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    Home » Recipes » Curry recipes

    Beef keema with rosti topping

    Published: Jan 15, 2024 · Modified: May 24, 2024 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to recipe Jump to video

    I'm sure you're going to love this recipe for beef keema with rosti topping! It combines warming curry spices with ground beef and vegetables all covered with a deliciously crispy topping made from grated potatoes and onions.

    A glass baking dish containing beef keema with a crispy rosti topping. The corner of the rosti has been removed to show the beef keema on the inside.

    This beef keema curry recipe has been on my list of 'recipes I really must publish' for a while now, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. It's actually a cross between a cottage pie and a curry - so it combines the best of British in one dish!

    I based the flavours on my popular Moroccan lamb keema recipe, which has the same flavours that go into this Turkish lamb pide. You could say this is a fusion of British and North African flavours! Oh yes, and it's got a rosti topping too so we need to add Indian into the mix 🙂 .

    Beef keema with rosti topping is made with ground beef and vegetables which are cooked with a combination of spices, topped with grated onions and potatoes and put in the oven until everything is cooked and the topping is crispy.

    Why I love beef keema

    There are so many reasons

    • Beef keema is economical - beef mince is relatively inexpensive, and the addition of vegetables means you can stretch a small amount to feed an entire family.
    • It's versatile too - you can chop and change the vegetables to suit whatever you happen to have in your fridge at the time.
    • This dish is Tasty with a capital 'T'! Beef keema is all about flavour. The blend of spices is mild enough for anyone to eat, but if you want to make it spicier, just increase the amount of chilli you add.
    • It's quick to throw together - the preparation only takes around 20 minutes and then you simply put it into the oven to bake.
    • It's a meal-in-one - it's got carbohydrates in the potato topping, along with meat, vegetables and gravy underneath, so you don't need anything by way of side dishes (unless you're like me and like to add a side of crusty bread)!

    And what you end up with is a deliciously spiced curried mince bake topped with crispy potatoes and onions. Absolutely perfect for the cold English winter!

    Jump to:
    • Why I love beef keema
    • What you will need
    • What to do
    • Tips for making beef keema with rosti
    • Variations
    • Storage
    • FAQ
    • Save for later
    • Related
    • 📋The recipe

    Let me show you how to make beef keema!

    What you will need

    Equipment

    As far as equipment goes, you will need a large pan for frying off the meat and vegetables. I like to use a saute pan because it shows the food clearly when I'm photographing it, but a large saucepan will be fine too.

    For preparing the vegetables you will need a sharp knife, a chopping board and a cheese grater for grating the potatoes.

    And for baking the keema in the oven you will need a baking dish. For this recipe, an 8" x 10" dish is large enough. If you increase the quantities to make a larger batch then obviously you will need a larger dish.

    Ingredients

    This recipe feeds 4 people. Add extra meat and vegetables to feed more, but do take care when doubling the spices (especially the chilli) so that you don't overpower the dish.

    **Get the complete list of ingredients for making beef keema with rosti on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**

    • Beef mince - try to get beef mince with a low fat content. A little bit of fat adds a lot of flavour, but a high percentage of fat in the beef will lead to having to pour some off as the mince browns. I tend to use beef mince with a 5% fat content.
    • Red pepper, carrots, onions, peas - I like to make beef keema with carrots and onions at the very least. For extra flavour, I've added red pepper and peas. You can use whatever vegetables you have available.
    • Tinned tomatoes - these add the liquid component to the dish. I normally rinse the tomato tin with a little water and add that as well - half a tinful will be more than sufficient.
    • Oil - I use sunflower oil for frying off the meat and vegetables, but you could use olive oil if you prefer.
    • Ginger and garlic - you can either use ready-minced ginger and garlic from jars or use fresh. If you are using fresh ginger and garlic it should be finely minced.
    • Spices - these are the spices you will need:
      • Paprika
      • Ground cumin
      • Ground coriander
      • Ground cinnamon
      • Ground cloves
      • Ground nutmeg
      • Ground cardamom
      • Dried chilli flakes
    • I haven't included salt and pepper in the photo, but you can use these to season the keema to your own taste. I would recommend at least adding a little salt to the rosti mixture - potatoes love seasoning.

    For the rosti you will need potatoes and onions (plus a little extra salt and pepper).

    What to do

    Heat the oil in a frying (or large saucepan) on medium heat and fry the beef with the spices, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper until the meat is crumbly and completely separated. Break up the meat with a spatula as you fry it. Remove the meat to a plate and set aside.

