This mouthwatering Dum Ka Keema (Smoked Ground Beef) is perfect for brunch, lunch, or dinner. With a flavor profile similar to Bihari Kabab, this recipe is ready in a fraction of the time. Enjoy this with a side of raita, sliced onions, and your favorite flatbread.
Dum ka keema is a traditional Hyderabadi recipe made with the ground meat of your choice. The raw meat is marinated with caramelized onions, ginger and garlic paste, whole ground spices, and a mix of tenderizers.
With its unique taste and texture, this ground beef becomes even more delectable after it's smoked. If you're a fan of ground beef recipes, you'll love this and will also want to try my aloo keema, tawa fry beef keema, seekh kebab, and shami kabab recipes.
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Why you'll love dum ka keema
- You'll love the smoky taste - This is truly the best part about this recipe and what sets it apart from other keema recipes. Try the recipe, and you'll understand what I'm talking about.
- Make-ahead recipe - Dum ka keema can easily be made ahead. Just warm it in the microwave and serve it with cilantro raita, green coconut chutney, or cilantro mint chutney and your favorite flatbread.
- Easy to bulk - Doubling, tripling, or even quadrupling the recipe doesn't require extra effort, making it great for feeding a crowd.
- Great leftovers - This recipe tastes even better the next day. Make it for dinner and enjoy the leftovers for breakfast, brunch, or a lunch sandwich.
Ingredient notes
- Ground beef - I use lean beef for this recipe and add the necessary fat through the other ingredients. Ground beef with fat can taste chewy and lacks the fine texture this recipe needs.
- Gram flour - This adds flavor, helps bind the meat mixture, and absorbs all excess liquid from the beef while it marinates.
- Poppy seeds - These work like gram flour and have a delicious nutty flavor. I like to combine the two for best results.
- Kiwi - My go-to meat tenderizer because it's accessible and works well.
- Yogurt - Full-fat plain yogurt is a meat tenderizer and helps keep the meat moist.
- Spices - To make this ground beef, you'll need only easy-to-source spices, such as garam masala, red chili powder, Kashmiri powder, salt, cumin powder, and coriander powder.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Use a different meat tenderizer - Use 1 tablespoon of raw papaya paste or 1 teaspoon of meat tenderizer per pound of ground beef.
- Use storebought pre-fried onions - Use pre-fried onions to save a little time and trouble. These can be crushed by hand and added to the mixture.
- Use a different ground meat - Use ground lamb, mutton, or chicken for this recipe.
- Use a pre-made spice blend - For convenience, Use a store-bought spice blend, especially if you plan to make this on repeat.
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Step-by-step instructions
- First step - Mix the browned onion paste, ginger garlic paste, kiwi paste, toasted gram flour and poppy seeds, spices, yogurt, and cooking oil.
- Second step - Mix this marinade with the ground beef, kneading with your hands until you have a homogenous mixture. Marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight for best results.
- Third step - After marinating, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee and add the ground beef. Break the meat up with a spoon to distribute it evenly over
- Fourth step - As the meat releases water, it will become crumbly, as pictured above. Now, you must roast it on high heat for 10 minutes to brown it.
- Fifth step - I have a gas stove and heat my coal directly on the burner. If this is not an option for you, use a blowtorch. I start heating my coal when I start cooking my ground beef, as it takes 10-15 minutes for it to be well-lit.
- Sixth step - Make a well in the center of the ground beef and place a small bowl (metal or glass) in it. Add the lit piece of charcoal and drizzle a small amount of cooking oil. It should start to smoke immediately.
- Seventh step - Cover the cooking pot to trap the smoke in.
- Eighth step - After 10 minutes, uncover, remove the container with the coal and oil, and cover the beef till you're ready to serve it.
Expert tips
- Add some baking soda - This article in @thekitchn explains the science behind using baking soda to help make your ground beef tender, juicy, and brown! Overcooked ground beef can taste dry and stringy. Use baking soda instead.
- Don't add water - One of the first things I learned about cooking ground beef is not to add water to the meat until you've sauteed it first. The beef releases enough juices to help cook it through in this recipe.
- Make sure there's enough fat - The ground beef can get a little dry if there's not enough fat. Don't skimp on any of the ingredients listed and add enough oil and ghee for best results.
