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The Best Keema Naan Bread Recipe
Fluffy and soft keema naan bread with a layer of spiced minced lamb in the middle. This is a popular Indian classic and is so easy to make at home from scratch.
This is no ordinary naan, it’s a perfectly spiced keema naan with a layer of minced keema lamb in the middle. The texture is amazing and the taste is insane, I can’t stop making it and eating it.
Keema naan is a complete meal in itself, but you can serve it alongside Indian curries like this chicken rogan josh or dip it into homemade sauces like this creamy garlic sauce or this hot chilli sauce.
There’s both yoghurt and oil in the naan recipe which creates an ultra-fluffy and soft texture. Paired with seasoned minced lamb creates a recipe for complete and utter satisfaction.
What Is Keema Naan?
Wondering what keema naan is? Well, it’s an Indian flatbread stuffed with a minced lamb filling called Keema. The keema mixture is usually made with lamb mince and is used to make other traditional Indian dishes like this tasty keema rice recipe.
The Keema filling is flavoured with a lot of spices like Kashmiri chilli powder, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, ginger and garlic. The raw keema is then stuffed into the naan dough before being rolled out and cooked in a tawa or tandoori oven.
The naan texture is light, fluffy and flavoured with nigella seeds (black onion seeds) and the keema mince is tender and full of spice.
Watch How To Make It
Naan Cooking Methods
Naan breads are cooked in many ways, traditionally, naan dough would be slapped into a tandoori oven. This is how they get charred spots and develop a smoky flavour, it’s then brushed with ghee or butter for a shiny and golden appearance.
With this keema naan recipe, the naan is rolled out and fried in a tawa pan (flat pan for making naan, chapatis etc). Some recipes wrap the naan dough around cooked keema, but this recipe uses raw keema mince just like authentic recipes and Indian restaurants.
This is my go-to method for making keema naan breads and it comes out perfectly every time!
What Is The Difference Between Naan And Keema Naan?
Keema naan is a delicious twist on the classic naan bread, they’re both traditional Indian flatbreads but keema naan has a filling of spiced lamb or goat minced meat.
Keema Naan Ingredients
Below are the few ingredients needed to make keema stuffed flatbreads, this is a yeast-free naan bread recipe so it’s super quick and easy:
Naan Ingredients
- Nigella Seeds: Also called black onion seeds, it has a peppery, nutty and earthy taste with a crunchy texture.
- Self-Raising Flour: Using self-raising flour helps to achieve a light and fluffy texture.
- Sugar & Salt: Sugar adds a slight sweetness whilst salt brings out the flavour.
- Baking Powder: Helps to achieve a light and fluffy texture.
- Ghee Or Oil: Added to enhance the texture, flavour and richness.
- Egg: Creates a softer and tender texture and helps bind the dry ingredients together.
- Yoghurt: Use plain Greek full fat yoghurt.
- Milk: I use full fat milk, but lighter versions will also work.
Keema Ingredients
- Lamb Mince meat (20% fat): Aim for mince with 20% fat, it has the perfect balance of juiciness.
- Green Chilli: I added diced green chillies for heat, add more or less depending on your personal preference.
- Spices: The keema spice mix includes salt, Kashmiri chilli powder, cumin, garam masala and turmeric.
- Ginger And Garlic Paste: I like to use ginger and garlic paste but you can use finely diced garlic cloves and ginger root.
- Coriander: I like to add diced coriander to the minced meat and also sprinkle extra coriander on top of the naan breads.
How To Make Keema Naan Stuffed With Mince
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make the best stuffed keema naan ever. Full recipe instructions are on the recipe card:
Step One:
Pour flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and nigella seeds (black onion seeds) into a large mixing bowl and mix until evenly distributed.
Add yoghurt and ghee (or oil) into the bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
Step Two:
Pour milk followed by a whisked egg into the bowl and mix together until a dough has formed. Use your hands to knead the dough together. Cover with cling film and set aside for later use.
TIP: If the dough is really sticky, add a small amount of flour and continue to knead. Repeat this until the dough is no longer sticky.
