This Spicy Lamb Keema Braai Pie is a hearty twist on a classic braai pie recipe, with fragrant lamb mince cooked with garlic, ginger, chilli and warm spices. Topped with melted LANCEWOOD® White Cheddar and wrapped in golden puff pastry, it cooks beautifully in a cast-iron dish over indirect heat for a generous, shareable braai centerpiece.
This savoury braai pie takes inspiration from lamb keema, pairing browned lamb mince with onion, garlic, ginger, green chilli, tomato, garam masala, turmeric, cumin and coriander. Fresh coriander lifts the rich, fragrant filling, while grated LANCEWOOD® White Cheddar melts through the lamb for creamy, savoury richness beneath the puff pastry crust.
The key to a crisp braai pie is to cook the filling until most of the moisture has evaporated and allow it to cool completely before assembling. This helps protect the pastry from becoming soggy and gives it the best chance to puff and turn golden as it cooks.
Once assembled in a cast-iron dish, the pie is cooked over indirect heat with the braai lid closed. Rotate the dish occasionally so the pastry browns evenly, moving it further from the coals if needed. No braai? It can also be baked in the oven at 200°C.
For anyone looking for lamb recipes that bring something different to the table, this is a generous option for weekend braais, family gatherings or Heritage Day. The warming spices give it some of the aromatic character you might expect from a lamb curry recipe, while the puff pastry and melted cheese make it unmistakably pie. It is a flavour-packed addition to a collection of South African braai recipes and made for sharing straight from the cast-iron dish.
Yes. This braai pie is cooked in a cast-iron dish over indirect heat with the lid closed, which helps the puff pastry cook through and turn golden. Rotate the dish occasionally and move it further from the coals if the pastry starts browning too quickly.
Cook the lamb filling until most of its moisture has evaporated, then let it cool completely before spooning it onto the pastry. A relatively dry, cool filling helps prevent excess steam and moisture from soaking into the puff pastry while the pie cooks.
In this recipe, lamb keema is a spiced minced-lamb filling cooked with onion, garlic, ginger, green chilli, tomato, garam masala, turmeric, cumin and coriander. Fresh coriander is stirred through at the end before the filling is cooled and layered with White Cheddar.
Yes. If you are not cooking over the braai, bake the assembled pie at 200°C on the lowest shelf of the oven for 30–40 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden. Let it rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.
2 tbsp oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp minced ginger
1 green chilli, finely chopped
650 g lamb mince
1 large tomato, diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
Salt and pepper, to taste
60 g fresh coriander, finely chopped
200 g Lancewood White Cheddar, grated
400 g puff pastry
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water, for egg wash
This recipe was developed by Girisha Rajkaran
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