It may have an unusual sounding name to native English speakers, but Pakistani kima has become one of my favorite dinner recipes. I tried this recipe at a friend’s suggestion and adapted it slightly to fit our family’s preferences. The result is a fast, easy, delicious recipe that makes for great leftovers. (If there is any left!)
Typically Pakistani kima is made with white potatoes, but substituting sweet potatoes works just as well and gives it a great complex flavor. If you prefer the more traditional recipe, this is a great version.
Pakistani Kima is a one-pan delicious pan stir-fry that also reheats very well and makes a great omelette when mixed with eggs. It’s also one that kids (depending on age) can help make, which always makes them more likely to eat it. It has complex and delicious flavors and makes the house smell amazing! Many thanks to reader Sara for sending in the photo 🙂

Pakistani Kima Recipe
Servings
Ingredients
- 1 large onion
- 4 TBSP butter (or coconut oil)
- 1 lb ground beef (or venison, buffalo, etc.)
- 1 TBSP curry powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 15 oz can of tomatoes (diced)
- 1 lb green beans (fresh or frozen)
Instructions
- Dice the onion.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter or coconut oil and add diced onion.
- Cook three minutes or until starting to become translucent.
- Add the ground beef, curry powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric and cook until the meat is browned.
- While the meat is cooking, peel and dice the sweet potatoes into small pieces and set aside.
- Once meat is cooked, drain and add the diced tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and green beans.
- Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes have softened. Check after ten minutes and add a couple tablespoons of water or chicken broth if needed.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
What’s your best healthy “fast food?” Please share below!
So easy and delicious! Maybe I didn’t dice my sweet potatoes small enough, but they needed more like 30-40 minutes.
This recipe is AMAZING! Cooked it up last night, and it was a hit in our house. My husband was excited just seeing it cooking, and within one or two bites, he was completely hooked. The spices may seem like a lot at first, but really blend together with the other ingredients for wonderful flavor. We’ll be adding this to our dinner rotation- fast, simple and inexpensive.
On line 6, where it says:
Once meat is cooked, drain and add the diced tomatoes… does this mean to drain the meat or drain the tomatoes?
It means drain the liquid from the can of tomatoes before adding
Excellent recipe! The whole family loves it! I’d like to try it in our Instapot – can anyone recommend this if so what would be the best setting and cooking time please?
I am looking for more recipes that use Resistance foods.
Hi Katie! I received my copy of your cookbook yesterday and opened it up to this recipe. I looked over the ingredients and not only are they all on my Paleo diet, but I had pretty much everything on hand. Only had to substitute breakfast sausage for the ground beef (grass fed of course) and some fresh tomatoes for the canned. Those were extra. I also threw in a can of organic tomatoes with bits of some kind of green pepper because that’s what was in the cupboard, otherwise, it’s all your recipe.
My husband only rarely eats what I cook because he prefers to eat highly processed foods. Yuk! I told him I thought my dinner tonight might be something he would enjoy so he agreed to try it. I knew it was a winner when I smelled it cooking. He told me to go light on the curry powder when he saw that on the counter, but I didn’t! I trusted your judgment on that.
I have to tell you that he has never been so excited about anything I have ever prepared in our 17 year marriage as he was about this dish, and I’m a pretty good cook! I didn’t use to know what healthy was, but it usually tasted great. That is quite a feather in your cap young lady! I thought you might like to know that! He must has exclaimed 5 or 6 times how good it was! Pretty sure he will help me eat the leftovers. Doggone it!
Love the cookbook! Can’t wait to try the next recipe tomorrow! Much love to you and your lovely family! God bless you all!
Thanks so much for your kinds words and I’m so glad your family enjoyed it!
My kids love this as do I, better yet is it’s healthy!
Have you or anyone else on here ever tried asparagus in this recipe??
I’ve been making this for a few years now, and it’s one of my absolute favorites. I don’t want to mess it up, but thought it might actually be really good.
Have you tried freezing this?
No I haven’t, but I don’t see why you couldn’t…
One of our family’s favorites! I realized making it tonight that I’ve accidentally omitted the tomatoes every other time I’ve made it; turns out we prefer it without them. I didn’t have green beans but peas made a fine substitute! Packed with flavor and easy to prepare.
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! It was a hit with the whole family, even my husband who can’t stand sweet potatoes! YUM!
Based on aall the comments, I’m going to try this for sure!!!! I will use fresh garlic and substitute the green beans for a few other preferred veggies!!!!! My daughter loves sweet potatoes so I may do 2 versions!!!! Thank you ever so kindly!!!!!
Wow, great recipe! Just made this for dinner and my husband went back for seconds. Definitley a keeper. Thank you for creating and sharing this very yummy recipe!