Lamb Keema is a quick, easy and delicious lamb curry that freezes well. A mince lamb recipe with just enough spice for plenty of flavour, but not too much so it is still a family friendly curry. Minced lamb that is lightly spiced and cooked with fresh tomatoes and peas for a comforting curry that makes an easy midweek meal.
Lamb Keema is about as simple as lamb curries get, and a delicious new way to try lamb if you are used to just having it in a stew or as a roast dinner. This is an easy lamb mince recipe with a lot of flavour.
This easy lamb curry only takes 30 minutes to make (including prep time) and most of that time is the curry just cooking away on the hob, so you can be getting on with something else.
If you are looking for some more lamb recipes, why not try our Lamb Stir Fry, Slow Cooker Lamb Shoulder, Slow Cooker Lamb Ragu or Pulled Lamb.
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What is lamb keema?
If you have't heard of a Keema before (you might have seen it on an Indian restaurant menu), then it is basically a curry made with lamb mince.
It's not an overly spicy curry, which makes it a great curry for introducing kids to spicier food, but still has plenty of flavour. It has peas mixed into it too, so a good curry to get some extra veggies in your families diet too.
Why you will love it
- Quick - This lamb keema recipe is ready in just 30 minutes.
- One pan - Everything is cooked in one pan, which means less washing up.
- A new way to enjoy lamb - If you are looking for more mince lamb recipes, then this is a great one to try. A lamb mince curry is our favourite way to use it.
- Freezes well - Lamb keema curry is so great for batch cooking, as it freezes well.
Ingredients needed
- Oil - We browned everything in a good quality olive oil.
- Onion - We used a small brown onion, but you could use shallots which have a sweeter flavour. You can use frozen onions to save time.
- Garlic and Ginger - You can crush your own or save time with a garlic and ginger paste.
- Chilli - We used a fresh green chilli, but you can use a jar of chopped chilli. Feel free to adjust the amounts to suit your own tastes.
- Garam masala
- Salt and pepper
- Lamb mince - If you want to make this mince lamb recipe a bit leaner, then you could use a lean lamb mince. This can be a little harder to find though.
- Tomatoes - Fresh tomatoes.
- Yogurt - Some plan yoghurt to loosen the sauce up.
- Peas - A traditional addition to a keema and not only does it add a portion of vegetables, but it adds a nice pop of colour to the dish.
- Coriander (cilantro) - Adds some freshness to the finished dish.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make lamb keema - Step by step
One: Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan and then add the onion and garlic and gently cook for 2 minutes.
Two: Add the ginger, green chilli and garam masala and cook for 2 minutes longer.
Three: Put the lamb mince and tomatoes in the pan, brown the mince and then cook on low for 20 minutes. Season and add a little water if needed.
Four: Add the yogurt, peas and fresh coriander, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
Five: Serve with rice and popadoms.
What to serve this with
This is a really simple curry recipe, so we kept the sides simple as well and served it with some plain rice. You could add a bit more flavour and make some turmeric rice, which just involves adding some turmeric to the water when boiling the rice. Or, why not try our Microwave Rice or Oven Cooked Rice.
We also served this lamb curry with some mini popadom, mango chutney and some homemade raita.
You could skip the rice and serve it with some Easy Naan Bread or Peshwari Naan to scoop the curry up, or make some of our Easy Homemade Flatbreads.
Storage
Store: You can keep this keema in the fridge for 2 days.
Freeze: This is a great batch cooking meal, as it freezes so well. So, we try to always make double, as well as double the rice, and then portion it out into freezer containers and put it in the freezer for easy meals. They will keep in the freezer for about 2 months.
Defrost: Defrost in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: To reheat the curry, make sure it is fully defrosted and then heat it through in a pan. You might need to add a little bit of water, so it doesn't dry out.
Frequently asked questions
This is a fairly mild curry, but you can adjust the spice levels with how much chilli you add to it.
This is more of a dry curry, however if you wanted some more sauce, then you can add half a can of tomatoes and a little stock.
There are 340 calories per serving, without any side dishes.
Yes, if you are not a fan of lamb, then you can use beef mince for this instead.
Extra tips
• To add some extra flavour, you could use a couple of spoonfuls of curry paste instead of garam masala.
• You don't have to add the peas if you family don't like them.
