These soft, fluffy buns are made with a simple dough recipe, filled with a delicious, spiced minced meat mix, and make for the perfect chai or coffee snack. They’re easy to prep, super flavorful, and perfect for a crowd!
I don’t know about you, but tea time snacks are considered a whole meal in my house. Whether we’re having chai or coffee by ourselves or having friends or family over, it’s a whole affair, and we’re always looking for fun and delicious snacks to go with our cups, and these rolls work perfectly.
Think super soft, warm buns filled with an easy-to-make but delicious spiced minced meat mix – it’s like a desi burger, but even better.
Let’s get into the details of the recipe.
The Filling
The minced meat mix, or Keema as we call it in Urdu, is made with simple spices, onions, ginger, and garlic, and comes together quickly and easily. I’ve used mutton mince as that’s classic in South Asian cooking, but you can always use chicken or beef mince.
You can also, of course, use your own filling recipe. You can even use different fillings like shredded spicy chicken or even a taco-style mince filling. The world is your oyster! In fact, you can even use a sweet filling like cheese and honey. The dough lends itself well to both sweet and savory applications.
My advice would be to keep it simple and spice it up well so that the flavor comes out well against the dough. I also highly recommend making the filling the day before, just makes the process easier.
Here are the steps for making the minced meat filling.
- In a saucepan on medium heat, add the oil. Let it heat, then add the minced meat and let it cook, mixing every few minutes so that it cooks evenly. The meat will start to release water in a few minutes. Cook until the water is mostly evaporated.
- Add the salt and ginger, and garlic paste, and mix until combined, then let it cook for 5-6 minutes, until the raw ginger garlic smell is gone.
- Add the spices – red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala powder- and mix until combined, then cook for 3-5 minutes until the spices are cooked well.
- Add the chopped onions and cook for a few minutes, then add water, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
- Cook on high heat until all the water is evaporated and the meat is dry, then turn off the heat and add the chopped chilies and fresh coriander. Let it cool completely before filling.
The Dough
The buns are made with a very simple dough recipe that’s made with only six ingredients – milk, yeast, flour, sugar, salt, and egg.
You can make it using a stand mixer if you have one, or knead it by hand. It will take slightly longer, but it will come together easily.
Here are the steps for making the bun dough.
- Mix the lukewarm milk in a cup with the instant yeast. Make sure the milk is not too hot, or it will kill the yeast, or too cold, or the yeast will not activate.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer (or a regular, large bowl), add the flour, sugar, salt, eggs, and the milk and yeast mixture. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook and start kneading the dough on medium speed. If not, start kneading by hand.
- The dough will be sticky at first, but as you keep kneading, it will come together and turn into a soft, smooth ball. This will take about 15 minutes by machine and 20 minutes by hand.
- Place the kneaded dough into a well-oiled bowl. Cover it tightly with cling film or a cloth and let it sit until it doubles in size, about 60-90 minutes.
How to fill and bake the rolls
Here are the steps for filling the rolls.
- Once the dough doubles in size, punch it out to release the air. Portion the dough into equal-sized balls. I like to weigh them out to 50 grams to ensure consistency.
- Place the dough balls on baking paper and flatten them with your fingers, then place a tablespoon of the meat filling in the center of each ball. Make sure not to add too much filling, or the buns may explode while baking. You can also add shredded cheese along with the meat filling for extra flavor.
- To seal the dough balls, stretch the left and right sides of the dough ball gently and bring them up to seal with each other, and repeat with the remaining two edges. After this step, there will be four small open edges; bring them together and pinch the dough to seal it well. Make sure there are no open edges, or the filling may leak out while baking. Gently roll the dough to form a ball shape.
- Place the dough balls in a large pan in a circular shape, leaving a little space between each so that they can rise. Cover lightly with a cloth and let them rest and rise for 45 minutes, until they are sticking to each other.
- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
- Once the buns have risen, brush gently with an egg wash, then sprinkle sesame and nigella seeds on each bun, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm with your favorite sauces or chutneys.
- To reheat the buns, place them in a microwave for 30 seconds each.
If you’re looking for a simple but impressive tea-time snack, these keema rolls are perfect. Everyone will be impressed that the buns are made from scratch, but they won’t know how simple they are to make!
Ready to get started? Let’s go!
