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Home » Instant Pot Recipes » Instant Pot Kheema Pav

Instant Pot Kheema Pav

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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!

serving bowl with chicken kheema , garnished with cilantro and red onions

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.

Kheema

Also known as Keema or Queema, Kheema is an 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 pav which are similar to hamburger buns/potato rolls.

Variations

  1. Add ½ 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
  6. Want to add a more complex flavor to the dish, add a tablespoon of my mom’s homemade garam masala instead of my easy North Indian garam masala that the recipe calls for

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.

Instructions

Step by step recipe for Kheema Paav in Instant Pot:

Turn Instant Pot to sauté 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. Add a finely chopped onion and sauté it until it turns soft and translucent (photos 1 – 2)

steps showing toasting cumin seeds and sauteeing ginger, garlic, onions in Instant Pot
  • Add tomatoes, red chili powder, garam masala, salt and coriander powder. Mix well (photos 3 – 4).
Adding tomatoes and spices to onions in Instant Pot
  • Add ground chicken and breaking it with a spatula. Add ½ 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).
steps showing adding ground chicken and water to Instant Pot
  • Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with potato rolls or burger buns lightly toasted with some ghee on a griddle.
kheema curry in Instant Pot

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

kheema pav in white bowl with spoon and toasted roll

I was very impatient and hungry (as usual) as I shot the video and honestly, the Kheema Pav was so full of flavor with heavenly 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. Mom 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.

Video

I always have a pack of ground chicken in my fridge. It comes in handy for busy weeknights to make one-pot meals like the Kheema Pulao, Spicy Buffalo Chili, Chicken Enchilada, or the EASY chicken burgers.

Kheema Pav is my go-to recipe for a relaxed weekend brunch. I often serve it like sloppy joe’s on small buns topped with diced red onions and fresh cilantro. I also love to pair this spicy dish with the make-ahead french toast casserole as a sweet treat when hosting a brunch. Everyone loves it!

Also do check out my newest recipe on the blog, my all-time favorite Mumbai Pav Bhaji which can classify as a vegetarian version of the kheema pav.

★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate.

Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
serving bowl with chicken kheema , garnished with cilantro and red onions. Toasted roll on the side.
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4.46 from 50 votes

Kheema Pav – Instant Pot

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!
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time25 mins
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 4
Calories: 223kcal
Author: Archana Mundhe

Ingredients

Serving

  • 1 tablespoon butter or ghee
  • 8 potato rolls

Instructions

  • 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.
  • Add onion and sauté for a minute. Cook covered for 2 minutes with a glass lid on.
  • Add tomatoes, red chili powder, garam masala, salt and ground coriander . Mix well.
  • Add ground chicken and breaking it with a spatula. Add ½cup of water (You can add 2 tablespoons of water for a thicker curry, but I like the extra gravy to dip the bread).
  • Close Instant Pot with the pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook on for 4 minutes followed by Natural Pressure Release.
  • Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with potato rolls or burger buns lightly toasted with some ghee on a griddle.

Video

Notes

Variations
  • Add ½ 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.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 671mg | Potassium: 766mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 720IU | Vitamin C: 10.3mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1.9mg
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Author: Archana

Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Donna Keen says

    I don’t have a IP and my pressure cooker won’t let me cook anything for less than 10 mins on the manual setting.
    Any advice on adjusting pressure for increased cooking time?

    • Archana says

      Hi Donna! I am not sure what brand pressure cooker you have to help you here. As an option this recipe can also be easily adapted to stovetop.

  2. Nila says

    We made this and it was a hit.
    Ok to freeze the left over? If yes, for how long it stays good in freezer?

    Thx5 stars

    • Archana says

      Awesome! You can freeze it as long as you like

  3. Maki says

    Hi!
    I’m still new to IP, and I really really want to try this recipe. But my IP usually takes 20-30min to release pressure naturally and that screw up my schedule often. So, my question is, how is it going to change the texture/flavour in this specific recipe if I release the pressure ‘manually’???

    • Archana says

      It will still be delicious for this recipe. So go ahead and release Release the pressure when you are ready to open the pot

  4. Prity says

    This recipe looks so yummy. I’m a vegetarian. Would the recipe work with veggie crumbles (from Morning Star)?

    • Archana says

      Yes absolutely!!

  5. Kavita says

    Chicken kheema was the first chicken dish I made today. It was very easy turned out good. I took some non spicy kheema out then spiced it more on sauté mode.

  6. Antony Cruz says

    This recipe is for how much keema?

    • Archana says

      1 pound keema

  7. Kshitija says

    Hi Archana, if I want to make mutton kheema then how much time I need to pressure cook it?

    • Archana says

      Same pressure cook time, just saute the meat a couple of mins longer in the beginning

  8. Natasha Jivraj says

    Hi if I am to double this recipe, how long should I cook it in the IP?

    • Archana says

      same cooktime. It will just take longer for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.

  9. Sanam Patel says

    Hey can I use canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh ones ?

    • Archana says

      Yes you can

  10. Dee says

    I’ve made this several times and it always comes out fantastic! We love to add the potato and peas as recommended and it’s delicious! Thank you for an easy and delicious recipe! 5 stars

    • Archana says

      Thank you!

  11. DIYA PATEL says

    This is one of my favorite recipes of yours. Has always come out amazing. And even my mom who is an amazing cook and makes really great kheema agrees

    • Archana says

      Thank you Diya! Getting approved by mom is the biggest compliment.

  12. Janet O says

    So glad to discover your cooking blog. I just made this dish with ground turkey and the family loved it. I served it over basmati rice, like a chili. Can you suggest a bean or lentil side dish and a veggie or salad side dish that would go well with Keema served in this manner?

  13. silpa says

    Would the time/settings change if I use ground lamb? And how about the quantity of water? Should it be increased?

    • Archana says

      Same cook time for ground lamb, just sauté it for a couple extra mins. Same amount of water

  14. Swapna says

    Hi Archana,

    Do you need to wash the ground chicken? Would the recipe still taste good if I skip adding the tomatoes?

    • Archana says

      In the US the packaged ground chicken does not need to be washed. You may want to add more onions if you skip tomatoes. Add lemon juice in the end for tanginess.

  15. LESLIE DSOUZA says

    Hi Archana, I luv all your recipes, but its al cooking l done with a IP which is giving me a BP (Blood Pressure ) , can you give people like us who does stove top cooking mostly I dont even have a PC (Pressure Cooker) please Hoping to hear from you I am a Novice in cooking . Many Thanks to you

  16. Sbhatt says

    Very easy to make and so yummy! I didn’t have time to roast the coriander and grind it and used what I had. I added peas and a small green chili. Was perfect for a cold day Sunday brunch!5 stars

  17. Seema p. says

    Hi do you recommend ground chicken breast or just ground chicken?

    • Archana says

      Either one will work.