Keema Pav — spicy mutton mince slow cooked with spices and loaded between buttered pav — is one of Mumbai’s iconic street foods, right up there with vada pav, misal pav, pav bhaji, omelette pav, anda burji, and bun maska.
There’s nothing like a good Mumbai style keema pao — a complete and delicious combination of carbs and proteins — to start the day, washed down with hot masala chai (or perhaps a chilled beer on a hot day).
This robust, no-fuss, affordable meat dish is Mumbai street food classic, a universal favourite of factory workers, office-goers, and students alike. From old Parsi eating joints to hip new pubs to breakfast buffets in five-star hotels, keema pav is found everywhere.
The keema pav recipe is said to have originated in Irani restaurants in Bombay (as it was then known). Andhra, Maharashtrian, Sindhi, and Irani versions are available across the city, as well as around the country.
Indeed, there are multiple versions of kheema pav in Mumbai, including ghotala, fry, with egg, and even with fish fillet. Ghotala keema pav is a popular variation in which an egg is scrambled into the cooked keema before it is served. The egg adds a delicious creamy element, balancing the spiciness of the keema.
The keema (minced or ground meat) is typically mutton (goat meat). It is cooked with tomatoes, ginger, garlic, coriander, chillies, and onions, and seasoned with aromatics like bay leaf, cinnamon, and other whole spices (khada masala).
The Mumbai keema pav recipe consists of scrumptious mutton keema that is served with pav or pao, a local white bread, light and airy, colloquially called bun. Soft and pillowy pav is lightly toasted with lots of butter or ghee on a griddle or tawa and is opened up and stuffed with delicious keema or is used for mopping up the gravy.
Our easy-to-follow tasty keema pav recipe reproduces the rich and flavourful taste of the dish served at Irani cafes in Mumbai. Enjoy the delights of gravy-rich mutton keema pav at home. It makes for a delicious meal or snack on any day of the week.
Fry or bhuno the keema till the ghee or oil leaves the masala and rises to the top. Some masala will separate itself on the plate when you serve it. Lovers of keema pav often ask for extra masala.
For a wetter or soupier dish, add more water. The keema should be not too oily nor too dry.
Before serving keema pav, remove the khada masala (whole spices).
To assemble the keema pav, slice the pav in half leaving one end attached and spoon one-fourth cup keema in between the buns. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with a lime wedge on the side or squeeze lime juice on the keema. See our keema pav images or keema pav video to see serving options.
You can also garnish the keema pav with sliced onions pickled in vinegar (or raw onions, or even caramelised onions for a bit of sweetness), or a fried egg. For a fresh, herby flavour, add mint leaves.
For a twist on the traditional dish, you can transform this kheema pav recipe into Indian-style Sloppy Joes or a burger. Substitute pav with potato rolls or buns (say, sesame slider buns or burger buns), lightly toasted with ghee or butter on a griddle. Make sure the rolls or buns do not taste overly sweet, so they pair well with the spicy keema.
You can also serve the keema as a chili, topped with diced red onions, jalapeños, corn, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
Keema Pao is one of the most delicious street foods of Mumbai. Find the step by step kheema paav recipe with video and pictures with all ingredients and cooking time.
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