    Add another splash of oil to the pan if necessary and fry the onions, red pepper and carrots (still on medium heat) until the onions start to soften and turn translucent.

    Add the meat back to the pan.

    Stir in the tinned tomatoes and half a cup of cold water. Cover the pan with a lid and leave it to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

    Stir the peas into the meat mixture and then transfer it all to a baking dish.

    Peel the potatoes and grate them on the largest holes of a cheese grater. Peel the onion and slice it as thinly as possible with a sharp knife (or use a mandolin). Use your hands to squeeze most of the liquid out of the potatoes.

    Combine the grated potato and sliced onions, season lightly with salt and pepper, and arrange them on top of the meat mixture.

    Bake uncovered in a preheated oven (180C / 350F) for 50 minutes to an hour until the potatoes are cooked and crispy. If the potatoes are not done after this time, leave for another 5 minutes or so.

    Serve hot and enjoy!

    Tips for making beef keema with rosti

    Here are my tips for making the best beef keema:

    • When slicing the onions, slice them as thinly as possible using a sharp knife. If you have a mandolin you could use this instead.
    • Once the potatoes have been grated, squeeze them with your hands to remove as much liquid as possible.
    • The starch in the grated potatoes is the 'glue' that holds the rosti together. For this reason, you should not rinse the grated potatoes in water as this will remove the starch.
    • There should be sufficient liquid in the beef mixture to allow you to leave it uncovered in the oven without drying out. The reason we don't cover the keema while it is in the oven is to allow the rosti mixture to turn crispy. If it does seem to be drying out, pour a little extra stock around the edges of the dish.

    Variations

    Here are a few ways in which you could vary the dish.

    • Use lamb mince instead of beef, or use a mixture of pork and beef mince.
    • Add different vegetables - chopped green beans (also known as snap beans or string beans), mushrooms, whole kernel corn, or chopped swede (or rutabaga). I would tend to steer clear of softer vegetables such as cauliflower or broccoli because these would tend to overcook and become mushy. You could also swap the red pepper with green pepper.
    • For a cheesy version, sprinkle grated cheese (or a mixture of grated cheese and breadcrumbs) on top of the rosti.
    • Vary the rosti by adding a grated carrot to the potatoes and onions.
    • Instead of making the potato rosti, simply spoon the mince mixture over a dish of white rice. (I you do this I would recommend you allow the mince mixture to cook for 30 minutes).

    Storage

    • The mince mixture (without the rosti) can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
    • Allow the mince to defrost, assemble the dish using freshly grated potato and sliced onion, and bake according to the recipe instructions.
    • Leftover beef keema can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

    FAQ

    What does Keema mean?

    Keema simply means 'minced meat'. Different countries have different ways of spelling it (you may see it as Kima, Khema or even Qeema) but they all mean the same thing! So keema beef curry simply means minced beef curry.

    How do I increase the spice mixture?

    You can double (or even quadruple) the spices as shown in the recipe except for the chilli flakes. I always recommend adding chilli to your taste. I find if I double the chilli in a recipe it makes the keema too hot for my liking.
    Store the mixed spices in a sealed glass jar in your pantry. For each pound of meat (or 450 grams), you will need approximately 3 and a half teaspoons of spice mix.

    Save for later

    If you would like to try this beef keema recipe yourself, why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click on the image below.

    Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

    Related

    Here are some other curry recipes you may enjoy.

    • A dish of lamb keema topped with a baked egg.
      Lamb keema (minced lamb curry with eggs)
    • A balti dish of beef madras curry with a wooden serving spoon.
      Easy Beef Madras curry
    • Beef curry and rice in a dish with a fork.
      Spicy ground beef curry and rice
    • A vetkoek which has been split open and filled with curried mince on a brown plate with a fork.
      Vetkoek and curried mince

    You can find these and many other similar recipes on my curry recipes page.

    📋The recipe

    A blue serving dish filled with beef keema topped with potato and onion rosti.