Step Three:
Add lamb mince to a large mixing bowl followed by all the ground spices, diced chilli, coriander and ginger and garlic paste.
Separate the meat into 8 equal sized balls. To do this, I usually measure the total meat then divide the sum by 8. Each ball weighed around 67g each.
Step Four:
Separate the naan dough into 8 equal sections (typically 115g each) and roll into balls. Take one ball and make a hole in the centre with your fingers (the hole should be big enough for a ball of mince meat to fit inside).
Place one mince ball inside and use your fingers to wrap the naan dough to cover the meat (by bringing the ends together), pinch and twist to seal. Repeat for the remaining seven naan and mince balls.
TIP: Watch the video to see how I do this.
Step Five:
Roll the naan dough filled with keema mince meat into a naan bread shape (usually a teardrop shape but you can also roll it into a circle).
Brush one side with ghee or oil and sprinkle diced coriander on top (sprinkling coriander is optional).
How To Fry Naan In A Tawa
Step Six:
Preheat a frying pan or tawa over a medium to high heat. Place a naan on the heated surface with the ghee side facing up. Allow it to cook for approximately 3 to 4 minutes, or until bubbles start to form. Then, carefully flip it over and toast the other side briefly.
One cooked, brush with extra ghee (or butter) and sprinkle extra coriander on top.
How To Serve Indian Keema Naan
There’s nothing like serving keema naan with Indian curries, this is my favourite combination. You could also serve it with a refreshing cucumber and tomato salad called a Kachumber salad.
I’ve listed a few delicious meals and sides that you can serve this keema naan with below:
- Chicken Bhuna Curry
- King Prawn Balti
- Chicken And Aubergine Curry
- Onion Bhaji
- Tandoori Lamb Chops
- Red Onion Chutney
My Top Tips
To get the best-looking naan breads, make sure the tawa, frying pan or skillet you are using is hot. This is what aids the naan bread puffing up and creates iconic charred spots. If the naan bread is burning too quickly, then the temperature is too hot and needs to be turned down.
To finish, don’t skip brushing the freshly cooked naan with ghee or butter, it gives the naan a delicious glossy look.
The ideal naan texture is fluffy and soft, if it’s too thin, then the texture will be really crispy. If the texture is too thick, then the dough may not cook entirely and will be doughy in some parts.
Roll the keema naan gently and with patience to avoid tearing the naan and exposing the filling.
Use good quality lamb mince and season the lamb to your personal taste and preference. I only add one green chilli for a low to medium heat, but you can add more chillies if you like your keema hotter.
Recipe Substitutions And Variations
Change The Meat: You can make keema naan with any type of minced meat that you like, you don’t have to stick with lamb. A few alternatives are chicken, beef and Quorn mince.
Make Vegetarian Keema Naan Breads: To make this recipe vegetarian use Quorn mince, tofu or paneer crumbled into small pieces.
Add Cheese: Create a melted and gooey layer of cheese by adding grated cheese on top of the keema mince before closing it with the naan dough.
Add Herbs: To create a naan dough with even more flavour, add dried herbs like parsley or mint. This will not only add extra flavour but makes the smell even more aromatic.
How To Store & Freeze
Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days in advance. I like to wrap naan in cling film. To ensure freshness, after wrapping it in foil or cling film you can also place it into an airtight container.
To freeze, simply allow the stuffed naan to cool down before placing it into a freezer-safe container. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 months.
How To Reheat Keema Naan
I like to reheat naan in either the oven or microwave. When using the microwave, I reheat on a high heat until piping hot throughout.
Reheating in the oven is quite easy too, I preheat the temperature at 180°C (gas mark 4, 160°Fan) and place the naan in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until piping hot throughout. When using the oven, the naan texture becomes crisper.
You can also reheat flatbreads over a hot pan or skillet. Simply cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute on each side or until hot throughout.
How To Make In Advance
You can make both the keema mince and naan flatbread dough in advance, the dough up to 2 days and the meat up to 3 days in advance.
