Pakistani Keema Paratha (Spiced Beef-Stuffed Flatbread)

About This Recipe

Keema paratha is a stuffed flatbread found across Pakistani breakfast tables and street stalls, where a well-spiced minced meat filling is sealed inside dough and pan-fried in ghee until the layers turn crisp and golden. This version adds a tangy citrus-yogurt element, folding a spoon of whisked yogurt and lime juice into the cooled keema filling, which keeps it moist and gives the finished paratha a brighter, less heavy flavor than an all-meat filling. The dough itself is a simple whole wheat dough rested until relaxed, then rolled thin, filled, and sealed carefully so the meat doesn't burst through while frying — a common beginner mistake is overfilling, which tears the dough on the griddle. Cooking happens on a hot tawa or heavy skillet with ghee brushed on both sides until deep golden spots appear and the layers visibly flake when pressed. Served hot with a dollop of extra yogurt or a wedge of lime, this is a filling one-hand breakfast or lunch, closer to a savory hand pie than a plain roti.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 cupswhole wheat flour
• 0.75 cupwarm water
• 0.5 tspsalt(for dough)
• 300 gground beef
• 1onion(finely chopped)
• 1 tspginger-garlic paste
• 1 tspgaram masala
• 0.5 tspred chile powder
• 0.75 tspsalt(for filling)
• 3 tbspplain yogurt
• 1 tbsplime juice
• 2 tbspcilantro(chopped)
• 4 tbspghee(for frying)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour, salt and warm water into a soft dough. Knead 5 minutes until smooth, cover, and rest 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Cook the keema filling

   In a skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef with onion, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, chile powder and salt for filling, breaking up the meat, until fully cooked and dry, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

3. 3

   Add yogurt and lime

   Once the filling has cooled, stir in yogurt, lime juice and cilantro until evenly combined.

4. 4

   Fill the dough

   Divide dough into 4 balls. Flatten each, place 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling in the center, and gather the edges up to seal, pinching firmly to close.

5. 5

   Roll gently

   Dust with flour and gently roll the stuffed ball into a flatbread about 6 inches wide, taking care not to tear the dough.

6. 6

   Fry until golden

   Cook on a hot tawa or skillet with ghee, 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing gently, until both sides are deep golden with crisp spots.

Variations

• •

  Use ground chicken or lamb instead of beef for a different flavor profile.

• •

  Add grated cheese to the filling for a cheesy keema paratha popular with kids.

• •

  Skip the yogurt-lime addition for the more classic, straightforward keema paratha filling.

Storage

Best eaten fresh and hot. Refrigerate cooked parathas up to 2 days and reheat in a dry skillet over medium heat to re-crisp; the microwave will make them soggy.

Frequently Asked Questions