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are unreliable and can give different measurements, so I suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups; however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
Keema Rolls
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook optional
- Saucepan or wok for the meat filling
- Baking paper
- Baking tray 9×11"
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Meat Filling
- 500 grams mutton mince
- 1.5 tsp ginger paste
- 1.5 tsp garlic paste
- 1.5 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 large onion chipped
- 2-3 green chilies
- 1 tbsp coriander chopped
The Dough
- 200 ml milk lukewarm
- 7 grams instant yeast
- 5 grams salt
- 325 grams all-purpose flour
- 65 grams granulated white sugar
- 1 egg
Topping
- 1 egg for egg wash
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp nigella seeds
Instructions
Meat Filling
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium flame. Once hot, add the minced meat and cook, stirring occasionally to ensure it browns evenly. The meat will release some moisture as it cooks. Continue stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Stir in the salt along with the ginger and garlic paste. Cook for about 5–6 minutes until the raw aroma disappears and the mixture becomes fragrant.
- Next, add your ground spices – red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and garam masala. Mix well and cook for 3–5 minutes so the spices develop their full flavor.
- Add finely chopped onions and saute briefly, then pour in a little water. Cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes until the meat is fully cooked.
- Uncover and turn the heat up to high, cooking until all excess moisture has evaporated and the filling looks dry. Turn off the heat and fold in chopped green chilies and fresh coriander leaves. Let the mixture cool completely before using it to fill your dough.
The Dough
- In a small cup, combine lukewarm milk and instant yeast. Make sure that the milk is warm, not hot or cold, so the yeast activates properly.
- In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), add flour, sugar, salt, eggs, and the milk-yeast mixture. If using a stand mixer, knead the dough with a dough hook on medium speed; otherwise, knead by hand until it comes together. The dough will start out sticky, but with continued kneading, it will transform into a soft, smooth ball. This should take around 15 minutes using a mixer or roughly 20 minutes if kneading manually.
- Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover it tightly with cling film or a clean towel, and let it rise for about 1 to 1.5 hours, or until it doubles in size.
- Once risen, punch down the dough to release the air. Divide it into equal portions; I usually measure them to 50 grams each for uniform rolls.
- Flatten each dough ball slightly, then spoon about a tablespoon of the cooled keema filling into the center. Avoid overfilling to prevent the buns from bursting while baking. For a cheesy twist, you can also add a bit of shredded cheese to the filling.
- To seal, gently pull in the sides of the dough from all directions toward the center and pinch them together firmly so there are no open gaps. Roll each one gently into a smooth ball.
- Arrange the filled dough balls in a circle on a large pan lined with baking paper, leaving small gaps in between so that they can rise. Cover lightly with a towel and let them rise again for 45 minutes, until they’re puffed and touching each other.
- Preheat your oven to 170°C (340°F).
- Brush the tops with an egg wash, sprinkle with sesame and nigella seeds, and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden. Serve warm alongside chutneys or sauces of your choice.
Notes
- Cool the filling completely: Never add hot keema to the dough; it will make the dough sticky and difficult to seal.
- Don’t rush the dough rise: Give your dough enough time to double in size for soft, pillowy rolls. Warm kitchen spots help the yeast activate faster.
- Seal tightly: Ensure there are no gaps when sealing the rolls; this prevents the filling from leaking out during baking.
- Add cheese for a twist: A bit of shredded mozzarella or cheddar mixed into the keema adds a deliciously gooey surprise.
- Brush before baking: The egg wash gives the rolls a beautiful golden color and helps the sesame and nigella seeds stick.
- Reheat: Microwave the rolls for 30 seconds or pop them in a warm oven for 5-6 minutes to bring back their soft, fresh-from-the-oven texture.
- Shredded Spicy Chicken: Swap the keema for spicy shredded chicken for a lighter yet flavorful version.
- Taco-Style Mince: Season your filling with taco spices, jalapeños, and cheese for a fusion twist.
- BBQ Pulled Beef: Add smoky BBQ sauce and caramelized onions for a rich, hearty flavor.
- Cheese & Honey: Go sweet with a creamy cheese and honey filling — a simple yet indulgent option.
- Nutella & Nuts: Spread Nutella and sprinkle chopped hazelnuts or almonds for a dessert-style roll.
If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to let me know how you liked it in the comments. And of course, share it with me on Instagram!
Until next time!
