Keema kaleji is a mouth-watering combination of mutton mince and liver, that is hard to resist, especially if you have a special soft corner for mutton just like me. Serve it with crispy and flaky lachha parathas and your weekend lunch is sorted. Here is how to make it.
You can also try some of my other favorite keema recipes – Chicken Keema Masala, Methi Keema, and Keema Paratha.

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About This Recipe
Keema kaleji is a delicious non-vegetarian dish made using mutton mince and liver. Keema is nothing but a Hindi term used for minced mutton and kaleji for the liver.
To make this dish, keema and kaleji both are cooked along with onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, tomato puree, and everyday spices such as coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and garam masala powder. Masala cooked to perfection is the key to this mutton delicacy.
Before you begin to make this recipe, don’t forget to soak kaleji in milk, as it helps to remove impurities, softens flavor, tenderizes the liver, and removes any bitterness.
You can even substitute mutton liver with the chicken liver to make this dish.
If you are a vegetarian, don’t get disappointed! You can make a veg keema kaleji too. Yes, you read it right! Just substitute minced mutton with minced soya and kaleji with big pieces of aloo (potato) and I assure you that this dish will be a hit too.
Ingredients

Keema – You can get the mutton keema (ground mutton) from the shop directly or make it at home using a food processor. You can also substitute mutton keema with lamb keema or chicken keema. The time of cooking will be less in the case of chicken keema.
Kaleji – Here, we will soak mutton kaleji into milk to remove any trace of the animal’s bodily fluids. This is a necessary step, that you should follow.
Oil & Ghee – I have used a combination of oil and ghee, as it adds a nice flavor. You can use either of them to make keema kaleji.
Spice Powders – To enhance the flavor even more add-in Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and garam masala powder. If you like it to be nice and spicy, you can add regular red chili powder too.
Tomato Puree – Add tomato puree, which will add that perfect amount of tartness to the recipe. I like to use store-bought tomato puree as it’s stronger in taste.
Green Chilies – Adjust the amount of green chilies, as per the spice level you need.
Others – Some of the basic ingredients that are required – black cardamom, onion, ginger garlic paste, salt, lime juice, and coriander leaves.
I like to add only black cardamom when it comes to whole spices, as it adds a nice flavor without adding too much heat to keema kaleji.
Do not forget to garnish it with some fresh coriander leaves, as it adds a refreshing flavor.
How to make Keema Kaleji?
Soak 200 g kaleji in 1 cup milk and keep it aside for 20 minutes. Drain the milk and wash the kaleji well. This process will remove any bitterness from the kaleji.

Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 tbsp ghee in a pressure cooker.

Add 3-4 crushed black cardamom and fry for a few seconds.

Add 1 and ½ cup chopped onion and fry on medium high heat till slightly browned (8-10 minutes). Keep stirring while frying.

Add 2 tsp ginger and garlic paste and fry till onions are nicely browned (5-6 minutes).

Add the washed kaleji to the cooker and fry on high heat for 3-4 minutes.

Now add 300 g mutton keema and cook for another 3-4 minutes. I use packaged keema that is already washed but if you are getting it from the butcher, wash it well in a soup strainer. Discard all the water before adding it to the cooker.

Add 3 tbsp tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes.

Add 3-4 green chilies (slit into half), 3 tsp coriander powder, 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder, and salt to taste. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

Now add 1 cup of water and cover the lid of the cooker.

Cook for one whistle on high heat and then lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release on its own and then open the lid of the cooker.

Adjust the water as required. Add 1 tsp lime juice and cook for a minute. Garnish with chopped coriander and ginger juliennes. Serve hot with rice or phulka.

Serving Suggestions
Serve this curry with any Indian bread like Naan, Laccha Paratha, Roti, or Tawa Paratha. It also pairs great with Pav and Bakarkhani Roti.
It tastes the best the next day, so if you can plan to make it a day earlier, it’s the best.
Storage Suggestions
You can refrigerate the curry in a anirtight container for upto 2 days.
This curry freezes well too. Just transfer in freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw over the counter for a few hours and then reheat well before serving. Add more water if it has gotten too thick.
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Recipe Card


Keema Kaleji Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 grams mutton liver
- 1 cup milk
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 3-4 black cardamom (crushed)
- 1-½ cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- 300 grams mutton keema
- 3 tablespoons tomato puree (store bought is best)
- 3-4 green chili (slit into half)
- 3 teaspoons coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoons turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoons garam masala powder
- salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
Instructions
- Soak 200 g kaleji in 1 cup milk and keep it aside for 20 minutes. Drain the milk and wash the kaleji well. This process will remove any bitterness from the kaleji.
- Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 tbsp ghee in a pressure cooker.
- Add 3-4 crushed black cardamom and fry for a few seconds.
- Add 1 and ½ cup chopped onion and fry on medium-high heat till slightly browned (8-10 minutes). Keep stirring while frying.
- Add 2 tsp ginger and garlic paste and fry till onions are nicely browned (5-6 minutes).
- Now add the washed kaleji to the cooker and fry on high heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Now add 300 g mutton keema and cook for another 3-4 minutes. I use packaged keema that is already washed but if you are getting it from the butcher, wash it well in a soup strainer. Discard all the water before adding it to the cooker.
- Add 3 tbsp tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add 3-4 green chilies (slit into half), 3 tsp coriander powder, 2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder, and salt to taste. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of water and cover the lid of the cooker.
- Cook for one whistle on high heat and then lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release on its own and then open the lid of the cooker.
- Adjust the water as required. Add 1 tsp lime juice and cook for a minute. Garnish with chopped coriander and ginger juliennes. Serve hot with rice or phulka.