This flavorful keema biryani, a spiced ground meat and rice dish, is going to be your new favorite one-pot meal.
Keema biryani or keema pulao is a one-pot dish made up of spiced ground meat, long-grain basmati rice and aromatic spices. It’s a weeknight favorite at our house as well as a dish we serve when we have last minute company. It’s easy to make and impressive too!
If you have my cookbook then this recipe might look familiar to you. In my book, I called this dish keema pulao. The word keema means ground meat and pulao is just rice cooked with spices. I decided to change the name of this dish to keema biryani here on the blog (because apparently there are more people who search for “keema biryani” than “keema pulao” – these are things that food bloggers have to think about).
This dish is very flavorful so I suppose it really is more like biryani since pulaos are typically a bit more subtle in flavor. You can call this keema biryani or keema pulao or keema rice or ground meat pualo. Or just call it “that super scrumptious rice dish from myheartbeets” which to be fair, could refer to any one of my super tasty rice recipes… okay, it’s not like we really need another name for this dish, lol. Whatever you call it, know that it’s absolutely delicious.
If I’m making this keema biryani on a weeknight, I’ll sometimes leave out the herbs (I usually have cilantro in the house, but I don’t always have mint). If you’re serving this on a special occasion though then be sure to add the herbs. They add a bright fresh flavor to the dish. My goal for the spring/summer is to grow my own cilantro, mint and parsley so hopefully I’ll always have fresh herbs nearby. I have a brown thumb (both literally and figuratively) so I’m hoping I don’t kill my new plants right away. It makes me so happy to see pretty green herbs every day.
If you’ve tried my chicken biryani or my shrimp biryani or my lamb/beef biryani then you know I know good biryani. Biryani has been one of my favorite things to eat for as long as I can remember so I know what good biryani should taste like. This keema biryani is so dang good. You are going to love it!
I can’t wait to hear what you think of this dish! If you love it, then be sure to check out my Instant Pot Cookbook: Indian Food Under Pressure for more Indian recipes!
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This one-pot dish of spiced beef and rice is both a weeknight favorite at our house and a dish we serve when we have company. It’s flavorful and really quick to make. I’ll sometimes leave out the chopped cilantro and mint, but if you want it to taste extra special then don’t forget to add the herbs.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups basmati rice, soaked for 15–30 minutes
- 2 tablespoons oil of choice
Whole Spices
- 5 cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 pound ground meat of choice
- 1 onion, diced
- 5 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- ½ – 1 Serrano pepper or green chili, minced, adjust to taste
Ground Spices
- 3 teaspoons coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 ½ cups water
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- ¼ cup mint leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Soak the basmati rice in cold water for 15-30 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside.
- Press the sauté button, then add the oil to the pot. Allow the oil a minute to heat up, then add the whole spices to the pot and give them a stir. Once the spices begin to sizzle, add the ground meat, onions, garlic, ginger, Serrano pepper and cook until the meat is mostly browned.
- Add the ground spices, mix well, then add the tomatoes and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until they have softened.
- Dump the rice on top of the meat (do not mix) then pour water on top. Sprinkle half the cilantro and mint on top of the rice.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 6 minutes at high pressure.
- Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. Open the valve to release any remaining pressure.
- Remove whole spices and sprinkle with remaining cilantro and mint.
ummm just wow! I made this last night for me and my fiancé (who absolutely LOVES biryani) and we were both pretty much speechless. It was DELICIOUS! It tastes like it took hours to make the way the flavors all come together.
I also made your Instant Pot Saag (half the recipe quantity) and added paneer to it at the end.
What a meal! We have so many leftovers and we can’t wait to eat it again tonight.
Ashley! I’ve tried a few of your recipes and I just love them all! Thank you!
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Bindi, I’m so happy to hear that you and your fiancé liked the keema biryani!! And the saag! Thank you so much for letting me know how the recipes turned out for you guys!! 🙂
Hi Ashley. Could you specify what type of tomatoes you are using (or a weight?) I’m afraid I will mess up the liquid content if I use the wrong kind…
Thanks!
