Best Of Singapore Hawkers & Casual Dining: Mutton Keema / Keema Matar
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| Mutton Keema / Keema Matar |
Nothing was sponsored, we visited as regular paying customers. Photos in this post were taken between 2000 and 2025 (across 25 years!), as such, the quality of photos varies drastically due to advances in camera technology. Mobile smartphones were in their infancy and had yet to become widespread.
Also Known As:
Mutton Keema, Keema Matar, Keema Curry, Matar Qeema
Average Price Per Serving:
SGD $4 - $18
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List in alphabetical order - click the links to jump to entry
- 1. Al-Azhar Restaurant
- 2. Azmi Restaurant
- 3. Bhai's Chapati & Biryani
- 4. Jamal Chappathi Stall
- 5. Mr Teh Tarik Eating House
Al-Ameen Eating House
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Description:
The Mutton Keema is a Singaporean Indian dish, featuring a curry of spiced minced mutton and peas. Also known as Keema Matar, Keema Curry, or Matar Qeema, the Mutton Keema dish is usually priced around SGD $4 to $18 per serving. Considered a light meal, it's often served alongside a variety of flatbread, usually chapati, naan, or roti prata. Mutton Keema / Keema Matar may also be used as a filling for other dishes, such as samosas or spring rolls. It's commonly eaten throughout the day, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or supper.
The spice blend for Mutton Keema / Keema Matar typically comprises cardamom, bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, garlic paste, ginger paste, cumin, turmeric, red chili, green chili, salt, black pepper, and coriander. This is fried with diced red onions, diced tomatoes, and ghee / clarified butter, until it forms a paste and the oil separates.
To get Mutton Keema / Keema Matar, the resulting paste is then fried with the main ingredients, including peas, minced mutton, and simmered with water. Once completely cooked, the finished dish is optionally garnished with plain yoghurt, garam masala, lemon juice, or fresh coriander. The Mutton Keema / Keema Matar curry has a chunky thin tender chewy springy texture, with meaty savoury salty spice vegetal earthy sweet grassy flavour.
Variations of Mutton Keema / Keema Matar may replace or supplement the minced mutton with other ingredients, such as minced beef, minced goat, or diced potatoes; while some variations omit the use of peas. The Mutton Keema / Keema Matar dish originated as a Northern Indian royal Mughlai dish.
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1. Al-Azhar Restaurant
@ 201D Tampines Street 21 #01-1155
Opening Hours: Daily 8am – 11:30pm
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| Taken in 2025 |
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| Taken in 2025 |
Mutton Keema / Keema Matar (SGD $7.90) @ Al-Azhar Restaurant.
Established in December 2000, this 2-decade-old casual eatery is known for their vast range of North and South Indian dishes, as well as other international offerings.
Their rendition packs more fiery heat, with the use of red chili alongside turmeric, coriander, curry leaves, and cumin, in a tomato and red onion gravy that is fragrant, oily, and rich.
Together with tender minced mutton and bouncy peas, this has warm meaty savoury salty vegetal earthy spice flavour.
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2. Azmi Restaurant
@ 168 Serangoon Road
Opening Hours: Daily 8am – 10:30pm
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| Taken in 2015 |
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| Taken in 2019 |
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| Taken in 2025 |
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| Taken in 2025 |
Mutton Keema / Keema Matar (SGD $4) @ Azmi Restaurant.
Established in November 2006, this stall is widely known for their signature dishes of chapati and mutton keema.
Freshly made daily, their rendition is more stew than curry, with chunks of minced mutton, peas, diced potatoes, in a thin yet robust spiced gravy. Notes of red chili, cinnamon, cumin, and cloves are distinct.
Has tender chewy soft springy textures, with meaty savoury salty spice vegetal starchy sweet flavour, yum.
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3. Bhai's Chapati & Biryani
@ Marsiling Mall Hawker Centre, 4 Woodlands Street 12 #01-43
Opening Hours: Daily 7:30am – 3pm
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| Taken in 2025 |
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| Taken in 2025 |
Mutton Keema / Keema Matar (SGD $4.50) @ Bhai's Chapati & Biryani.
Established in February 2011, this homely stall is beloved for its focused signature dishes. Regulars recall them from their former location in the now-defunct old Woodlands Interchange Hawker Centre.
Their rendition is generous with minced mutton, peas, and diced potatoes, swimming in a thin oily fiery curry spiced with red chili, curry leaves, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon.
Carries bold meaty savoury salty spice vegetal earthy sweet grassy flavour, with chunky thin tender chewy springy textures.
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4. Jamal Chappathi Stall
@ Tekka Centre, 665 Buffalo Road #01-237
Opening Hours: Daily 7:30am – 9:30pm
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| Taken in 2025 |
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| Taken in 2025 |
Mutton Keema / Keema Matar (SGD $4) @ Jamal Chappathi Stall.
This stall has been around for many years, I've been visiting them since October 2021, but it likely was established even before that.
Their rendition has ample ingredients, generous with tomato, peas, potatoes, and minced mutton. The curry gravy is thin, but tends towards the sweeter sourish side due to the tomatoes.
Is chunky tender springy soft in texture, with vegetal sweet sour earthy starchy meaty savoury salty spice flavour.
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5. Mr Teh Tarik Eating House
@ 846 Yishun Ring Road #01-3603
Opening Hours: Daily 24 Hours
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| Taken in 2025 |
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| Taken in 2025 |
Mutton Keema / Keema Matar (SGD $7) @ Mr Teh Tarik Eating House.
Tracing its history back to May 2004 when it was founded by Hassan Bin Abdul Kadir, this casual chain eatery is a reliable place for South Indian dishes.
Their rendition is generous with minced mutton and diced potatoes (replacing peas), with a robust and deep blend of spices, including a pronounced use of black pepper.
Has a thick chunky chewy tender texture with bold meaty savoury salty starchy earthy peppery spice flavour.
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| Taken in 2011 |
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| Taken in 2025 |
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| Taken in 2025 |
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