When you’ve made the dough, simply wrap it in cling film and keep it in the fridge. Once you’ve mixed the minced meat filling, you can keep it in the fridge covered securely in an airtight container.
FAQs
keema naan is a low to medium spiced flatbread, however this is dependent on personal preference. Keema mince is filled with spices such as cumin, garam masala and turmeric. The Kashmiri chilli powder and fresh chillies add heat.
Keema naan is filled with a spiced minced filling called keema. Keema is usually made with lamb mince that is mixed with aromatic spices. Naan dough is wrapped around a ball of raw keema before being rolled out and cooked in a tandoori oven or tawa.
Yes, keema contains minced meat, this is typically lamb, but other keema naan flatbreads can be made with beef, chicken and even goat
Peshwari naan is a sweet and nutty stuffed naan bread, typically filled with a mixture of nuts and raisins. In contrast, Keema naan is a savoury naan filled with spicy and aromatic minced meat.
No, keema naan doesn’t usually contain nuts (though recipes can vary), this recipe has no nuts in it.
Keema Naan
Equipment
Ingredients
Naan Dough
- 500 g Self-Raising Flour
- 150 ml Yoghurt
- 130 ml Milk
- 1 Egg
- 2 tbsp Ghee Or Oil Plus More To Garnish
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Nigella Seeds (Black Onion Seeds)
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
Keema Mince
- 500 g Lamb Mince
- 3 tbsp Coriander (finely chopped) Plus More To Garnish
- 1 tbsp Ginger And Garlic Paste
- 1 Green Chilli
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- ½ tsp Turmeric
Instructions
- Pour flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and nigella seeds (black onion seeds) into a large mixing bowl and mix until evenly distributed.
- Add yoghurt and ghee (or oil) into the bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Pour milk followed by a whisked egg into the bowl and mix together until a dough has formed. Use your hands to knead the dough together. Cover with cling film and set aside for later use.If the dough is really sticky, add a small amount of flour and continue to knead. Repeat this until the dough is no longer sticky.
- Add lamb mince to a large mixing bowl followed by all the ground spices, diced chilli, coriander and ginger and garlic paste.
- Separate the meat into 8 equal sized balls. To do this, I usually measure the total meat then divide the sum by 8. Each ball weighed around 67g each.
- Separate the naan dough into 8 equal sections (typically 115g each) and roll into balls. Take one ball and make a hole in the centre with your fingers (the hole should be big enough for a ball of mince meat to fit inside).
- Place one mince ball inside and use your fingers to wrap the naan dough to cover the meat (by bringing the ends together), pinch and twist to seal. Repeat for the remaining seven naan and mince balls. (Watch video to see)
- Roll the naan dough filled with keema mince meat into a naan bread shape (usually a teardrop shape but you can also roll it into a circle). Brush one side with ghee or oil and sprinkle diced coriander on top (sprinkling coriander is optional).
- Preheat a frying pan or tawa over a medium to high heat. Place a naan on the heated surface with the ghee side facing up. Allow it to cook for approximately 3 to 4 minutes, or until bubbles start to form. Then, carefully flip it over and toast the other side briefly.
- One cooked, brush with extra ghee (or butter) and sprinkle extra coriander on top.
Video
Notes
My Top Tips
To get the best-looking naan breads, make sure the tawa, frying pan or skillet you are using is hot. This is what aids the naan bread puffing up and creates iconic charred spots. If the naan bread is burning too quickly, then the temperature is too hot and needs to be turned down. To finish, don’t skip brushing the freshly cooked naan with ghee or butter, it gives the naan a delicious glossy look. The ideal naan texture is fluffy and soft, if it’s too thin, then the texture will be really crispy. If the texture is too thick, then the dough may not cook entirely and will be doughy in some parts. Roll the keema naan gently and with patience to avoid tearing the naan and exposing the filling. Use good quality lamb mince and season the lamb to your personal taste and preference. I only add one green chilli for a low to medium heat, but you can add more chillies if you like your keema hotter.Nutrition
Music in video from Uppbeat, License code: 08VBCZFHCZBZDBBY
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