We used to eat these really delicious meat pies when we were growing up. I’m not sure exactly what was in them, but I do know that the mix had ground beef seasoned with curry powder, tender cubed potatoes, and sweet peas. It was so simple, hearty, filling, and one of my absolute favorite things to eat. But these days I’m a busy person, so when I got the craving for those tasty meat pies I just whipped up the curried ground beef filling and ate it in a bowl instead of fiddling with dough and stuffing it into hand pies. It was still totally satisfying and way easier. There are a few different ways you can serve this curried ground beef, so keep reading to see some options!
Recipe Inspiration
I ate this delicious ground beef mixture throughout my entire childhood without ever realizing that it’s basically an Americanized version of Keema, a spiced ground meat dish from India. It’s also very similar to the filling often used for Samosas. The recipe below is not going to be nearly as amazing as real keema, since it uses a store-bought curry powder blend of spices and a very simplified list of ingredients, so I don’t want to call it Keema and do the name such an injustice. If you’d like to try an authentic version of Keema, check out Keema Matar from Tea for Turmeric, Pakistani Aloo Keema from Flour and Spice Blog, or Classic Keema Matar from Afelia’s Kitchen. And if you’d like to try a Samosa, try this Samosa Recipe from Swasthi’s Recipes.
What Kind of Beef to Use
Since the spices and aromatics are going in the skillet before the beef, you won’t want to have to drain off any fat after browning the ground beef, or else you’ll lose some of the flavor. For that reason, you’ll want to use a lower fat ground beef, maybe 10-15% max. Having some fat is good for flavor, but you don’t want it pooling in the bottom of the skillet.
What Kind of Curry Powder to Use
Curry powder blends can vary a LOT from brand to brand, so it’s important to choose one that you’re familiar with and that you know you like. The kind I happen to be using today is 365 brand curry powder, but I’ve also enjoyed Sharwood’s brand in the past. You can use a mild curry powder, or spicy if you prefer. If you’d like to try making your own homemade curry powder, here is a great recipe for homemade curry powder from Spice it Up.
How to Serve Curried Ground Beef with Peas and Potatoes
This dish is quite filling on its own since it contains meat, potatoes, and vegetables, but I like to add a little bread on the side. I love serving naan with this curried ground beef so I can scoop up some of the beef mixture with the piece of naan and get everything in one bite (just like those meat pies I used to eat, but open-faced!). You could also serve the curried beef over a bed of rice for a little extra inexpensive filler.
Can I Add More Vegetables?
Yes! This mixture is so flexible. If you want to incorporate a few extra vegetables, consider adding a diced onion, sliced carrots, and maybe even broccoli. If you want to swap out the potatoes for a lower carb option, you can use small cauliflower florets.
Curried Ground Beef with Peas and Potatoes
Servings 6 1 cup eachIngredients
- 4 cloves garlic, minced ($0.32)
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger ($0.10)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
- 1 Tbsp curry powder ($0.30)
- 1 tsp turmeric ($0.10)
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional) ($0.02)
- 1 lb. ground beef (15% fat or less) ($5.49)
- 1 russet potato (¾ lb.) ($0.63)
- 1 cup beef broth ($0.13)
- 1 cup frozen peas ($0.50)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 2 green onions, sliced (optional) ($0.22)
Instructions
- Add the minced garlic, grated ginger, and cooking oil to a large deep skillet. Sauté the garlic and ginger over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the curry powder, turmeric, and crushed red pepper and sauté for one minute more.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet with the spices and sauté until the beef is cooked through.
- While the beef is cooking, peel and cube the potato into ½-inch pieces.
- Add the cubed potato and beef broth to the skillet. Stir to combine with the ground beef. Place a lid on the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high. Allow the broth to come up to a boil.
- Once the broth reaches a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and allow it to continue to simmer for 10 minutes with the lid in place (stir occasionally). After ten minutes, the potatoes should be tender. Remove the lid and simmer for a few more minutes, or until most of the broth is evaporated.
