Keema Rice, Keema Biryani or Keema Masoor is a rich, mouth watering, flavourful layered Indian Rice and Keema (Mince) Recipe with Whole Masoor Dal, Saffron and a hint of mint.
Food Nostalgia
Keema Rice is my husband’s favourite meal. It is a nostalgic meal for him. A meal that reminds him of his time at Darul Uloom (An Islamic Boarding School). Every time I have made it in our ten years of marriage, I have been regaled with stories of his time there. Recently, we parked up at my in laws house and my husband excitedly pointed out the man who would make these huge vats of Keema Masoor for all the students and teachers. My husband had a huge cheshire cat grin on him. Almost like he had been transported back to a simpler time. He had forgotten (if just for a moment), that I was sat there right next to him with my own smile and a list of things for him to do after we left his parents home.
Keema Rice/Keema Masoor/Keema Biryani
This is a layered dish where many of the elements are slow cooked. The onion base is slow cooked on low for 25 – 30 minutes before any spices are even introduced. This is the case with many Indian recipes. There is a lot of slow cooking involved and although much of that is hands off time, I (like many others) always find a way to fill the hands off time with dish washing, washing machine filling, vacuuming, tidying up or slipping in an episode of whatever I am currently watching. So, it still feels like a bit of a labour of love.
After the onions, the next largest chunk of slow cooking is when the tomatoes go in, then when the Keema goes in (Keema is mince and I use lamb mince here), and then the final time is when everything is layered up and cooked in one large pot.
How to make Keema Masoor
Keema Rice and any Biryani type recipes take time to make but they are not difficult to make. As long as the various layers of the dish are punctuated with as much flavour as possible, you can’t go wrong.
When you make recipes that feel intimidating, just imagine that all the women/men you respect are your companions in the kitchen for the day, gently and silently (if only) guiding you along and wishing you well.
Anyway, here goes:
Soak 3 cups of Rice in water for at least 1/2 an hour.
Soak 1/4 cup Masoor Dal in water for the same length of time. Boil for 30 minutes, then set aside.
Heat 6 tbsp Oil and 2 tbsp Ghee in a medium/large pot over high heat.
Once hot, add the sliced Onions. Cook covered on low for at least 25 – 30 minutes until a deep golden brown. (At this stage if you do not have pre fried onions for the in-between layers, fry extra onions and set aside).
If your onion haven’t coloured after 30 minutes, remove the lid, turn the heat up and keep an eye on them stirring at regular intervals.
On medium/high heat, add the whole Garam Masala Spices and cook till fragrant. Around 2 – 3 minutes.
Add Garlic, Ginger and Green Chilli and saute for 3 – 4 minutes. Feel free to use frozen blocks, like I do when i’m busy.
Add the dry spices – Red Chilli, Turmeric, Coriander, Powder and Cumin Powder and cook out for a couple of minutes before adding the crushed tomatoes.
After a couple more minutes, pour in the yoghurt and in. Cover and cook for 20 minutes on low.
Add the mince and cook for 10 minutes.
Add Fried Onions, Mint Leaves, Coriander, ground Garam Masala, Dry Fenugreek, Milk and Salt. Cook covered on low for 20 minutes.
Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Boil with whole Garam Masala and a squeeze of Lemon Juice for 5 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Crush some Saffron strands. Simmer or Microwave 1/3 cup of Milk. Pour the milk over the strands.
Layer the rice pot – Add one layer of Keema, some fried onions, Rice and Masoor Dal and continue with layers until everything is used up. Add more fried onions on top, pour over the saffron milk and dot over some ghee. Some people like to colour the rice at the top, which looks lovely but I always forget!
Top tips and Notes:
Slow Cooking – This recipe is all about slow cooking everything to get the most flavour into each layer, so take your time with it.
Caramelising onions – means you get the most deliciously sweet flavour out of them but keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn.
Whole Garam Masala – Cooking this in the oil with the onions maximises it’s flavour and aroma.
Rice – I use long grain, aged Basmati rice in this recipe. I use Tilda or Mustafa rice. It is less likely to clump together.
Salt – I only add salt to the mince layer here and that may seem odd but it works fine. The salt from the Keema layer is enough for the pot of Keema Rice and the layers are mixed together when eaten.
Taste as you go – Once the keema layer is done, taste it and adjust before layering.
Kewra Water – Many people add rose water or kewra water to the top layer of Biryani recipes but I don’t really like it so I avoid it. Feel free to add it, if you like it.
Mint – I don’t add much mint to this recipe but you can add more if you like.
Reheating and Storage
Keema Rice lasts covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. I would not recommend heating and reheating over and over again. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Rice must be piping hot when reheated.
For sides:
More Rice Recipes:
Chicken Akni, One Pot Chicken and Rice
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Keema Rice
Keema Rice, Keema Biryani or Keema Masoor is a rich, mouth watering, flavourful layered Indian Rice and Keema (Mince) Recipe with Whole Masoor Dal, Saffron and a hint of mint.