Don’t worry, it’ll turn out well! Any type of tomato will work – I usually just use whatever is available at the grocery store 🙂 You can look for medium sized tomatoes. Hope that helps!
Hi Ashley!
I love all your recipes, but have been limiting myself from the ones that call for whole spices. I know I am missing out by not trying some of these! 🙂
Where would you recommend I get whole spices? I can double check my local grocery store, but I have a hunch they won’t have all of what I’d need. We do have local Asian markets that are a little bit of a drive from me..would that be a good place to look?
Also, for the 2 tomatoes – would canned diced tomatoes work as well for this recipe?
Thanks so much!! I am on a “Staycation” for a couple of weeks here and I really want to do some more cooking, your website is the first place I go for new things to try!
Carrie
Hi Carrie! So happy to hear that you like my recipes 🙂 You can find whole spices at any local Indian grocery store if you have one or on Amazon. I am not sure about an Asian market – I would call ahead to see if they carry whole spices. You can also try the Pure Indian Foods website – their spices are great! And Yes, you can use canned diced tomatoes – my guess would be to use half a (14 ounce) can or perhaps a little less than half. Let me know how it goes! Enjoy your staycation 🙂
Carrie, we found all of the whole and ground spices at our local Safeway! Good Luck 🙂
Do you think it’ll taste just as good the next day? I wanted to prepare the night before for guest coming over for dinner the next day.
Zahraa, yes it’ll be just as good if not better! Indian food always tastes better the next day in my opinion because the flavors have more time to mix together 🙂
Hi. Can you use brown rice and how long do I cook it for?
Thanks
If you use brown basmati rice then set the time to 22 mins 🙂
I made this on Friday night, SO GOOD! My first Indian dish, and my whole family loved it. Will be a regular recipe in our house. ♥️ Thanks Ashley!
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Dana, I’m so happy to hear that you made this – and that it was your first Indian dish!! Thanks so much for letting me know how it turned out for you and your family 🙂
REALLY good. Kind of tastes like a kofta kebab. Was nice with a bit of greek yogurt.
One issue is that the my instant pot duo 6 qt couldn’t quite get up to pressure due to the low amount of water. Since it’s just steaming the rice I let it sit at whatever pressure it got to for 15 minutes before releasing the steam and it turned out fine. But you may want to adjust the recipe.
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Charles, glad you liked this biryani! As for the pot not reaching pressure – just to confirm, you used the same cup to measure both the rice and the water, correct?
This was delicious. My 85 year old grandmother who has never really eaten Indian food AND my fuss-pot toddler both loved it too. And so easy!
Sophie, that makes me so happy to hear!! Thank you for letting me know how you, your grandma and your toddler liked it 🙂
Very enjoyable! I made the biryani with brown basmati, canned tomatoes and only cilantro, though I’d like to try it with the mint also next new. After i released the remaining pressure, i stirred in a couple cups of frozen green peas and let it hang out for a few mire minutes – lovely 🙂 thanks Ashley!
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That’s great to hear, Carey! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂 Love that you added frozen peas too!
Make this now!!
I make a lot of Pakistani/Indian food but am admittedly lazy about it. 90% of my recipes use boxed spice mixes, yesterday I was searching for a new recipe to try out and came across this. My initial reaction was nope, I’m not even sure I have actual individual spices but as I read on I figured I’d give the recipe a try. Not only was it easy (thanks to my mom’s recent visit I found all but one of the spices in my cabinet) it tastes AMAZING. Both my kids, my hubby and I all loved it! Now I’m even contemplating cooking over the weekend (unheard of!) just so I can try out another recipe. Thanks so much!
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Haha thank you!! I’m so glad you made it and tried it 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of any other recipes you try from my blog!
My picky kids said, and I quote, “wow mom, this is better than a restaurant!” I am so happy to be able to put this into rotation!
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Awww yay!! I’m so happy to hear that!! No better compliment than hearing that kids (especially picky kids!) enjoyed a recipe!
