The simplest beef curry

It's rare that I make curries with beef. Admittedly, beef is not a usual protein in most traditional Indian cuisines for religious purposes. A while ago, I had a terrible experience eating beef curry at a restaurant in Kampala, swore I would never eat beef again (yeah right!) and that was that. And then I ran into a recipe on Pinterest and now my perceptions of all beef curries are measured by this standard. This recipe is inspired by that one with a few adjustments, based on its pure simplicity. I have tried this with several cuts of beef and all work. All you have to do is make sure your pieces of beef are cubed in relatively small chunks, about 3-4 cms thick.

The cooking time may vary depending on how large you cut your meat and if you cooked with the meat on the bones, in which case take up the cooking time by 15 or 30 minutes, adjusting the water content as you go. Spice levels are up to your taste. I generally love spicy curries and depending on the type of fresh chili you use, you might need to remove the seeds. The recipe below makes a curry enough for 3 - 4 people and takes approximately 2 and half hours from prep to service.

Ingredients

• 1/2 kilo of beef, cut into bite-sized cubes

• 2 brown-skinned onions peeled

• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

• 1 piece of ginger (the length of a thumb), peeled and cut into chunks

• 2 green chilies ( remove seeds to reduce spiciness)

• 1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves, stalks separated from leaves

• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste

• 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar

• 3 pods of whole/ground cardamon

• 1 teaspoon whole/ground coriander seeds

• 1 heaped teaspoon each of cumin powder, turmeric, chili powder, and garam masala

• 3 tablespoons of butter/ghee (you can substitute this with any cooking oil/fat you prefer)

• salt & pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Grab one of the onions and chop it into wedges lengthwise and separate the petals. In A hot saucepan, cook the onions petals in 1 tablespoon of butter until most of them are dark brown almost blackened. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2. Blend roughly chopped chilies, remaining onion, ginger, and garlic as well as the green stalks of the coriander in a food processor or blender (if you have a mortar and pestle, that can work as well) to form a paste. This step is important, as it's the paste that gives the sauce its thick consistency without adding dairy or thickeners. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the hot pan, and cook the paste until it starts to slightly yellow. Add the cumin, turmeric, chili powder, cardamom, and coriander. Cook off the spices for about two minutes, consistently mixing everything together with your cooking spoon.

3. Add the beef, brown sugar, and tomato paste and mix everything together. Add about a cup of water to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cover with a lid. Lower the temperature to medium and let the sauce simmer for an hour. Check on it every few minutes to adjust the water, adding a little bit if it goes down too quickly.

4. After the hour, add the browned onions you set aside to the sauce and add a little more water if needed. Cover with a lid and cook for another hour. Again adjust the liquid, constantly.

5. About five minutes before serving sprinkle the garam masala onto the curry, mix, and simmer down. Serve with a scattering of freshly chopped coriander leaves, a fresh salad, and whatever sides you fancy.

Let me know how you liked this little curry that I can't stop making!

PAT.