Keema Pav Burger | Indian Lamb Sloppy Joes
on Mar 16, 2016, Updated Oct 06, 2023
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This Keema Pav Burger/Indian Lamb Sloppy Joes is inspired by Mumbai’s Keema Pav and is made with a twist! It rests somewhere between being an Indian delicacy and a burger, has so much to offer to your taste buds and can be easily made at home!
Okay seriously, move over Sloppy Joes because these bad boys are the real deal. If you’ve ever lived in Bombay, and have tried Keema Pav at one of the Irani restaurants, you’d get why Keema Pav has the iconic status that it does. Spicy lamb mince slow cooked with spices and stuffed between buttery buns is irresistible especially on rainy evenings with a mug of beer.
I gave these a little facelift and call them Keema Pav Burgers. Okay, just between you and me, I couldn’t really decide whether this should be pav or burger because I made these with slider buns but they are definitely keema pavs in reality, pretending to be burgers.
There is nothing more satisfying than biting into thick burger buns filled to overflowing with spicy potatoes and peas keema and topped with pickled sliced onions and a crispy fried egg for me. It’s that creamy yolk that seals the deal. Because fried egg like bacon, makes everything better. And I know you are a fan too!
I got these delicious sesame slider buns from my recent trip to Pondicherry along with some freshly made Goat Cheese (recipe coming up soon!) and a variety of flavored honey. Travel trips which also end up becoming scavenger hunts are my favorite kinds, and I think Denver’s resigned to the fact that our holiday shopping is limited to hunting for food ingredients.
Now you may ask me why you should go through the effort of making Keema just to stuff it between two buns. I don’t have an answer. I would. I do and I did. But if you aren’t as enthusiastic about bread and keema and everything else in between that makes these keema pav burgers so amazing, then we can’t be friends anymore.
I have a quick recipe for keema which works for these burgers, but if you have the time, try this one out instead, which truly makes some epic keema.
If you are a spicy keema pav lover or an Irani Cafe lover, follow me on Pinterest and find new inspiration for weeknight dinners every day! I’d also love to hang out with you on Instagram so look me up there.
Keema Pav Burger | Indian Lamb Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
For the Keema
- 500 grams Ground Lamb, or any other meat of your choice
- 1 tablespoon Ghee, or Oil
- 1 Bayleaf
- 3 Cloves
- 3 Cardamoms
- 1 inch Cinnamon, stick
- 1 teaspoon Peppercorns
- 2 Onions, finely chopped
- 1 Green Chili, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic, paste
- 2 Tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Tomato, puree
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder, Kashmiri Red or Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder, Haldi
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder, Dhaniya Powder
- 1 teaspoon Jeera, or Cumin Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala, Powder
- 1/2 cup Green Peas
- 1 Potato, chopped
- Salt to taste
For the Burger/ Pav
- 4 Buns, Slider or Pavs
- 1 Onion, large, sliced
- 1/4 cup Vinegar
- 4 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Butter
- Coriander Leaves, for topping
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Start by making the keema. In a pressure cooker, heat ghee or oil and add all the whole spices. Saute for a minute and add onions, green chili and ginger garlic paste. Once the onions are translucent, add tomatoes and tomato puree. Cook this for 10-15 minutes till the tomatoes look like they are melting and can squashed easily into a pulp. Add keema and the rest of the ingredients along with 1/2 cup water. Pressure cook for 5-6 whistles. Switch off the flame and let the pressure release naturally. If the keema looks a bit watery, cook till all the water has evaporated and the keema is dry.
- In the meanwhile, soak onions in the vinegar and leave them in a refrigerator for at least half an hour to pickle them.
- Once ready to assemble the burgers, cook the eggs sunny side up in the butter to your taste. I love cooking my eggs in my cast iron pan as the heat from the pan gives the crispest edges.
- To assemble the burgers, slice the buns in half, spoon 1/4 cup keema mixture in between the buns, top with pickled onions, a fried egg and a few coriander leaves.
- You may be left with extra keema, which can be refrigerated or cooled and frozen for up to a month.
Notes
- Meat: I’ve used minced lamb meat for this recipe. You can also use minced beef or minced chicken. The cooking time may vary slightly depending on the meat you choose.
- Tomatoes: Finely chop the tomatoes and let cook until soft and mushy. This acts as the base for the keema masala and is very important for the texture.
- Vegetables: I’ve used green peas and potatoes in this masala. You can also add carrots, bell peppers and beetroot to make it a more wholesome meal.
- Storage: Once cooled, this masala can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer up to a month.
Excellent recipe. Full of flavour & tasty like hell !!!
Thanks Geeta – this reminds me that I have to make this Keema Pav Burger soon!