Keema Naan (Beef Stuffed Flatbread)

High Protein Keema Naan! No yeast and no fussing with my simple 3 ingredient naan dough. Filled with a delicious, spice-scented ground beef filling. Great as a snack or a meal!

Keema naan are my families favorite obsession.

But the traditional version requires a raw keema filling, blooming the yeast, cooking it in an oven, and making a proper dough. I was inspired by my 2-ingredient naan recipe and my high protein bagels. We’re sort of breaking all the rules. Cooking the filling mixture and making a shortcut dough leavened with baking powder.

And the results are amazing. 

Tender dough filled mixing with the texture of ground beef or lamb with onions and spices. These have a rich flavor, slightly spicy and just warm enough to wake up your palette. Brush with a little ghee and a sprinkle with cilantro or coriander leaves when they’re golden brown.

Serve with a sweet tamarind chutney, cucumber raita, or green chutney!

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Ingredients for keema naan recipe

• Ground beef: many traditional recipes use raw meat instead of cooked for the stuffing. For this recipe, I like to cook the keema beforehand so that we’re simply cooking the dough at the end.
• Seasonings: you’ll need kosher salt, turmeric, and achari seasoning. Achar gosht seasoning, literally translated meaning pickled meat. It’s a mix that you can use on ground meat or beef chunks. I’ll leave variations of the recipe below if you want to use a different seasoning.
• Onions: you’ll need a medium yellow onion that’s been chopped for this
• Serranos: gives this a bit of heat. Feel free to omit to make things more mild.
• Ginger Garlic Paste: if a staple in South Asian cuisine. Find here online.
• Plain yogurt: just a dollop for the ground beefmixture to give it moisture. Feel free to use greek yogurt here.
• All-purpose Flour: is the base of the dough. No need for stand mixer or dough attachment, we’ll do this by hand.
• Baking powder: is added as a leavening agent to help the dough rise just a bit. This is in place of yeast.​​
• Greek Yogurt: the acid in the yogurt will help create a tender dough without too much gluten development. This results in a tender, soft and fluffy flatbread stuffed with ground beef. I recommend full-fat but low fat yogurt does work too.
• Ghee or Oil: we’ll use a bit of oil to cook the keema naan in a skillet. You can also brush with melted butter or ghee when the naan are done.
• For sprinkling: you can use chopped cilantro, keep them plain, or use sesame seeds. It’s entirely up to you!

How to Make Keema Naan at home

1. Cook the ground beef. Cook and crumble the beef. Once cooked, season with kosher salt, turmeric, onions, and serrano peppers. They add moisture to the filling without being wet. Then cook the filling with ginger garlic paste, achari seasoning, and yogurt. Add a splash of water and then let the filling cook until the water evaporates.Then allow it to cool while you prepare the dough. 
2. Make the dough. Combine the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt in a bowl. Then add the greek yogurt and mix. Once the dough starts to come together. Dump it out onto a clean work surface and knead until the dough is soft. Place it back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes before you divide into pieces.
3. Fill the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll out one piece into a 6-inch circle. Add the filling to the center of the dough. Bring the edges over the filling and pinch.Flatten the dough over the filling and sprinkle with flour. Then roll with the underside facing up. 
4. Cook the keema naan. Add a tsp of oil to a pan over medium-high heat. Add the naan and cook for 5-6 minutes total, flipping around the halfway mark.Then brush with ghee and sprinkle with cilantro. Remove the naan to a plate lined with a towel or foil. If you’re storing these in the freezer. Allow them to cool to room temperature on a wire rack placed on a baking sheet. Serve with chutney and an onion, tomato and cucumber salad.
5. Leftovers. Should be kept in the fridge in an airtight container and consumed with 4 days.

Other Homemade Bread recipes

• 2-Ingredient Naan (and Garlic Naan)
• Homemade High Protein Bagels
• Best Flour Tortillas
• Easy No Knead Bread
• Soft and Fluffy One Hour Dinner Rolls

Other South Asian recipes

• Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
• Garlicky Palak Paneer
• Tandoori Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
• Mom’s Crispy Beef Samosas
• 30-Minute Shrimp Masala