Aloo Keema (Ground Beef And Potato Curry) - Chili to Choc

The pot lid rattles and you know dinner is almost ready. That little hiss from the float valve tells you the pressure’s building just right. You can practically smell the spices dancing through the kitchen air.

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Inside the cooker, the beef koftas are getting all tender and juicy. The broth depth is perfect cause everything’s locked in moisture. You sense that warm coziness settling in like a comfy blanket on a chilly night.

It’s kinda like a dinner countdown shot where every second brings you closer to that first bite. You remember how fast dinner’s come together, all thanks to the pressure cooker doing its thing with a natural release that keeps the flavors intact. Can’t wait to dig in.

Why Your Cooker Beats Every Other Pot

• Pressure cooking traps steam so your koftas cook super tender and juicy, way faster than simmering on the stove.
• The sealed lid keeps all the broth depth and spices locked in, making the curry real flavorful without drying out.
• You don't gotta babysit the pot checking if it’s burning or sticking all the time.
• Natural release lets the steam out slow, which keeps your meatballs from breaking apart and helps flavors marry nicely.
• It’s neat and kinda mess-free, so cleanup won’t take forever after dinner.

Everything You Need Lined Up

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 3 yellow onions sliced
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• 500 g ground beef (1.1 lbs)
• 2 tablespoon grinded onion paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (for koftas)
• 3 tablespoon yogurt (for koftas)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (for koftas)
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder (for koftas)
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder (for koftas)
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder (for koftas)
• 1 teaspoon salt (for koftas)
• 2 tablespoon roasted gram flour
• 2 green chilies chopped
• 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped

You can see it’s a bunch of spices and good basics that come together easy when you prep ’em right. The yogurt gives a nice tang and tenderness to the koftas while the gram flour keeps ’em from falling apart inside the curry. You gotta slice those onions just right to get that rich golden sweetness when sautéed.

Walking Through Every Single Move

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Start off by heating that vegetable oil in your pressure cooker on medium heat. It’s gotta be hot enough to sizzle but not burn.

Toss in the sliced yellow onions and stir ’em around until they turn golden brown. This takes some patience but dang it’s worth it for that sweet caramelly taste.

Stir in the ginger garlic paste and cook for about a minute or two. You’ll smell that fragrance fill up your kitchen real real fast.

Now whisk together the yogurt with cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt in a bowl. Pour this masala mix into the cooker and stir well. Let it cook on medium for 5 to 7 mins and keep an eye on it so it doesn’t stick.

While the sauce simmers, shape your kofta mixture. Mix ground beef with grinded onion paste, ginger garlic paste, yogurt, garam masala, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt, roasted gram flour, chopped green chilies, and cilantro. Roll ’em into meatballs the size you want.

Carefully add your meatballs to the simmering masala base. Close the lid and seal the valve. Cook on high pressure for 8 mins.

When done, let the cooker do a slow release to keep the meatballs juicy and intact. Open the lid once the float valve drops and sprinkle garam masala on top, then simmer the curry 2-3 more mins before serving. You’re almost there!

Time Savers That Actually Work

• Buy pre-made ginger garlic paste if you wanna skip peeling and grinding fresh.
• Use a food processor to slice onions fast without tears or uneven cuts.
• Prep the kofta mixture the night before and keep it refrigerated to save cooking stress.
• Roast gram flour in bulk so you always have some ready to use for recipes like this.
• Use yogurt at room temp so it mixes quicker and smoother into the masala base.

These little hacks help keep your cooking flow smooth and dinner ready in no time.

Your First Taste After the Wait

When you scoop the first kofta out of the curry you notice the meat’s tender, juicy, and bursting with spicy goodness. The bite melts softly rather than feeling tough or dry.

The gravy’s thick with deep broth depth and a little tang from the yogurt that lightens the spices. You catch hints of cumin and coriander dancing with mild heat that settles just right.

The fresh green chilies add little pops of brightness and cilantro sprinkles a fresh herb kick that balances the richness.

It all hangs together like a flavorful hug that warms you from the inside out. You can’t help but savor every bite and maybe lick your fingers after.

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Your Leftover Strategy Guide

Once dinner’s done and you got leftovers, store them in airtight containers to keep that curry from drying out. It stays best up to 3 days in your fridge.

You can also freeze portions in well-sealed bags or containers. When you thaw them slowly in the fridge then reheat gently on the stove or pressure cooker.

If reheating in the cooker, use the slow release method so the koftas don't get mushy. Heat them just enough so they’re piping hot through without overcooking.

Thaw frozen curry in the fridge overnight if you can, or if spots are frozen solid, you can microwave gently to speed thawing before reheating. Don’t rush it or the texture might get off.

Everything Else You Wondered About

• Q: Can I use lamb instead of beef? A: Heck yeah, lamb’s a great swap here. It’ll give a richer, slightly gamey flavor that fits the spices real well.
• Q: What if I don’t have gram flour? A: You can try breadcrumbs or chickpea flour as an alternative, but the texture might change kinda.
• Q: How do I know when the koftas are done? A: They’re done when the pressure cooker finishes cooking and you do a natural release. Usually about 8 mins under pressure is perfect.
• Q: Should I brown the koftas first? A: Nah, you don’t really have to. Adding ’em raw to the simmering curry base lets ’em cook gently and soak up flavor.
• Q: Is it better to use slow release or quick release? A: Slow release works real good here, keeps koftas tender without breaking apart.
• Q: Can I make this recipe less spicy? A: Sure thing. Cut down on red chili powder and green chilies. You still get great flavor without the heat punch.

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Beef Kofta Curry (Pakistani Meatball Curry)

Kofta curry is a Pakistani-style dish featuring tender spiced meatballs simmered in a richly seasoned onion-yogurt gravy. Perfect with rice or naan!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 4 people

Calories 572 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Pressure cooker

Ingredients

  

Main ingredients

• 0.5 cup vegetable oil
• 3 yellow onions sliced
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 0.5 teaspoon red chili powder
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon garam masala
• 500 g ground beef 1.1 lbs
• 2 tablespoon grinded onion paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste for koftas
• 3 tablespoon yogurt for koftas
• 1 teaspoon garam masala for koftas
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder for koftas
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder for koftas
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder for koftas
• 1 teaspoon salt for koftas
• 2 tablespoon roasted gram flour
• 2 green chilies chopped
• 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped

Instructions

 

Instructions

• Heat vegetable oil in a pressure cooker over medium heat.
• Add sliced onions and cook until golden brown.
• Mix in ginger garlic paste and sauté for a minute.
• Combine yogurt, ground spices, and salt. Add to onions and cook 5–7 minutes.
• Prepare kofta mixture with beef, yogurt, paste, spices, and herbs. Shape into balls.
• Add meatballs to masala. Seal cooker and cook under high pressure for 8 minutes.
• Do a natural pressure release. Open lid once float valve drops.
• Sprinkle garam masala and simmer curry 2–3 more minutes before serving.

Notes

Use lamb or chicken as an alternative to beef. For less spice, reduce chili powder and green chilies. Serve with naan or basmati rice. Leftovers freeze beautifully!