Pakistani Qeema recipe | Breakfast qeema with onions | Pakistani ground mince  (2024)

Today I am sharing a recipe for a super simple and delicious Pakistani qeema or keema. In our family, we would call it “naashta wala qeema” which translates into breakfast qeema ; and the reason we called it this was because it was usually made for breakfast and eaten with puri or paratha. We loved it so much that we had it at lunch and dinner as well, but the name stuck - breakfast qeema it was!

What is qeema / keema?

The literal translation of qeema / keema is minced or ground meat, and any dish made with minced meat is also referred to as qeema. In Pakistani and Indian cuisine, qeema is a staple dish and there are many different recipes using it. For instance, aloo qeema (mince with potatoes), matar qeema (mince with peas), fancy dum ka qeema that is reserved for dawaats and this Pakistani qeema recipe with onions.

Any ground meat can be used to make qeema - beef, mutton (goat mince), chicken, lamb or turkey. In Pakistan, the choice of mince is usually beef mince but in India it’s lamb or goat mince (for religious reasons). Chicken mince has gained popularity for health reasons. In Australia, I have started using turkey mince as it’s healthier than beef mince but has more flavour than chicken mince.

Why is qeema so popular in Pakistani & Indian cuisine?

1. It’s quick to make - compared to other forms of bone-in or even boneless meat, qeema just quicks really quickly.
2. It’s super versatile - it can be served with rice, roti or paratha. Leftovers can be used to make sandwiches, samosas and it can be mixed through pasta for Desi style qeema spaghetti.
3. It’s affordable, and it can feed a lot of people in a small quantity. Plus it can be bulked with vegetables like potatoes, capsicum, peas to make it feed more people.
4. It can be made with any protein - there’s beef, mutton, lamb, chicken, turkey and even vegetarian mince (or soya mince made from soya granules).

How to make Pakistani qeema / keema?

Compared to other qeema recipes such as aloo qeema, the Pakistani qeema recipe that I am sharing today is on the dry side or as we call it in Urdu ‘sookha qeema’. It’s also why it goes so well with puri and paratha.

1. The first step in making this qeema recipe is dividing up the onions. One onion will be sliced and fried till golden brown, and then set aside. The second onion will form the base of the qeema curry.
2. Chop and fry the second onion; then add the whole spices followed by ginger, garlic, the raw mince, the powdered spices and the tomatoes. Once the raw meat is added, it’s important to saute / stir fry the meat on high flame so it browns properly, a technique we call “bhunna” in Urdu.
3. After the tomatoes are softened, the mince will again be cooked on a high heat till the oil rises to the top of the qeema, and that’s when you know the qeema is done.
4. At that stage, the sliced brown onions will be crushed and added on top of the qeema, along with the green chilies and a drizzle of lemon juice. Cover the pot, and put the qeema on low simmer for 5 minutes. This last step will infuse the flavours off the onions and green chilies throughout the qeema making it absolutely scrumptious!

Serve this Pakistani qeema recipe with puri or paratha with a light kachumber salad and raita on the side. It can be had for breakfast, lunch or dinner but my favourite way to have this qeema recipe is for breakfast - not the light

Looking for more Pakistani & Indian recipes for your weekly dinner inspiration. Check out the following:

1. Pakistani Aloo Keema (Potato with ground mince)
2. Ginger Chicken, Pakistani style
3. Murghi ka Salan(Chicken curry with Onions and Tomatoes)
4. Karahi Chicken
5. Aloo Gosht (Mutton Curry with Potatoes)– Stovetop & Pressure Cooker method

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