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Home » Dinner

Really Easy Keema Rice

Published: Nov 17, 2022 by Lauren Woodger · Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links -This means I receive a commission for purchases made through those links, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · Leave a Comment

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Two bowls of keema rice on a grey board. Garnishes of green chilli and tomatoes in the background.
A bowl of keema rice garnished with fresh coriander. Tomato and a bowl of raita in the background.
Pinterest image for keema rice

Tasty lamb mince is mixed together with rice, vegetables and aromatic spices to make this delicious Really Easy Keema Rice. On the table in under 30 minutes, it makes a quick & easy midweek family meal. 

two bowls of keema rice on a grey board. Garnishes of tow tomatoes and a green chilli are scattered around.

You may have seen keema rice on the menu at your local Indian takeaway and not been sure of what it was. Next time try it, trust me!

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Flavoursome lamb mince is fried together with onions, peas, rice and a range of aromatic spices to create a wonderful family meal.

This really easy keema rice tastes just like an authentic lamb keema biryani or keema pulao but is made in one pot & is ready in 30 minutes!

It’s also really easy to make at home as a “fake-away” dish ( like these copycat Five Guys burgers & cajun fries) & Nando's Butterfly Chicken & Homemade Spicy Rice) and the kids love this on a Friday night.

The great thing is, you can adjust the spice level to make this keema rice as mild or hot as you like, making it suitable for everyone no matter if you love the heat of chilli or prefer things a little milder.

Jump to:
  • ❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe..
  • 🤔 What Is Keema Rice?
  • 🥘 Ingredients Notes
  • ⚡ Substitutions & Variations
  • ✏️ How To Make - Step-By-Step Instructions
  • 💡 Tips & Tricks
  • 🥡 Storage, Freezing & Reheating
  • 💬 Recipe FAQs
  • 📖 More Indian Inspired Recipes..
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe..

  • Allergy Friendly: This keema fried rice is naturally gluten, egg and dairy free, making it suitable for people with a wide range of food allergies!
  • Quick To Prepare: On the table in just 30 minutes, making it perfect for those busy evenings.
  • Healthier Than a Takeaway: Made with fresh, store-cupboard ingredients, this keema rice recipe is healthier than a highly processed takeout.
  • Spice Level Can Be Adapted: You can easily adjust the level of heat in this dish depending on how hot you like it!
  • Packed Full of Flavour: Combining the lamb and spices with the rice creates a dinner that is bursting with flavour!

🤔 What Is Keema Rice?

Keema translates into  English as “mincemeat”. 

Keema rice is a dish made of mincemeat (usually lamb or mutton mince, but you can also use beef or even chicken or turkey mince) which is then fried together with onions, rice, along with an array of aromatic spices that bring all the wonderful flavours together to make this delicious rice. I have also added peas for some extra flavour and colour.

🥘 Ingredients Notes

✋ Double check all packaging for allergens ✋

Ingredients laid out for lamb keema.
  • Cooked Rice -Basmati rice or long grain rice work best for this dish.  Traditionally you would use cooled, leftover cooked rice, as you would in this fried rice without egg, however, for my version I have used microwave basmati rice for quickness and ease, as I have done for this pork belly fried rice and hot dog fried rice. I find this works as well as cooked, cooled rice and is perfect for those evenings when you don't have much time.
  • Ground Meat  - Lamb mince ( which I have used) or mutton is what is traditionally used in this dish.
  • Peas - These add extra flavour and a pop of colour to the dish.
  • Tomatoes-  Salad tomatoes add freshness and texture to the rice.
  • Spices - I have used a variety of store cupboard spices including garam masala, turmeric, curry powder and fenugreek which blend together beautifully. Use either a mild, medium or hot curry powder, depending on how spicy you want the dish to be.
  • Fresh Coriander - This is chopped and scattered through the dish before serving to add a slight citrus flavour.
  • Aromatics - Garlic, onion, fresh ginger & green chilli form the base flavours of the keema rice.

Scroll to the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.

⚡ Substitutions & Variations

  • Protein - Lamb mince can be substituted for beef, mutton or turkey mince. You can even chop leftover chicken or roast lamb very finely and add this instead. To make this dish vegetarian you can use paneer, tofu or a vegetarian mince.
  • Veg - The great thing about this recipe is that it’s so versatile and you can add whatever is in your fridge! Try some grated carrot, chopped pepper or baby corn for something a little different.
  • Spice - If you follow the recipe as it is, the spice level is fairly mild. If you would like things a little spicier, leave the seeds in the chilli or add two instead of one.

✏️ How To Make - Step-By-Step Instructions

⬇️ Here you will find an overview of how to make the recipe. For full information on ingredients and quantities please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page ⬇️

Steps showing how to make keema rice in a frying pan.

Step 1: Start by frying the lamb mince in a large frying pan for a few minutes until it starts to brown, then using a slotted spoon remove the lamb onto a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.

Step 2: Slice the onions finely and add these to the frying pan.

Depending on how much fat is left behind from the lamb you may want to remove some of it. Leave enough to caramelise the onions as this really adds to the flavour of the dish. I would recommend leaving around 1-2 tablespoons.

Fry the onions in the fat until they start to soften and colour slightly, then add the garlic and stir for around a minute.

Step 3: Next, add the lamb mince back into the pan along with the peas, chopped green chilli, fresh ginger, tomatoes and spices and cook until the lamb mince is fully cooked through.

Step 4: Add the cooked microwave rice and stir through, letting the spices coat the rice so the dish turns a beautiful golden colour.

If you are using leftover cooled rice, ensure the rice has been heated until it is piping hot.