This looks so good! I just recently purchased an instant pot and was searching for desi recipes, so glad to run across your blog and see so many instant pot recipes!!! As a newlywed and new chef, it makes cooking for the in-laws less daunting 😄 Wondering if I can substitute the minced ginger and garlic w ginger and garlic paste, and if so, how much of each? Also, are fried onions ok to use in these recipes or should it be fresh? Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Aisha, so glad you found my blog! I can’t wait to hear what you think of my recipes! You can use minced/paste interchangeably – it’s fine 🙂 A tiny bit of extra ginger or garlic won’t make too much of a difference. And do you mean the fried onions you get at the Indian grocery store? You can use those as a topping for this biryani 🙂
Amazing! Loved this recipe and am looking forward to trying more of your offerings. I live in a tiny town, and ground cardamom and ground cloves were what I had to settle for. Wondering about the whole cloves…after cooking, would they need to be avoided like the cinnamon stick and bay leaves or would they be softened?
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Thank you!! I can’t wait to hear what you think of more recipes that you try 🙂 As for whole cloves, yes definitely avoid eating them. Also, if you are replacing ground spices for whole spices – use very little, just a small pinch 🙂
Hey Ashley, made this once and loved it! I need to double or triple this recipe for guests coming over do you recommend any changes to proportion (or just double/triple everything?) or time? Thank you for all your hard work in creating the perfect recipes 🙂
Hi Nida, so sorry for the late reply! You can double the ingredients but leave the cook time the same – it’ll just take longer to reach pressure 🙂 I haven’t tried tripling the recipe but I think it’d be the same – to leave the cook time the same. I hope your guests loved it!
Excellent share ,really enjoyed the biryani.Your recipes are amazing.My husband really enjoyed it.
Thanks
Asha, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you and your hubby like the biryani 🙂
DELISH!!
Anuradha, I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
Hi Ashley, my family and friends are a big big fan of my kheer. Thank you sooo much for such an easy recipe. My 4YO demands its every week. And I don’t feel exhausted thinking of the procedure.
I’m planning to make kheema biryani for a camping pot luck of 10 adults and 5 kids.
I’m not sure how many would the recipe serve. My another concern is ground lamb. I get lamb and goat at my city, but no ground. Also, what part of the lamb/goat would be great to cook.
Thank you for your wonderful recipes.
Hi! I love the look of this recipe and want to try. But I don’t have an instant pot. Is there any way I can make this in just a regular pot on the stove? Please do guide me. I would really appreciate it. 🙂
Hi Ree, yes you can definitely make this on the stovetop, you will just have to keep an eye on the dish to see when the rice is done. I typically cook biryani on the stovetop this way if you want to get an idea: https://myheartbeets.com/leftover-goat-curry-biryani/
I made this for the first time this week, subbing in 15 oz diced tomatoes and cutting the onion down to just a few tablespoons, and it was fantastic.
One request: My husband has asked me to try a chicken biryani next, but that page is broken. It loads, but you can’t scroll down and read it. I’ve tried in different browsers, with no luck.
Mary, I’m so happy to hear that you liked the keema biryani! And thank you so much for letting me know – apparently there’s a glitch with my video! I just updated the post and it should work for you now 🙂
Sorry if I missed this answer elsewhere, but do you measure the rice by the measuring cup, or by the instant pot/rice cooker cup?
Thanks!
I use a measuring cup 🙂
Thank you! I made this tonight—so yummy!
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So happy to hear that!! Thank you for reporting back 🙂
Hi!
I’m sorry if I am posting again (computer snafu) or if I missed this answer elsewhere. When you measure the rice, are you using a measuring cup, or the instant pot/rice cooker measuring cup (since the “cups” aren’t equivalent).
Thanks!
Hi, no worries! I use measuring cups 🙂
Hi, love your recipes so much! I was wondering if you think ground turkey would taste good in this recipe? Thanks!
Simran, thank you!! Yes, you can use ground turkey – it’ll taste great 🙂
Hi Ashley, for chicken biryani recipe how many cups of rice can be used in 6 qt instant pot. I want to make it for a party. I want to make biryani for 10-12 people.
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Do you have a cauliflower rice biryani or Pulao?