- Smoke it just enough - This is the most important part. You want to smoke long enough to enhance the taste but not so long that the smell becomes overpowering. I find 10 minutes is the sweet spot and usually set a timer.
Recipe FAQS
Should I wash my keema?
According to the food safety and inspection service, washing ground beef can actually be harmful and spread germs. The best practice is to cook your meat to 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
My charcoal isn't smoking; what am I doing wrong?
If the charcoal isn't properly lit, it won't smoke. I put the coal to heat when I start cooking my meat. Turn it periodically and ensure it's ashy before pouring the oil over it.
How do I store and reheat my leftovers?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave for best results, and add a small pat of butter when serving to help keep it moist.
Other beef recipes you may like
If you decide to try this recipe, Please don't forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture, tag me on Instagram! Thank You!
Dum Ka Keema (Smoked Ground Beef)
Dum Ka Keema (Smoked Ground Beef) is a dry curry made with ground beef that's marinated, tenderized, cooked and then smoked using a traditional indoor method.
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Ingredients
- 1 lb extra lean ground beef
- ¼ cup cooking oil (see notes)
- 2 tbsp ghee (see notes)
- 1 yellow onions (see notes)
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp gram flour
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 serrano chili
- ½ cup plain yogurt (see notes)
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp Kashmiri powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 kiwi (see notes)
Smoking The Keema
- 1 coal
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
- Heat the ¼ cup cooking oil and sautee the onions until they're golden brown. (see notes)
- Dry roast the gram flour and poppy seeds until they releases a nutty aroma (see notes)
- Grind the onions, serrano chili, and kiwi into a paste once the onions are slightly cool.
- grind the poppy seeds into a powder.
- Mix the ground beef, ginger, garlic paste, roasted gram flour, pureed onion mixture, ground poppy seeds, yogurt, and spices until you have a homogenous mixture. Place in the fridge to marinate. (see notes)
- After a minimum of 30 minutes, heat the 2 tablespoons of ghee and saute the marinated keema mixture. (see notes)
- Stir fry the ground beef for 10 minutes minimum. (see notes)
Smoking The Keema
- Start heating the charcoal when you start cooking the keema. (see notes)
- Once the keema is done and the charcoal is well-lit, turn the stove off, create a small space in the center of the keema, and place a heatproof bowl.
- Place the lit charcoal in the bowl and pour the 2 tablespoons of cooking oil on it. Cover the cooking pot with a lid to trap all the smoke in.
- After 10 minutes, remove the lid, remove the bowl with the charcoal and oil and serve the keema.
Notes
Cooking oil - The cooking oil is used to caramelize the onions. While the onions are strained and pureed to add to the meat, I like to add the remaining oil to my keema. Fat is essential to this recipe and prevents the keema from being too dry.
Ghee - I like to use this in addition to the oil to help enhance the flavor of the keema. Ghee always adds a nice nutty taste.
Onions - Once the onions are a nice golden brown color, remove them from the oil and place them on a paper towel that will absorb the oil. Let them cool down, and then grind them to a paste.
Yogurt - Use plain, full-fat yogurt to help tenderize the keema and add moisture.
Kiwi - Traditional dum keema recipes use raw papaya as a tenderizer, but I use kiwi instead as it's easier to source and works great. Meat tenderizer is always an option, but I personally don't like the taste.
Gram flour - This is key to the texture of dum ka keema. It acts as a binding agent and helps absorb liquid released by the keema. Make sure to saute it to release its nutty flavor.
Poppy seeds - I roast, grind, and combine these with the gram flour for the perfect taste and texture.
Marinating - The ground beef should marinate for at least 30 minutes, but ideally, overnight.
Cooking - The keema will initially be clumped together. As the heat gets to it, it will release water. Break it up with a cooking spoon for an even consistency, and roast it for at least 10 minutes after all the water evaporates.
Smoking - This is key to a perfect dum ka keema. The coal must be well-lit to smoke properly when doused in oil. Cover the pot with a tight lid when the coal starts to smoke. Smoke the meat for a minimum of 10 minutes for the perfect taste.
Nutrition
Serving: 1personCalories: 478kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 27gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 681mgPotassium: 593mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 269IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 4mg
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