Season to taste. You may wish to season later if you are cooking for young children.

Scatter through a handful of chopped coriander before serving.

Close up of a bowl of keema rice with tomato and raita in the bakcground.

💡 Tips & Tricks

  • Use the back of a teaspoon to peel the skin from the fresh ginger. It can then either be finely chopped or grated. Fresh ginger is best, but this Lazy Ginger is a good back up and lasts in the fridge for ages.
  • Make sure you use a large frying pan which can hold all of the ingredients without overloading the pan, otherwise, you may need to batch cook it in two pans.

🥡 Storage, Freezing & Reheating

Microwave rice has already been cooked and therefore cannot be re-heated twice, so if you are making the recipe with that, then the dish is best eaten straight away.

If you are making the keema rice with leftover cooked rice you can store it in the fridge for a day. Make sure the rice is cooled quickly and then placed in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking.

An easy way to cool rice quickly is to spread it in a thin layer on a baking tray.

If you want to make the rice ahead of time, you can cook the recipe up to the point where you add the rice and then store the meat mixture in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to eat, heat the meat in the pan,  add the rice and stir until piping hot.

When it comes to freezing I would recommend freezing just the meat part of the recipe, so, as above, make it up to the point you add the rice and then freeze the cooled meat mixture in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. 

Defrost the mixture in the fridge overnight and finish cooking as above.

💬 Recipe FAQs

Which rice should I use?

To achieve delicious fluffy rice I would recommend using either basmati or long grain rice. Although I love wholegrain rice and all of its health benefits, this isn’t a dish that it works well with.

What can I serve with Keema Rice?

This is a dish in its own right and can be served as a main meal alongside some fresh raita. You can also serve it as a rice dish alongside a curry.

📖 More Indian Inspired Recipes..

Love this? Check out these other easy Indian inspired recipes.

  • 3 naan breads on a white plate garnished with parsley.
    Easy Gluten Free Naan Bread
  • Prawn balti garnished with coriander with popadums in the background.
    King Prawn Balti
  • Chicken curry in a silver curry bowl, garnished with fresh red chilli and coriander.
    Boneless Chicken Curry With Peppers
  • A spoonful of chicken curry being scooped out of a silver balti bowl containing chicken curry.
    Chicken & Aubergine Curry

If you loved this recipe, please leave me a 5🌟 rating or comment below. I really do appreciate it. 😊

📖 Recipe

two bowls of keema rice on a grey board. Garnishes of tow tomatoes and a green chilli are scattered around.

Keema Rice

Tasty lamb mince is mixed with rice, vegetables and aromatic spices to make this delicious Keema Rice. On the table in under 30 minutes its perfect for a midweek family meal. 
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 523kcal
Author: Lauren Woodger

Equipment

  • Non stick frying pan
  • Slotted spoon optional
  • Ginger grater optional

Ingredients

  • 500 g (1 lb) lamb mince
  • 2 pouches microwave basmati or long grain rice or 500g (1lb) cooked leftover rice
  • 100 g (3.5oz) peas
  • 2 salad tomatoes diced
  • 1 inch fresh ginger grated
  • 1 medium onion sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
  • 1 medium green chilli finely diced and seeds removed. Leave seeds in for extra heat.
  • 2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon mild curry powder use hot curry powder for extra heat.
  • ½ teaspoon fenugreek
  • 1 handful fresh coriander finely chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
Metric - Us Customary

Instructions

  • Fry the lamb mince in a large frying pan on a medium heat for around 5 minutes until it starts to brown.
  • Whilst the lamb mince is cooking slice the onions and grate the garlic.
  • Using a slotted spoon remove the lamb mince onto a plate, leaving around 1-2 tablespoon of fat in the pan.
  • Fry the onions off in the fat for 5-7 minutes until they start to soften and colour slightly, then add the garlic and stir for around a minute.
  • Grate the ginger, finely dice the green chilli and tomatoes and cook the rice in the microwave as per packet instructions.
  • Add the lamb mince back into the pan along with the peas, chopped green chilli, fresh ginger, tomatoes and the spices. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add the cooked microwave rice and stir through, cooking for a further 5 minutes until the lamb mince is cooked.
  • Season to taste. You may wish to season later if you are cooking for young children.
  • Scatter through a handful of chopped coriander before serving.

Notes

  • Tips & Tricks
    • Use the back of a teaspoon to peel the skin from the fresh ginger. It can then either be finely chopped or grated. Fresh ginger is best, but this Lazy Ginger is a good back up and lasts in the fridge for ages.
    • Make sure you use a large frying pan which can hold all of the ingredients without overloading the pan, otherwise, you may need to batch cook it in two pans.
    • Depending on how much is left behind from the lamb you may want to remove some of the fat, but leave enough to caramelise the onions as this really adds to the flavour of the dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 523kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 257mg | Potassium: 293mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2969IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 3mg

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About Lauren Woodger

I’m Lauren, the creator of The Scatty Mum. As a mum to two kids with a history of food allergies and intolerances, I know how tough it can be to cook meals that are both safe and delicious.

That’s why I share easy, allergy-friendly recipes to help families enjoy stress-free mealtimes.

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Lady sitting on a kitchen side with a coffee cup in her hand.

Hey, I'm Lauren!

I’m Lauren, the creator of The Scatty Mum.

As a mum to two kids with a history of food allergies, I know how challenging mealtimes can be when you’re trying to please everyone.

That’s why I share easy, family-friendly recipes and meal planning tips to help busy families enjoy tasty, stress-free dinners that work for all dietary needs.

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