Ground Beef Kheema

For some reason, I have an obscene list of recipes bookmarked and just waiting to be created.  For some reason my brain thinks that I have all this spare time in which I can cook and bake to my heart's content.

Yeah right.

One of the recipes that I had save to try out sometime was something called a kheema.  More specifically, it was a turkey kheema recipe.  It was on my "To Make Soon" bookmark list, which means that I really really wanted to make it soon.  (I know I might be coming across as a deranged person right now, but really I'm not..  For serious.)  Of course I kept putting it off.  Then imagine my surprise one day when I was minding my own business, watching Aarti Party, and she began to talk about a kheema recipe.  I looked on in food jealousy as Aarti made a ground beef kheema on her show.

The next weekend, I was on top of this recipe...


Ground Beef Kheema
adapted from Aarti Party
makes 4-6 servings

Print Recipe

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (1-inch thumb) fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon habanero sauce, optional
• ~1 pound ground beef
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 
• 1/4 cup beer (I used Sam Adams Octoberfest)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 teaspoons malt vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1) In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. 

2) Add the onions to the skillet and cook until golden.

3) Next, add in the garlic and ginger.  Saute for another minute. 

4) Stir in the coriander, paprika, garam masala, cumin and habanero sauce and cook the mixture for 1 minute.

5) Place the beef in the pan, break up any lumps, and saute until the meat is no longer pink.


6) Toss in the tomatoes, beer, some salt and pepper.


7) Stir in the peas and simmer the kheema, partially covered, for about 5 minutes.


8) Sprinkle in the vinegar and the chopped cilantro.

9) Serve with rice, pasta, or on a bun (as a sloppy joe).

Let's be honest for a second.  I didn't read the reviews of Aarti's ground beef kheema at first.  When I made this, I added the cup of liquid (beer, in my case) that the original recipe called for.  Then I wondered why the sauce actually looked like soup for a hot minute.  Hmmm...that was when I read the reviews and noticed that everyone was complaining about the amount of liquid used in the recipe.  I updated the recipe above to only use 1/4 cup of beer instead. 

Now back to the kheema...

Why did I wait so long to make this thing?  I need to make this again and again.  I can't begin to tell you how warm, smoky, and spicy the kheema was. The beer gives the sauce an extra depth and the peas provide a nice snap with each bite.  I am torn as to whether or not I would try to add more spices next time; as in a healthier dose of the existing spices, not additional spices.  My urge to heavily season all my food wants me to do it, but this tasted great in any case, so if you're making this yourself, it's all up to you.