Lahore food street · Stuffed bread

Keema Naan Recipe (Lahori Stuffed Naan)

Dry keema. Soft dough. Tawa then flame.

Farwa ZeeshanRecipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchen

Lahori keema naan is soft naan stuffed with dry spiced mince, brushed with butter. At home the problems are a wet filling that tears the dough and a pale, dense naan. The fix is a completely dry keema, a soft yeasted dough and cooking on a hot tawa before finishing under the grill.

Prep2h
Cook30m
Servings6
kcal / serving480
LevelMedium
Jump to the method

The 3 laws of keema naan

Why this recipe works

Dry keema

Wet filling

Moisture tears the dough.

Soft dough

Stiff dough

Soft dough puffs and stays tender.

Very hot heat

Medium heat

High heat gives the naan spots.

Shopping and prep list

Ingredients

Servings
Tap items as you gather them · 0 of 0 ready

Dough

Keema filling

The NineFoods filling gauge

Is the keema dry enough?

Press the cooled filling with a spoon.

Tap a stage to see what to do.

Method · 4 stages

Step by step

1

Dough

Rest · 90 min
  1. Knead all dough ingredients until soft.
  2. Cover and rest until doubled.
Look for: doubled, soft dough.
90:00
2

Keema

High · 15 min
  1. Cook mince with onion, ginger garlic and spices until dry.
  2. Use the gauge above and cool.
Look for: dry, crumbly keema.
15:00
3

Stuff and shape

No heat · 10 min
  1. Wrap keema in dough balls and flatten into ovals.
  2. Brush with water and add sesame.
Look for: even stuffed ovals.
10:00
4

Cook

Hot tawa, then grill · 5 min each
  1. Cook the base on a very hot tawa until spotted.
  2. Finish the top under a hot grill or over a flame; brush with butter.
Look for: puffed naan with brown spots.
05:00

Chef's troubleshooter

What went wrong? Pick the symptom

Why

Wet or warm filling.

Fix next time

Cook keema dry and cool it fully.

Why

Dough not risen.

Fix next time

Rest until doubled in a warm place.

Why

Grill not hot.

Fix next time

Preheat the grill fully or use a direct flame.

Why

Under-seasoned.

Fix next time

Season the keema well; bread dulls flavour.

Swap smart

Ingredient roles and substitutes

IngredientJob in the dishSwap with
Plain flourSoft naanHalf atta
YeastRise1 tsp baking powder plus 0.5 tsp soda
Beef minceFillingChicken mince
GrillTop colourTandoor or pizza oven

After the meal

Serve, store, reheat

Serve with

Raita, green chutney and chai.

Store

Fridge 2 days, freezer 1 month.

Reheat

Tawa or oven 3 minutes, brushed with butter.

How we tested this recipe

Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio

Farwa Zeeshan

Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.

  • Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 6 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
  • Every one of the 4 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
  • The doneness check (is the keema dry enough) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
  • Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.

Read our full testing process

Keep cooking

Related recipes and guides

All breads and nashtaAtta and Roti GuideWeekly Meal Prep for Pakistani Cooking10 Essential Pakistani Spices and How to Use Them

Quick answers

Keema Naan FAQ

Can I make keema naan without a tandoor?

Yes, cook it on a hot tawa and finish under the grill.

Why does the filling tear the dough?

It is wet or warm. Cook it dry and cool it.

Can I use chicken mince?

Yes, cook it dry the same way.

How long does the dough rest?

About 90 minutes, until doubled.