- Finally, stir the frozen peas into the beef and potato mixture and heat through. Give the curry beef a taste and add salt to taste (about ½ tsp). Top with sliced green onions and serve hot.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Curried Ground Beef with Peas and Potatoes – Step By Step Photos
Start by mincing four cloves of garlic and grating about 1 teaspoon fresh ginger. Add the garlic and ginger to a skillet with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Sauté the garlic and ginger over medium heat for one to two minutes.
Next, add 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric, and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional) to the skillet. Continue to sauté over medium heat for about one more minute to toast the spices.
Add one pound of ground beef to the skillet and continue sautéing until it is cooked through.
While the beef is browning, peel and cube one russet potato into ½-inch pieces. My potato was about ¾ lb. total, but it’s flexible so you can add a little more or less if you have it.
Once the beef is browned, add the cubed potato and one cup beef broth. Stir to combine.
Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the broth up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the skillet simmer for about 10 minutes, with the lid in place, stirring occasionally. After ten minutes the potatoes should be nice and tender. Remove the lid and let it simmer a few more minutes, or until most of the broth is evaporated.
Add one cup of frozen peas to the skillet and stir to combine, then allow the peas to heat through.
Give the curried beef with peas and potatoes a taste and add salt to your liking (I added about ½ teaspoon).
Top with sliced green onions and enjoy!
We’re making this again tonight, only this time using ground turkey!! My husband and I had the idea to replace some of the curry spices with more Thanksgiving flavors next-time.
Seriously, this is our favorite go-to dish now! <3
Jessica – It’s yellow in color, and the label says “hot” although I don’t find it hot at all. I bought it at a local Mediterranean grocery and I think they packaged it themselves.
Oh my gosh, this looks so delish! Its on the menu for this weekend. What type of curry powder are you using? Yellow?
Hey Beth! A friend gave me a packet of LightLife Soy Crumbles she didn’t need (she was about to move overseas). I struggled over what to use it for, as a vegetarian that stays away from fake meats, but then saw this and knew it’d work out. Just knew it. And it really did. Topped w/ fresh cilantro since I had some, used brown basmati as a base, and made a lime curry cabbage slaw to go along side. Thanks a bunch for the inspiration and for helping me use up a freebie in a pinch! Great pantry dish.
Francesca – I would just leave the peas out and maybe add an onion. It will still be great without peas :D
Great recipe! I traded the peas for kale and the russets for sweet potatoes, just for a few extra vitamins. This was so quick and easy – I may make a huge batch of it for the freezer.
any advice to sub for peas? my bf doesn’t like them
Tried this out, but used sweet potatoes instead of regular. Yum! The sweet and spicy combo works for me. I followed your suggestion and made a taco using naan, some fresh spinach and a few dashes of Tapatio. Thanks for the inspiration. I will make this again and maybe try some of the other readers’ suggestions of egg rolls or samosas.
This was amazing! I made it last night in preparation for a long day today. The flavor is perfect! Not an overbearing curry flavor, just right and appropriately spicy. Please keep the recipes coming! Also as NOLA girl, I love seeing the prices based on a local grocer.
Kyra – The brand that I use (Better than Bouillon) calls for 1 tsp of base per cup of water. But always check the label of whatever you use just to make sure.
Have you seen the jarred ginger? I find it much more convenient than fresh since I often only use an inch or two of it AND it is chopped for you.
How much bouillon base did you add to the 1 cup of water? This sounds yummy! We’re having a chicken curry dish tonight, but I’d love to try a beef based dish next time!
I made this for dinner tonight- I didn’t have any potato so I used a can of garbanzo beans. Mmm, I’ve had this curry powder for a while and didn’t know what to do with it! Thanks! So yummy!
mmmm Made this with some red curry powder, and was delicious
Looks delicious, So how did the flavour compare to your mother’s pie? Was her thing baked in bread, like a yeast roll or a pie crust? Did the flavour bring you back to that moment when you were little? I love your blog, and recipes are fantastic!