Kheema Pav – Instant Pot

A popular street food in India, Kheema or Keema Pav is a robust, peppery curry dish made with minced chicken or lamb cooked with onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and earthy spices! Served with lightly toasted buns or pav laden with butter or homemade ghee on the griddle makes a blissful meal!

My mom arrived last week from India, she is visiting me after a long time and I am SO excited to have her with us. With her high spirits and energy, she has already tried her hand on the Instant Pot that she has been hearing all about.

What is Kheema?

Also known as Keema or Queema, Kheema is a Urdu word for minced meat such as chicken, lamb, beef, etc. The word Kheema means ground meat and it also means a spicy curry made with ground chicken often served with paav which are similar to hamburger buns/potato rolls.

Variations for making and serving Kheema:

1. Add 1/2 cup of green peas to the curry just before pressure cooking.
2. Add a peeled and diced potato and sauté it with the onions. This will give more thickness to the curry.
3. Add 1-2 spicy green chilies or one diced jalapeño for spicier kheema.
4. Substitute ground chicken with ground lamb, turkey or beef and follow the same recipe.
5. Serve as a chili topped with diced red onions, jalapeños, corn, cilantro and a squeeze of lime for a gluten-free option.

PRO tip:

• When buying the rolls or buns to be served with Kheema, check the Sugar contents on the pack. As long as sugar is 2% or less the bread does not taste overly sweet and works well with Indian curries.

Step by step recipe for Kheema Paav in Instant Pot:

• Add tomatoes, red chili powder, garam masala, salt and coriander powder. Mix well (photos 3 – 4).

• Add ground chicken and breaking it with a spatula. Add 1/2 cup of water (You can add 2 tablespoons of water for a thicker curry). Close Instant Pot with the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on Manual(Hi) for 4 mins followed by Natural Pressure Release (photos 5 – 6).

• Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with potato rolls or burger buns lightly toasted with some ghee on a griddle.

I am so excited to post my mom’s first recipe, Kheema Paav, on Ministry Of Curry!

I was very impatient and hungry (as usual) as I shot the video and honestly, the Kheema Pav was so full of flavor with heavnly aromas. The gorgeous orange hue from the Kashmiri red chili powder and turmeric, the warmth from the homemade garam masala and the earthy flavors from roasted coriander powder were spot on!

From the back of the camera as I shot this video it took me back to the fond memories of my childhood. Her waiting for the oil to heat up and then adding the cumin seeds, listening for the soft sizzle sound and a whiff from gently toasting them. Adding turmeric and roasting the spices at each step, soon filled up my kitchen with wonderful aromas.

Here is Mom’s easy Chicken Kheema recipe:

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4.36 from 28 votes

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Kheema Pav - Instant Pot

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

Kheema Pav - A popular street food in India, Kheema Pav is a tantalizing curry dish made with minced chicken or lamb cooked with onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and earthy spices!

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Kheema

Servings: 4

Calories: 223 kcal

Author: Archana Mundhe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon garlic grated
• 1 tablespoon ginger grated
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 2 tomatoes diced
• 2 to 3 teaspoons mild red chili powder We used Kashmiri Chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons coriander powder We lightly toasted the coriander seeds and then ground them
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 cup cilantro chopped for garnish
• To serve:
• 1 tablespoon butter or ghee
• 8 potato rolls

Instructions

1. Turn Instant Pot to sauté(more) mode and heat oil. Add cumin seeds and toast them for 30 seconds. Add turmeric powder and mix well. Add ginger and garlic, mix well.

2. Add onion and sauté for a minute. Cook covered for 2 minutes with a glass lid on.
3. Add tomatoes, red chili powder, garam masala, salt and coriander powder. Mix well.
4. Add ground chicken and breaking it with a spatula. Add 1/2 cup of water (You can add 2 tablespoons of water for a thicker curry, but I like the extra gravy to dip the bread).
5. Close Instant Pot with the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on Manual(Hi) for 4 mins followed by Natural Pressure Release.
6. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with potato rolls or burger buns lightly toasted with some ghee on a griddle.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Variations:

• Add 1/2 cup of green peas to the curry just before pressure cooking. 
• Add a peeled and diced potato and sauté it with the onions. This will give more thickness to the curry.
• Add 1-2 spicy green chilies or one diced jalapeño for spicier kheema.
• Substitute ground chicken with ground lamb, turkey or beef and follow the same recipe.
• Serve as a chili topped with diced red onions, jalapeños, corn, cilantro and a squeeze of lime for a gluten-free option. 

Tip:

• When buying the rolls or buns to be served with Kheema, check the Sugar contents on the pack. As long as sugar is 2% or less the bread does not taste overly sweet and works well with Indian curries.

 

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