I do in my first ebook, South Asian Persuasion, a paleo-friendly ecookbook. I will work on an instant pot recipe though 🙂
Hi Ashley,
I made the kheema biryani with Soya chunks instead. And it turned out so awesome. Best biryani I have ever made. Thanks a ton!
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Nikita, that’s awesome! So great to hear 🙂
My husband loved the biryani. Thank you so much for the recipe. 😊
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Aishwarya, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Hi, i dont have a pressure cooker, do you have any idea how long i should put it in the oven for and what tempurate? Thank you
Just made this for dinner and it was so YUM!! my kids loved it 🙂 Thanks a lot Ashley.
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Pari, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you and your kiddos! 🙂
As you know chicken keema cooks real quick. And by following the recipe above, the chicken keema will surely be overcooked.
Any recommendations on how best I can make this dish without making the chicken keema dry?
TIA
Wow Ashley, what a recipe!!!! I made this for my family as part of my experiment with my new Instant Pot, and we were all blown away. This is going to be a regular meal at our house, as my kids have already asked me to make it next week again. Can’t wait to try out your other recipes!
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Jasjot, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how the keema biryani turned out for you and your family! I’m so glad your kiddos liked it 🙂
I don’t see any information about how many the recipes serve unless I am missing it. I am planning a menu for 14 and need to know. Thank you.
I added a few extra spices but followed all the other instructions exactly and it turned out so well! Thank you!
Happy to hear that you liked it!
I made this today not using the IP or rice. I substituted riced cauliflower and 1 cup of cooked quinoa. Super good, or as good as something can be without using real rice! Thank you for your always wonderful spice combintaations.
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Jennifer, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how the keema biryani turned out for you using quinoa! That’s great to hear 🙂
I tried to make this and followed the recipe but my rice came out totally uncooked! So I have added another 2 cups water and put it back on. Hope it works! Any ideas what could have gone wrong?
that doesn’t sound right – was the pot sealed properly? are you using basmati rice?
Ashley, I can’t thank you enough for such wonderful and easy recipes. Will try this keema biriyani today.
Have 1 quick question…
How many tomatoes and what size please?
It’s not listed under ingredients.
Thanks so much 🙂
Hi Sreeparna! The tomatoes are listed in the recipe card underneath the cayenne – as for size, I’d try to go with medium if you can – it shouldn’t make too much of a difference. I hope that helps and that you enjoy it! 🙂
Hi! Can I use my frozen Onion Masala for this recipe too? I have so much of it from making it and freezing it from your recipe, and i’d like to try a few new things. If so, I assume hold the onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes, but where would i add the frozen pucks?
Made it with minced chicken today. Turned out really good! Thank you!!
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Deepti, that’s awesome! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂
Omg the best meal I have ever made. Great recipe!!!!
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Angelie, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you for letting me know how the keema biryani turned out for you 🙂
Tried this for Sunday lunch and came out sooo goood.
Shriya, I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂
I made this last night – I was super skeptical but it was amazing. I used one 398 ml can of tomatoes and half a scotch bonnet.
Even my Indian parents liked it and were shocked I made it.
Thanks and now to see what I should make next from your website!
Rose, I’m so happy to hear that you and your parents liked this recipe so much! I can’t wait to hear what you think of any other recipes that you try from my site 🙂
Hi
I want to try this recipe today, but i don’t have a instant pot…i have a tefal cook4me…which is basically an electric pressure cooker. Will the same measurements in this recipe work?
Hi I wanted to know what buttons on the instant pot you are pressing please. I pressed pressure cook and then 6 mins and nothing happened. So i ended up pressing rice and will let it steam in 6 mins, hope it still turns out fine. Also what do you mean by releasing the pressure naturally? I only know the steam valve thing. thanks.