Ingredients
Mince
- 6 tbsp Oil
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 4 large Onions Sliced
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
- 2 Star Anise
- 3 Black Cardamom
- 7 Green Cardamom Slightly cracked open
- 3 Cinnamon Sticks
- 10 Peppercorns
- 8 Cloves
- 6 -8 cloves Garlic crushed or use 3 blocks Frozen Garlic
- 2 ½ inch Ginger crushed r use 3 blocks Frozen Ginger
- 5 Green Chillies pierced, I used 1 black Frozen Green Chilli and 3 peirced Fresh Green Chillies
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 ½ tsp Cumin Powder
- 2 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 300 ml Tomatoes Pureed
- 240 ml Plain Yoghurt
- 2 lb Lamb Mince I use Leg
- 2 tbsp Mint Leaves Chopped
- Handful Coriander Chopped
- 1 large Onion Fried or small handful of store brought fried onions
- 120 ml Milk
- 2 tbsp Garam Masala Powder Or Madras Curry Powder
- 3 tsp Salt See notes (Adjust if needed)
Rice
- 3 cups Basmati Rice 600 g, Soaked for at least 30 minutes, then washed in a fine mesh strainer until water runs clear.
- 6 cups Water
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 3 Cloves
- 2 Green Cardamom Pods Cracked open
- 6 Peppercorns
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
Layering Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Masoor Dal Around 50 g soaked for 30 minutes, cleaned and boiled for 30 minutes
- Handul Coriander Leaves Chopped
- 1 - 2 tbsp Mint Leaves Chopped
- 2 Onions Fried till deep golden brown or a few tablespoons of store brought fried onions
Saffron Milk and Ghee for top
- 1 tsp Saffron Strands
- 100 ml Milk
- 3 tbsp Ghee
Instructions
-
Heat Oil and Ghee in a medium/large pot over high heat.
-
Once hot, add the sliced Onions. Cook covered on low for at least 25 - 30 minutes until a deep golden brown. If your onion haven't coloured after 30 minutes, remove the lid, turn the heat up and keep an eye on them stirring at regular intervals until the desired colour is reached.
-
Add the whole Garam Masala Spices - Bay leaves, Cumin Seeds, Star Anise, Black Cardamom, Green Cardamom, Cinnamon, Peppercorn, Cloves (make sure they touch the oil) and cook till fragrant. Around 2 - 3 minutes.
-
Add Garlic, Ginger and Green Chilli and saute for 3 - 4 minutes.
-
Add the dry spices - Red Chilli, Turmeric, Coriander, Powder and Cumin Powder and cook out for a couple of minutes before adding the crushed tomatoes.
-
After a couple more minutes, pour in the yoghurt. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.
-
Add the mince and distribute evenly with a wooden spoon, then cook covered on low for 10 minutes.
-
Add Mint Leaves, Coriander, ground Garam Masala, Milk and Salt. Cook covered on low for 20 minutes.
-
Meanwhile, Boil the rice with the ingredients listed under rice. Once boiling, simmer for 5 minutes, then drain and set aside.
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Layer the rice pot - Add one layer of Keema to the bottom of a pot, then add some fried onions, coriander, mint. Add a layer of rice, masoor dal, fried onions and spread over the top of the mince evenly. Then continue the layers till everything is used up.
-
Crush Saffron strands slightly between your fingers. Simmer or Microwave the Milk till hot. Pour the milk over the strands.
-
Pour the milk over the top layer, add more fried onions and dots of Ghee.
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Cover the pot with 2 layers of foil and a tight fitting lid.
-
Cook on low for 20 - 30 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
Recipe Notes
Slow Cooking - This recipe is all about slow cooking everything to get the most flavour into each layer, so take your time with it.
Caramelising onions - means you get the most deliciously sweet flavour out of them but keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burn. If your onion haven't coloured after 30 minutes, remove the lid, turn the heat up and keep an eye on them stirring at regular intervals until they are a deep golden brown.
Whole Garam Masala - Cooking this in the oil with the onions maximises it's flavour and aroma.
Rice - I use long grain, aged Basmati rice in this recipe. I use Tilda or Mustafa rice. It is less likely to clump together.
Salt - I only add salt to the mince layer here and that may seem odd but it works fine. The salt from the Keema layer is enough for the pot of Keema Rice and the layers are mixed together when eaten.
Taste as you go - Once the keema layer is done, taste it and adjust before layering.
Kewra Water - Many people add rose water or kewra water to the top layer of Biryani recipes but I don't really like it so I avoid it. Feel free to add it, if you like it.
Mint - I don't add much mint to this recipe but you can add more if you like.
Reheating and Storage - Keema Rice lasts covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. I would not recommend heating and reheating over and over again. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Rice must be piping hot when reheated.
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