Bihari Keema Fry

Pakistani Food has such complex flavors, it’s almost impossible to not fall in love with it! There are so many ways one recipe can be cooked so you never get bored with the food. Bihari Keema is a spin on the famous Bihari kebab and Bihari boti. Bihari Kebabs are thin beef strips cooked over charcoal and Bihari boti uses the same marination but the beef is cut in chunks instead. Bihari keema is the same recipe but is cooked with ground beef instead

Bihar is a State in east India, but a large population of Muslims migrated to Pakistan at the time of partition and brought along with them the rich Bihari cuisine. Bihari kebabs are one of the most famous foods in the cuisine, along with Khaja and mal pua. Bihari cuisine in not just popular in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal but is also very popular in Trinidad, Mauritius, Fiji and Jamaica. 

Meat Preparation:

For this recipe the ground beef needs to be as thin as possible almost like a paste which is why running it through a grinder for a few minutes is the best way to prepare the meat. I pulse small batches of meat in the food processor for a few minutes. Ground beef can be lean if desired but a 80:20 blend will also work if you enjoy the flavor, in my home I use lean ground beef.

Marination:

It’s best to use fresh ginger and garlic paste and I also prefer to roast fresh spices for maximum flavor. Papaya paste really tenderizes the meat for a silky curry so marination time is important in this recipe. I like to roast the gram flour on low meat in a saute pan which in my opinion adds a really nice finishing touch to the over all end result. I like to marinate the meat for at least 6 hours but for best results marinate overnight covered in the refrigerator. If marinating overnight leave the meat on the countertop for 2 hours or until its at room temperature before adding ghee and cooking.

Cooking:

Make sure the meat is at room temperature before cooking so it is easy to break it down during the cooking process. I like to use a potato masher which helps break down the meat. Once you add water to the meat keep mixing it to avoid lumps. The gram flour in the marination will start thickening the gravy and that’s what is going to this dish a unique texture.

I use organic charcoal to smoke this particular dish, place the charcoal on open flame and when it becomes red but not on fire, it’s ready to use. Use a small metal condiment container or aluminum foil and place it in the center of the skillet, set the charcoal on it, add a few drop of oil on the charcoal and immediately place the lid on the skillet to trap the smoke. This will make for a delicious smoky ground beef dish that will be the star of any dinner table.

Serving Suggestions:

This dish goes perfectly with fresh naan https://flavoredbyfatima.com/2020/08/20/homemade-naan/, raita, chutney and some crisp onions. Serve it along with my Karachi style deighi biryani https://flavoredbyfatima.com/2021/07/06/karachi-style-deighi-biryani/ Frontier Chicken https://flavoredbyfatima.com/2021/04/07/frontier-chicken/ and the perfect bbq chutney https://flavoredbyfatima.com/2020/07/21/pakistani-bbq-chutney/ and this will be the perfect dinner menu for any occasion.

Burns Road Fry Seekh Keema

Recipe by Fatima Maniya Soorty

3.0 from 2 votes

Course: MainCuisine: PakistaniDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Marination time

6

hours

Bihari keema is a spin on bihari kabab and bihari boti.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs ground beef

• 1 tbsp toasted white poppy seed powder

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 2 tsp garam masala

• 2 tbsp paprika

• 3 tbsp Shan Bihari kebab masala

• 3 tsp toasted cumin and coriander powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tbsp ginger garlic powder

• 4 tbsp gram flour

• 2 tbsp papaya paste

• 2 small onions sliced

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1.5 cups water

• Cilantro for garnish

• Julienne ginger for garnish

• Green chili for garnish

• Limes for serving

• 3 tbsp ghee

• 3 tbsp oil

• 2 tsp mustard oil (optional)

• Charcoal for smoke

Directions

• In a food processor add the ground beef and grind it for 2-3 mins. The texture should be paste like.
• Marinate the beef with all the spices, gram flour, ginger garlic and papaya paste for at least 6 hours or over night.
• After 6 hours add ghee and mustard oil (optional) to the marinated meat and mix well.
• In a skillet or an inverted wok heat oil, add onions and fry until golden.
• Turn the flame down to medium, add the meat and use the back of a wooden spoon to break it down. With a help of a potato masher break down the meat until it separates.
• Add lemon juice, mix well.
• Add water and mix until the gravy becomes paste like.
• Cover the skillet and let it cook until the water reduces and the oil separates.
• Places a small metal container in the middle of the skillet, place a burning piece of charcoal in it, add a drop of oil on the charcoal and close the lid tightly to smoke the meat for a few minutes.
• Once the meat is smoked, remove the metal container, mix well and garnish with cilantro, green chili, ginger and lime.
• Serve hot with naan!!
• Enjoy