Just made this today for my and my husband’s dinner – we LOVED it! I did a couple of things slightly different. I only had a small amount of beef in my freezer so I used ground turkey instead. It worked perfectly! Also my husband hates bay leaves so I used a few dried curry leaves instead. He also hates mint so I left that out. I did use the cilantro though and everything else as per your recipe. One of the best rice dishes I’ve ever made! Thanks so much for sharing this perfect recipe 🙂
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Samantha, I’m so happy to hear that you liked it so much! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
This was very tasty, the only thing that bummed me out was that it came out a bit mushy. I’m not sure if I was supposed to take the top off after the natural 10 minutes and releasing the extra steam or if the tomatoes released too much juice I’m not sure what happened , I’ll have to play around with the recipe to get the rice right but it was so quick and easy I loved it! Thank you so much!
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My instant pot keeps showing burn no matter what I do, what am I doing wrong? 🙁
same happened to me, will have to tweak the amount of water.
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I’ve recently started cooking and I’m always so nervous before trying something new. The keema biryani turned out so good! Husband loved it too. Thank you so much!! Trying your masala dal recipe tonight:)
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Sana, I’m so happy to hear that you tried this! Thanks for letting me know how the keema turned out for you and your hubby 🙂 hope you loved the masala dal too!
Hi,
This recipe is guest worthy, but how do you pick out the whole spices after the dish is cooked?
Thanks,
Laura
Hi Laura! I get this question a lot – here’s a post I wrote about removing whole spices: https://myheartbeets.com/do-i-remove-whole-spices-before-serving-indian-food/
Hi !,
I made this yesterday and my family LOVED it. I felt the rice little uncooked. But my family said it was just perfect and I have no picture to show you as not even one rice was left. Thank you for your recipes. I try a new recipe every second day from your website. Everything is so so so awesome.
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Excellent recipe really delicious…
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Thank you!
Absolutely loved this dish! As a newlywed and marrying into a family with delish cooks I was finally able to impress! I even added potatoes this last time-I think I might need to add a little more water next time bc I did get burn signal but it was remedied with a little water and some more pressure!! I also sub 15 oz diced tomorrow’s! It’s become a weekly meal at our home!! Thank you!
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Nidah, that’s awesome!! I’m so glad you liked this keema biryani so much 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Hey!
I want to make this for lunch tomorrow however I don’t have a instant pot but I have a pressure cooker so how do I go about cooking?
How many people does this recipe serve?
TIA
Hi Zainab, I’ve heard from readers that they’ve been able to make this in an old school pressure cooker! I’m sure you can also easily make it on a regular pot on the stove too. Let me know how it goes!
Do I have to chance from saute to pressure cook. I changed to pressure cook on high and keep getting burn display on instapot display
You can’t pressure cook using the saute function – not sure that answers your question?
This is amazing! My kids love eating it, which is such a huge plus! Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
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Sharon, I’m so glad your kids love this!! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this recipe!
Hi Ashley
Made this for lunch over the weekend. Turned out absolutely delicious.. I love how easy it was to make.
Thank you.
Regards Devika
Hi Devika, that’s so great to hear! Thank you for letting me know how the keema biryani turned out for you 🙂
I have some Shan biryani mix (regular biryani, chicken, and Karachi beef).
What amount (they come in 2.1oz) of packet(s) would you recommend to substitute for the ground spices?
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I’ve made this three times in the last couple of months, and each time it has been super. Received many compliments. Thank you, Ashley.
Vikram
California
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Vikram, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how much you like this keema biryani 🙂
So good! Best Indian dish I’ve made. I too had a bit of excess water however, I think I’d let the tomatoes cook down a bit more next time and I did use brown basmati (1 cup to 1 cup water) at 22 minutes again. I’m wondering if this is freezer friendly per chance? Thanks!
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Thanks Jamie! Yes, you can freeze this 🙂
Ashley!!! I made this the other night (just had leftovers for lunch, crisped up in a frying pan yummmm)…it was SO DELICIOUS! Made it with ground lamb. We love, love, love Indian food and I enjoy cooking it at home. This recipe was incredibly easy and amazingly tasty! I just can’t compliment you enough!
Thanks for another terrific recipe! I appreciate all the work it takes to perfect and share these recipes with us.
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Phyllis, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you like my keema biryani recipe 🙂 I really appreciate the kind words, thank you!
Hi, I have a mix of ginger and garlic paste (not separate of each) how should I adjust the recipe? Also will coriander seeds instead of powder work?