    Beef keema with rosti topping

    I'm sure you're going to love this recipe for beef keema with rosti topping! It combines warming curry spices with ground beef and vegetables all covered with a deliciously crispy topping made from grated potatoes and onions.
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Main Course
    British, Indian inspired
    Calories 487
    Prep 30 minutes minutes
    Cook 50 minutes minutes
    Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 1 vote

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • Saute pan OR
    • Saucepan
    • Sharp Knife
    • Chopping Board
    • Cheese grater
    • Baking dish 10" x 8"

    Ingredients

    Beef keema

    • 1 pound / 450 grams beef mince (ground beef) 5% fat content
    • 1 large red pepper (capsicum) seeds and membrane removed and diced
    • 2 large carrots peeled and diced
    • 1 large onion peeled and diced
    • 14 ounce / 400 gram tin chopped tomatoes
    • 1 cup frozen peas
    • 1 - 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
    • 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
    • ½ teaspoon crushed ginger
    • Salt and black pepper to taste

    Spices

    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
    • ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes or to your own taste

    Potato and onion rosti

    • 1 pound / 450 grams potatoes peeled, grated and liquid squeezed out.
    • 1 large onion (approximately 1 cup sliced) peeled and thinly sliced
    • Salt and black pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Heat the oil in a frying (or large saucepan) on medium heat and fry the beef with the spices, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper until the meat is crumbly and completely separated. Break up the meat with a spatula as you fry it. Remove the meat to a plate and set aside.
      1 pound / 450 grams beef mince (ground beef), 1 - 2 tablespoons sunflower oil, 1 teaspoon crushed garlic, ½ teaspoon crushed ginger, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes, Salt and black pepper to taste
    • Add another splash of oil to the pan if necessary and fry the onions, red pepper and carrots (still on medium heat) until the onions start to soften and turn translucent.
      1 large red pepper (capsicum), 2 large carrots, 1 large onion
    • Add the meat back to the pan.
    • Stir in the tinned tomatoes and half the can of cold water. Cover the pan with a lid and leave it to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
      14 ounce / 400 gram tin chopped tomatoes
    • Stir the peas into the meat mixture and then transfer it all to a baking dish.
      1 cup frozen peas

    Make the rosti

    • Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F
    • Peel the potatoes and grate them on the largest holes of a cheese grater. Peel the onion and slice it as thinly as possible with a sharp knife (or use a mandolin). Use your hands to squeeze most of the liquid out of the potatoes.
      1 pound / 450 grams potatoes, 1 large onion (approximately 1 cup sliced)
    • Combine the grated potato and sliced onions, season lightly with salt and pepper, and arrange them on top of the meat mixture.
      Salt and black pepper to taste
    • Bake uncovered in a preheated oven (180C / 350F) for 50 minutes to an hour until the potatoes are cooked and crispy. If the potatoes are not done after this time, leave for another 5 minutes or so.

    Notes

    Tips for making this recipe:
    • When slicing the onions, slice them as thinly as possible using a sharp knife. If you have a mandolin you could use this instead.
    • Once the potatoes have been grated, squeeze them with your hands to remove as much liquid as possible.
    • The starch in the grated potatoes is the 'glue' that holds the rosti together. For this reason, you should not rinse the grated potatoes in water as this will remove the starch.
    • There should be sufficient liquid in the beef mixture to allow you to leave it uncovered in the oven without drying out. The reason we don't cover the keema while it is in the oven is to allow the rosti mixture to turn crispy. If it does seem to be drying out, pour a little extra stock around the edges of the dish.
    Variations:
    • Use lamb mince instead of beef, or use a mixture of pork and beef mince.
    • Add different vegetables - chopped green beans (also known as snap beans or string beans), mushrooms, whole kernel corn, or chopped swede (or rutabaga). I would tend to steer clear of softer vegetables such as cauliflower or broccoli because these would tend to overcook and become mushy. You could also swap the red pepper with green pepper.
    • For a cheesy version, sprinkle grated cheese (or a mixture of grated cheese and breadcrumbs) on top of the rosti.
    • Vary the rosti by adding a grated carrot to the potatoes and onions.
    • Instead of making the potato rosti, simply spoon the mince mixture over a dish of white rice. (I you do this I would recommend you allow the mince mixture to cook for 30 minutes).
    Storage:
    • The mince mixture (without the rosti) can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
    • Allow the mince to defrost, assemble the dish using freshly grated potato and sliced onion, and bake according to the recipe instructions.
    • Leftover beef keema can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories - 487kcal | Carbohydrates - 39.2g | Protein - 35.8g | Fat - 20.8g | Saturated Fat - 5.8g | Cholesterol - 95mg | Sodium - 730mg | Potassium - 1112mg | Fiber - 9g | Sugar - 11.4g | Calcium - 97mg | Iron - 5mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

    Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
    All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
    Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
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    If you made this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love it if you could give me a star rating in the comments below. And if you'd like to get in touch, you can email me at [email protected]. I'd love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list so you can grab yourself a copy of my FREE COOKBOOK!

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    About VJ

    Before I started my food blog I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, mostly made from scratch, using everyday pantry ingredients.

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