Kheema Pav – 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. It’s been only 4 days since she has arrived and she is already loving the InstaPot! Her Pot in Pot black-eyed peas curry with rice was savored by all. She steamed the Cilantro Croquettes and the Layered Swiss Chard Spiral rolls to perfection for our fathers days feast.
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. The Final dish, came out just the way I remember her making Chicken Kheema for years, just that this time it was cooked in the Instant Pot.
Obviously, I need to gear up with my publishing now to keep up with her cooking. I am so excited to post her first recipe, Kheema Paav, on Ministry Of Curry that I was able to record!
Variations to the Kheema recipe:
- Add 1/2 cup of green peas to the curry
- Peel and dice a potato and saute it with the veggies. This will give more thickness to the curry if desired.
- Add 1-2 spicy green chilies for a spicier keema.
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!
Here is Mom’s easy Chicken Kheema recipe:
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- 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 plum tomatoes diced
- 2 teaspoon mild red chili powder We used Kashmiri Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 heaping tablespoon 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
- Turn Instant Pot to saute(more) mode. Once the hot sign displays, add 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 coriander powder. Mix well.
- 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).
- Close Instant Pot with the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on Manual(Hi) for 4 mins 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.
- Notes:
- Add 1-2 spicy green chilies for a spicier keema.
- Also, when I buy the rolls or buns, I check the Sugar contents on the pack. As long as they are 2% or less the Pav does not taste overly sweet and works well with Indian curries.
Recipe Video
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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 New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
Am going to try to make it this week!
Awesome! Let me know.
Looks scrumptious!
Thank you Freda!!
I made this last night but it did not look as good as your photo. Taste was good but I added too much vegetables so the curry was too thick. I’ll try again next week. Thanks for the recipe.
What vegetables did you add?
I added 1 large potato and frozen carrots and peas.
Yes that is def a lot of vegetables. Increase the water next time. Also you can always adjust water in the end. Just warm up some water, add to IP and set IP to saute mode to bring the kheema to a gentle boil
Enjoy your time with your Mom, Archana! I’m keeping this recipe close by!
Thank you Annika❤️❤️
This was really delicious! Thank you for the recipe! I doubled the recipe and it worked fine in a 6 qt instant pot, if anyone else is wondering that. Also topped with a bit of red onion, cilantro and squeezed lime.
Hi Anu! Thank you for your feedback. Good to know that doubling the recipe works well in a 2 QT instant pot. And I love topping with red onion, cilantro and lime too!
I just made this thanks for the recipe. Mine is not as red as yours – I used Kashmiri chili powder too
Hi Rose! So glad you made this. I feel kashmiri chili powder based on the brand could also be bit different. I hope you enjoyed the taste!
With beef keema, long with sound I put on manual for?
Hi Hina, Although I have not tried with beef kheema, a few of my followers have tried with the same timings and it has worked. Let me know how it works out for you. Kheema flavors come out amazing in the Instant Pot!!
Hi Archana! Your recipes are amazing!!! Question on this one – have you tried this with ground lamb? would cook time be the same?
Hi Leena! Thank you! I have not tried this with ground lamb but a few of my readers have. Same cook time worked well for lamb too. Hope this helps.
Hi! I am making this tonight. Is cook time same if I add a large potato and peas? How much water to add? Thank you!!
Hi Archana! You can add potato and peas with same cook time and same water amount would suffice as peas have enough water contents. Let me know how it comes out.
Hi! Turned out great! Did it for 6 minutes and added extra water as my family likes more gravy..and salt because of the potato. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hi Archana! Thank you for your feedback. Happy to hear that you enjoyed the flavors of this easy kheema recipe.
Can you advise how long I would need to cook for if I double the meat (2 lbs ground chicken)?
Hi Masooma, only the sauté time for onions will increase. Pressure cooking time stays the same. Let me me know if you have any questions. You will love the flavors in this kheema!
thank you so much! making this today 🙂
You are welcome! Let me know how it comes out.
Hi Archana… do you get ground chicken ? Or do it at home ? Sorry it may seem like silly question but I am fairly new to cooking non-veg. Thanks!
Hey! It’s sold in grocery stores. Ask for ground chicken
I finally started enjoying cooking….thanks to you and IP …your recipes have been foolproof…..don’t have to change a thing, just following every word and it has turned out good every single time…..Thanks a lot….you are an awesome cook!
Thank you Veena for your lovely feedback. And you are100% right, the key is to follow the recipe exactly!
Turned out delicious!!! Followed the recipe perfectly! Thank you for sharing
You are welcome! Thank you for the feedback
Hi Archana. Do you use ground thigh or ground breast?
Hi Michelle, I use both!
Made this last night! Turned out great! Yummy! Thank you
Thank you Jincy!
I’ve now made this with ground chicken and ground turkey. Both are great.
My nine year old loves this recipe! He calls it “Indian Sloppy Joes.”
Thank you! I am glad your nine year old enjoys this.
Made this today with regular chili powder instead of Kashmiri as hubby likes spicy. The family loved it. Thank you!
So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. We have this on repeat in our house.
Can I use frozen ground meat?
Yes! Increase the cook time to 8 minutes.
I made this tonight for dinner and my whole family loved it!! Thanks for sharing!! Definitely will be trying other recipes!
Thank you for the feedback. This is a fav in my family too