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Beef is not really a very commonly eaten meat in India as majority of it's population is Hindu and they are forbidden to eat beef, if they are religious. Cow is considered sacred, a mother to all Hindus, as it gives us milk. This dish is more popular in UK, and perhaps in some Muslim countries, than it is in India. This recipe should now be called 'Chennai Beef Curry', as Madras has been renamed as Chennai! The recipe can be used to make chicken, pork and lamb curries too, cooking times will vary. Serves 6
Ingredients
| • | 1 kg. good quality lean steak. Curries cooked from poor quality meat do not taste good, unless slow cooked as a casserole or pressure cooked. |
| • | 2-3 tbsp. cooking oil |
| • | 1 tsp. black mustard seeds |
| • | 8-10 curry leaves (not bay leaves) |
| • | 150 gm. or 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped finely |
| • | 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated/chopped |
| • | 1 inch piece root ginger, peeled and grated |
| • | 2 tsp. coriander powder |
| • | 2 tsp. ground cumin powder |
| • | 1 level tsp. turmeric powder |
| • | 1 level tsp. chilli powder (more if you like it hotter) |
| • | 1 1/2 tsp. salt (adjust to taste) |
| • | 2-3 tbsp. white vinegar |
| • | 2 tbs. tomato puree |
| • | 1 cup beef stock or water |
| • | A handful of chopped coriander leaves (optional) |
Instructions
| 1. | Place meat in a bowl. Add coriander, cumin, salt, turmeric, chilli powder and vinegar and mix well. Keep aside to marinate while preparing onion, ginger, garlic. |
| 2. | Heat oil in a pan. |
| 3. | Add mustard seeds. As the seeds start to splutter, add curry leaves, stir quickly and add onions, garlic and ginger. Fry until onions are golden-dark brown. |
| 4. | Add meat and spice mix and stir fry until meat is well browned. |
| 5. | Add tomato puree and stock/water. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer on low heat for 1 hour, or until beef is tender. You can pressure cook it under full pressure, for 6-7 minutes. The time required to cook depends on the quality of meat. The better the meat, faster it cooks. The gravy should coat the meat nicely and not be too runny. |
| 6. | Turn heat off, add coriander leaves and stir. |
| 7. | Serve hot with Boiled Rice |
Notes
| • | You can use tamarind paste, instead of vinegar and tomato puree. |
| • | Once cooked, you can add a tin of coconut milk, to give it a different flavour. |
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