Chicken Keema Masala Recipe (North Indian Style)
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Chicken Keema Masala is a hot and spicy North Indian dish made using minced chicken, onions, tomatoes, and spices. It is super easy to make and tastes great with Indian bread. Here is how to make it in a pan over the stovetop or in an Instant Pot.
Here are some more minced meat recipes you may like: Mutton Keema Kaleji, Chicken Samosa, and Methi Keema.
Table of Contents
Keema means minced meat in Hindi; unless specified, people in India assume it’s mutton keema. While mutton keema has its own reputation, I recently made this Chicken Keema Masala Curry, and everyone at home loved it. The flavor from the herbs and the slight tang from lime juice jelled beautifully with the chicken mince.
This one-pot dish is easy to make and comes together in under 30 minutes. I like to make it semi-dry, as it tastes the best this way, but you can also make it gravy-style.
Serve it on the side with Indian bread or fill samosas, rolls, sandwiches, or wraps.
You can also stuff it inside parathas, make sandwiches or rolls, or make a delicious chicken keema biryani.
Ingredients
- Ground Chicken (Chicken Mince) is the star ingredient of this dish. You can buy packaged mince or make homemade chicken in a food processor using boneless chicken. You can also replace minced chicken with ground turkey.
- Onions, Tomatoes, and Yogurt (Dahi) form the base of the chicken qeema masala curry.
- Spice Powders – This recipe uses everyday spice powders such as turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, garam masala, and black pepper powder.
- Whole Spices – Green cardamoms (hari elaichi), cinnamon (dalchini), and cloves (laung) are the main whole spices used in the dish. You can also add black cardamoms (badi elaichi) and bay leaves (tejpatta) for extra flavor.
- Other Ingredients – You will also need fresh ginger, freshly squeezed lime juice, cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), oil, ghee, green chilies, crushed coriander seeds, ginger-garlic paste, mint leaves, Kasuri methi, salt, and green onions (scallions).
How To Make Chicken Keema Masala
In A Pot Over The Stovetop
Step 1: Heat 2 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoon ghee in a pan over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Once the oil is hot, add the following whole spices and saute for 3-4 seconds.
- 2 whole green cardamoms
- 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
- 2-3 cloves
Step 3: Add 1 cup of chopped onions and cook until golden brown (6-8 minutes). Stir frequently while frying.
Step 4: Now add 2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste.
Step 5: Cook until the onions turn dark brown (4-5 minutes), stirring frequently.
Step 6: Add 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes and ½ cup whisked yogurt (dahi).
Step 7: Cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes are mushy. While cooking, keep mashing the tomatoes with the back of the ladle.
Step 8: Now add the following ingredients.
- 5-6 green chilies (slit in half)
- 2 tablespoon coarsely ground coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
Step 9: Cook until the oil separates from the sides of the pan (3-4 minutes). Stir continuously while cooking.
Step 10: Add 500 g of chicken mince and 2 teaspoon of salt to the pan.
If you buy minced chicken from a local butcher, rinse it in a fine-mesh strainer. If you are buying the packaged mince, there is no need to rinse it.
Step 11: Mix well.
Step 12: Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid.
Step 13: Cook for 18-20 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked. Stir 2-3 times while cooking. If the mince is drying, add some water.
Step 14: Add the following ingredients and mix well.
- ½ cup chopped mint leaves
- 2 tablespoon Kasuri methi
- ½ cup chopped green onions
- 2-inch piece of ginger (julienned)
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
Add more water if you want a thinner curry, and bring it to a boil. Check for salt and add more if needed.
Step 15: Garnish with 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro and serve hot.
In An Instant Pot
- Press the SAUTE button on the Instant Pot.
- Follow the recipe until chicken mince, water, and salt are added.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to the sealing position.
- Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 6 minutes at high pressure.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid of the pot.
- Press the SAUTE button once again.
- Add mint leaves, Kasuri methi, green onions, ginger, lime juice, and garam masala, and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Chicken Keema FAQs
Add boneless chicken breast or things (cut into small pieces) to a food processor and pulse until it resembles ground beef. You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your food processor. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Please DO NOT use a blender to mince the chicken; otherwise, it will become pasty.
You can use the leftover chicken qeema to make biryani or pulav. My favorite way to use it is to make chicken keema sliders or sloppy joes, where you stuff the leftover keema between mini pavs.
You can also make a roll or a sandwich using the leftover mince. It can also be used to make samosas and cutlets.
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Chicken Keema Masala Recipe (North Indian Style)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 whole green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 2-3 clove (laung)
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
- ½ cup plain yogurt (dahi, curd) (whisked)
- 5-6 green chilies (slit Into half)
- 2 tablespoons coarsely ground coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1 pound chicken mince (500 g)
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- ½ cup chopped mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons Kasuri methi
- ½ cup chopped green onions (scallions)
- 2 inch piece of ginger (julienned)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
Instructions
- Heat oil and ghee in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add green cardamoms, cinnamon, and cloves and saute for 3-4 seconds.
- Add onions and cook until they turn golden brown in color (6-8 minutes). Stir frequently while frying.
- Now add ginger garlic paste and cook until the onions turn dark brown in color (4-5 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Add tomatoes and yogurt and cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes are mushy. Keep mashing the tomatoes from the back of the ladle while cooking.
- Now add green chilies, coriander seeds, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, black pepper powder, and cumin powder and cook until the oil separates from the sides of the pan (3-4 minutes). Stir continuously while cooking.
- Add chicken mince and salt and mix well.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 18-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked well. Stir 2-3 times while cooking. You can add some water if the mince is drying.
- Finally, add mint leaves, Kasuri methi, green onions, ginger, lime juice, and garam masala and mix well.
- Add more water if you want a thinner curry and bring it to a boil.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
I have had this recipe saved for a while and finally made it last night. It was delicious! I had to make a couple of minor substitutions because I didn’t realize I was out of some things so I know it will be even better next time I make it, but it was still soooo good. I look forward to trying some of your other recipes.