With Mother's Day and my late mother's birthday in the month of May, I would love to honour her by sharing this beef dish. On Sundays, she mostly cooked beef and this fragrant curry with roasted spices was one of the family's favourite. I would lend her a helping hand to grate the coconut and roast the spices, while she cut the beef. Easy to prepare and pairs well with rice or bread alongside a vegetable dish. Aromatic, flavourful, perfectly balanced with the sweetness from the coconut, heat from the various spices and sourness from the tamarind and vinegar.
I pressure cooked the beef with the spice paste in the instant pot expediting the process. Potatoes were incorporated once the meat was tender. The curry finished with a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves in coconut oil. Finally, garnished with coriander leaves. Prepping the spices for the masala takes time, but it's worth the effort. They should be roasted lightly and not burned or else, the gravy will have a lingering bitter taste. This beef gravy matures and more delicious the next day.
I pressure cooked the beef with the spice paste in the instant pot expediting the process. Potatoes were incorporated once the meat was tender. The curry finished with a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves in coconut oil. Finally, garnished with coriander leaves. Prepping the spices for the masala takes time, but it's worth the effort. They should be roasted lightly and not burned or else, the gravy will have a lingering bitter taste. This beef gravy matures and more delicious the next day.
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Goan Beef Curry With Roasted Spices
(Serves 8)
Ingredients:
1 kg boneless beef
1 large onion (chopped)
4 large potatoes (cut into cubes)
2 green chillies (slit)
1 large tomato (chopped)
1 cup tamarind water
2 tablespoons vinegar
few coriander leaves (chopped)
a dash of bouillon cube
a pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons coconut oil
salt
(Roast spices lightly and grind fine with water)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
10 whole black peppercorns
6 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks (1.5-inches each)
3 green cardamoms
6 large cloves of garlic
1-inch ginger
8 dried red Kashmiri chillies
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (do not roast)
1 1/2 cups grated coconut (roast with 1 tablespoon coconut oil)
1 medium onion (sliced - roast with 1 tablespoon coconut oil)
Method:
Cut beef into cubes, wash, drain well and season with salt.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker and sauté onion until translucent. Add the tomato and once pulpy, fry the spice paste well. Then, mix in the beef and 1 cup water after rinsing the blender jar. Stir in 1 cup tamarind water. Close and cook until meat is tender.
Check the consistency of the gravy and include an additional cup of water. Once gravy comes to a boil, stir in the potatoes, vinegar, green chillies and bouillon. Cook on medium heat with a lid slightly ajar until potatoes are tender. Check for seasonings, add sugar and salt.
Tempering
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves
2 tablespoons coconut oil
Method:
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Cook for a couple of minutes. Drizzle over the beef gravy.
Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.
Note:
(Serves 8)
Ingredients:
1 kg boneless beef
1 large onion (chopped)
4 large potatoes (cut into cubes)
2 green chillies (slit)
1 large tomato (chopped)
1 cup tamarind water
2 tablespoons vinegar
few coriander leaves (chopped)
a dash of bouillon cube
a pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons coconut oil
salt
(Roast spices lightly and grind fine with water)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
10 whole black peppercorns
6 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks (1.5-inches each)
3 green cardamoms
6 large cloves of garlic
1-inch ginger
8 dried red Kashmiri chillies
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (do not roast)
1 1/2 cups grated coconut (roast with 1 tablespoon coconut oil)
1 medium onion (sliced - roast with 1 tablespoon coconut oil)
Method:
Cut beef into cubes, wash, drain well and season with salt.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker and sauté onion until translucent. Add the tomato and once pulpy, fry the spice paste well. Then, mix in the beef and 1 cup water after rinsing the blender jar. Stir in 1 cup tamarind water. Close and cook until meat is tender.
Check the consistency of the gravy and include an additional cup of water. Once gravy comes to a boil, stir in the potatoes, vinegar, green chillies and bouillon. Cook on medium heat with a lid slightly ajar until potatoes are tender. Check for seasonings, add sugar and salt.
Tempering
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves
2 tablespoons coconut oil
Method:
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Cook for a couple of minutes. Drizzle over the beef gravy.
Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.
Note:
- The beef curry cooked in an instant pot. Pressure cooked beef for 10 minutes, steam released immediately when done. Potatoes and gravy finished in saute setting.
- Beef can be substituted with mutton or chicken.
