Kerala Beef Curry

Kerala Beef Curry:

Preparation time : 10 mins. Cook: 20mins( using a pressure cooker). Slow cooking 30 mins.

Serve : 4

Beef with marinating ingredients.

1.       Beef cut into cubes – 1 K.g

2.       Black pepper crushed – 1 tsp.

3.       Ginger and garlic crushed – 1 tsp.

4.       Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp.

5.       Sea salt

6.       Kashmiri chilli powder- ½ tsp or chilli powder- ¼ tsp.

7.       Vinegar or lime juice – ½ tsp.

8.       Garam Masala – ½ tsp

Marinate and keep aside for 10 mins. Taste better if you can keep this for few hours.

Gravy

1.       Red onion – 2 medium finely chopped

2.       Shallots – 4nos finely chopped.

3.       Garlic cloves chopped – 2

4.       Cardamom pod – 2

5.       Clove – 1

6.       Fennel seed – ½ tsp

7.       Cinnamon – 1 small stick.

8.       Bay leaf (fresh or dry ) - 1

9.       Fresh ginger root chopped – 1 tsp

10.   Coconut flesh chopped – 2 tsp.

11.   Tomato chopped – 1

12.   Green chilli chopped – 3 ( remove the seeds if you don’t want too much heat)

13.   Garam masala – 1 ½ tsp.

14.   Pepper powder – ½ tsp

15.   Oil – 2-3 tsp.

16.   Curry leaves  few

17.   Beef stock – 1 cup (optional)

18.   Coconut milk thick (onnam pal) – ¼ to half cup or more according to your taste.

Preparation :

1.       Heat oil in a large flat pan (if you are using pressure cooker use that) once it is hot reduce the flame to low and add Cardamom pod, Clove , Fennel seed, Cinnamon, Bay leaf, coconut pieces for one to 2 mins till you get that nice aroma. (At this stage you have an option to remove this from the oil and grind it but I don’t do it. The lazy me :P)

2.       Add ginger, garlic, and green chillies with curry leaves fry this for another 2- 3 mins.

3.       Add sliced onion and shallots with ¼ salt mix well and cover with a lid let this cook for further 6-8 mins till the onion is soft and transparent. (If you add a pinch of sugar you will get caramelized onion)

4.       Add garam masala and pepper powder stir well for another 1- 2mins.

5.       Add chopped tomato mix well and let this cook for another 2-3 mins (till the oil started separating from the gravy).

6.        If you have grind that masalas earlier add them now.

7.       Add the prepared meat and mix well, let the heat be medium let this fry to 2- 3 mins we are sealing the meat stir well.

8.       Add 1 cup of hot water or beef stock and pressure cook. If you are slow cooking cover your pan with a lid and simmer it for 30mins or until the beef is tender.

9.       Once the curry is ready you can add the coconut milk and reduce the heat as per your taste buds.

Please note:

·          As the meat will give of its own juice you can prepare this without adding water but I use pressure cooker so on a safer side I add water.

·         The original recipe is a dry one with tooooooooo spicy flavours. So just to avoid running nose and eyes I prepare a milder version with gravy and coconut milk. But if you are going for yummy spicy version @ stage 8 put this curry in high flame and reduce all the water. Plus you can give an additional tempering with 1 spoon oil, mustard seeds, dry chillies -2, few curry leaves.

Enjoy your spicy week end.