: finely chop mentioned below vegetables in a chopper.

• Onions
• Tomatoes
• Garlic and Ginger paste
• Green Chillies
• Mint Leaves

Spices for the marination: mix all the vegetables and spices together and let the mixture rest for at least 5-8 hours.

• Cumin Seeds
• Coriander Seeds
• Peppercorns
• Salt
• Chili Flakes
• Turmeric Powder
• Dried Fenugreek Seeds
• Carrot Seeds
• Garam Masala

Other Ingredients in the marination:

• Papaya Paste or Meat Tenderiser
• Yogurt

How To Make Dum ka Keema (Step-By-Step Process)

Marinade

1. Start by roughly chopping the onions, tomatoes (make sure to remove the seeds), green chilies, and mint leaves using a chopper. If you prefer, you can also chop them by hand.
2. Next, take a pan and dry toast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns over medium heat. Stir them around until they smell good, then grind them coarsely into a powder using a spice grinder.
3. In a big bowl, add the ground meat (minced meat) and mix in the chopped vegetables along with the spices you just made (step 2), along with rest of the spices: salt, turmeric powder, chili flakes, carom seeds, dried fenugreek leaves, and garam masala powder. Mix everything together well.
4. Now, add the other marination ingredients: yogurt, papaya paste (or a meat tenderizer), garlic-ginger paste, and roasted maize flour (makai ka aata) or besan. Give it a good mix again and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid. Let it rest for at least 5-8 hours, or overnight if you can is better.

Cooking

5. Heat some oil in a pan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and roasted cumin seeds, and let them sizzle for a bit until they smell nice.

6. After that, add minced garlic and green chilies to the pan. Cook this for about 2-3 minutes until the garlic is golden and smells great.

7. Now, add the marinated meat mixture to the pan. Fry it for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat changes color and starts to brown.

8. Next, pour in half a cup of hot water, cover the pan with a lid, and let it cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. This helps the meat get tender and soak up all the flavors.

9. Once the water mostly evaporates and you see oil bubbling around the sides, take off the lid. Add ghee, and fry everything on high heat for another 3-5 minutes until the keema is fully cooked.

10. For a special smoky flavor, heat a piece of coal until it’s glowing red. Place it in a small aluminium foil bowl, put the bowl in the pan, add a bit of oil over it. It will release the smoke, so cover it right away. Leave it covered for 5-7 minutes without peeking so the smoke gets into the dish.

Garnishing

10. When you’re done, garnish the keema with sliced green chilies and ginger, and squeeze some lemon juice on top for a fresh taste. Serve hot with puris or crispy parathas, along with a side of tomato chutney and a chilled Coke. Enjoy your delicious meal!

What Type of Meat Works Best for This Recipe?

• You can use different types of meat for this Dum Keema, and they all taste great. Lamb, mutton, and beef are all excellent choices, but you can also use chicken mince if you prefer. If you go with chicken, you don’t need to add papaya paste since chicken cooks a lot quicker.

• When choosing lamb or beef, try to pick meat that has at least 8 to 10 percent fat. Having some fat is important because it adds flavor and makes the dish taste better. But if you don’t like fatty meat, you can skip it and still make a tasty meal.

• For the right texture, it’s best to finely grind the meat. However, if you enjoy a chunkier texture, that’s totally okay too! You can adjust it to suit your taste while still getting all the great flavors.

Using This Keema As A Delicious Filling

• This keema is just perfect in texture and flavor, making it a great filling for lots of different dishes. You can use it in parathas, samosas, or sandwiches and quesadillas, and it will taste fantastic!

• If you want to change things up a bit, you can add some stir-fried veggies and cheese to the keema before using it as a filling for box patties. This combination makes for a yummy snack with your evening tea.

• You can also turn this keema into a tasty pizza! It’s really simple, just take any leftover dough or ready-to-use bread, spread some pizza sauce on top, and then add the keema filling along with some olives and cheese. Bake it in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. This great tip comes from my mom, and trust me, this desi pizza is delicious! You’ll enjoy this fun way to eat keema!