• This is a great batch cook meal and will keep in the freeze for 2 months.
• When re-heating, add a little water so it doesn't dry out.
• Serve with turmeric rice and poppadoms.
• This isn't overly spicy, but you can use more or less fresh green chilli to change the spice.
• You may need to add a little water when cooking if the mixture starts to look a little dry.
• If you want to drain off some of the fat from the lamb, then do that after you have browned the mince and before adding the rest of the ingredients.
More lamb recipes
If you’ve tried this lamb keema recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Lamb Keema
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Vegetable oil
- 1 Onion - diced
- 2 Garlic cloves - crushed
- 20 g (0.75 oz) Fresh ginger - grated
- 1 Green chilli - diced
- 2 tablespoon Garam masala
- 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
- 400 g (14 oz) Lamb mince
- 3 Tomatoes - diced
- 3 tablespoon Natural yogurt
- 60 g (0.5 cups) Peas - Frozen or fresh
- 10 g (0.66 cups) Fresh coriander (cilantro) - finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon Vegetable oil in a pan and then add1 Onion and 2 Garlic cloves and gently cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the 20 g Fresh ginger, 1 Green chilli and 2 tablespoon Garam masala and cook for 2 minutes longer.
- Put 400 g Lamb mince and 3 Tomatoes into the pan, brown the mince and then cook on low for 20 minutes. Season with 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper and add a little water if needed.
- Add 3 tablespoon Natural yogurt, 60 g Peas and f10 g Fresh coriander (cilantro), stir and cook for 2 minutes.
- Serve with rice and popadoms.
Recipe tips
- To add some extra flavour, you could use a couple of spoonfuls of curry paste instead of garam masala.
- You don't have to add the peas if you family don't like them.
- This is a great batch cook meal and will keep in the freeze for 2 months.
- When re-heating, add a little water so it doesn't dry out.
- Serve with turmeric rice and popadoms.
- This isn't overly spicy, but you can use more or less fresh green chilli to change the spice.
- You may need to add a little water when cooking if the mixture starts to look a little dry.
- If you want to drain off some of the fat from the lamb, then do that after you have browned the mince and before adding the rest of the ingredients.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Ginny
I had no idea how this was made and the flavors sound absolutely delicious!
Denay DeGuzman
This beautiful, healthy curry looks amazing! What a festive dish. I'm getting hungry just looking at these gorgeous images. I'm adding all the ingredients to my Sunday grocery shopping list. I can hardly wait to make this.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
Lamb is one of my favourite ingredients, love how versatile it is. This looks so tasty!
Heidy L. McCallum
I made this the other day and it turned out perfect. I followed your recipe to a T and I am so glad I did as I have a bad habit of changing things but this time I didn't and seriously this was GREATTTT!!!!
Andrea Metlika
This lamb looks amazing. I like how easy it is and that it's made in one pan. It is sure to become a favorite in my house.
Mary
I love all of these flavors!
Kate
Looks absolutely incredible - adding this to my list for sure!
Tonje
Looks perfect for an Indian feast! Super yummy!
Demeter
Such a great way to change up the normal dinner routine. Looks so flavorful and love that it’s so easy to make too.
Julia
I love that this lamb dinner only takes 30 minutes to make. Great recipe!
Emma
Wow! Ready in 30 minutes?! I always think of lamb as something that needs to be cooked low and slow. Great recipe!
Claudia Canu
I was just looking for a good recipe that freezes well and this is just perfect!
Heidy L. McCallum
This Lamb Keema was the bomb! Totally delish and I will be making it again. The entire family loved every bite.
Kelly Anthony
I've never had lamb in my curry but I love lamb and curry so I'm sure this recipe will be on the menu rotation.
Jamie
I'm loving all the spices and flavoring in this recipe! Definitely a comforting dish for the fall!
Alison
I love all the intermingling spices. This is such a comforting and flavorful dish.
Danielle
This looks like a restaurant dish! I love how you made it simple enough to make at home!
Rebecca
this looks delicious! I can imagine just how tender the lamb is in this recipe
Jo T
Thanks for include freezing instructions in your recipes. I am looking for meals I can batch cook for when my baby arrives and this looks perfect x
Rebecca
I love your lamb rogan Josh, so I will definitely be trying this. I haven’t have minced lamb in a curry before.