Simple Indian Beef Curry

Ahhh... curry! I love it! Interestingly, this is a simple homestyle curry recipe that doesn't actually even have curry powder. Instead, it uses a variety of spices that make up a simple curry powder.

I don't cook Indian food frequently, but there are a few things I've learned:

(1) Use fresh spices. People don't realize it, but most spices simply lose all or nearly all of their flavor in 6 months to 1 year's time. At the very least, you should always replace all of your spices after 1 year. Honestly, my recommendation is to buy spices in bulk, but to only buy a small, small quantity (e.g., 2 Tbsp or less). This removes the problem of having to keep track of how old something actually is.

(2) When you add the spices, mix them in and let them cook a bit in the hot oil. This brings out their flavor tremendously.

(3) Brown the onions until they are reallyreallyreallyreally brown - this is important for creating a depth of flavor.

(4) Use ghee instead of vegetable oil if possible. Ghee, if you're curious, is a form of clarified butter. But, instead of simply clarifying the butter and then removing the milk solids, ghee is made by letting the milk solids brown in the clarified butter at a low temperature for anywhere from 10-40 minutes so that the butter fats develop a wonderful, strong toasty flavor. It really is superb stuff, and is easy to make. Here is a recipe for it from Alton Brown of the Food Network.

So, without further ado, here is a recipe that I adapted from Camellia Panjabi's "50 Great Curries of India", a book I just recently got and have enjoyed. It is a very basic "beginner" curry that isn't too tricky. The only challenging part is searing the beef chunks without burning them, but don't worry - just keep a close eye on them and check the browning side often so as to not burn them.

3 Tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
20 oz beef stew meat
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
2 large yellow onions, small dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 inch square piece fresh ginger, minced
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp paprika
1 cup water
4 plum tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
2 cups water
Salt to taste
1/2 cup cilantro, minced

Heat the ghee on medium high heat until nearly smoking. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add half of the beef chunks to the hot oil and brown thoroughly on all sides. Do not let the bottom of the pan burn. Remove the beef chunks and put in a bowl. Deglaze with 1/4 cup water, scrapping all of the browned bits from the bottom and adding the liquid to the beef bowl. Repeat the same process with the second batch of the beef chunks.

Once all of the beef is browned, reduce the pan to medium and add the ghee. Add the onions and brown until thoroughly browned, 20-25 minutes. You will need to scrap the bottom frequently during the last 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for about 1 minute. Add the coriander and cook for an additional minute, mixing it into everything. Add the turmeric, cumin, garam masala, and paprika. Cook for about 30 seconds. Add 1 cup water and deglaze the bottom of the pan, scrapping up the brown bits. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Put in the tomatoes and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Add the 2 cups water, beef chunks, and beef water. Simmer on medium-low for about 2 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender. Serve over basmati or jasmine rice and sprinkle with cilantro just prior to serving.

Enjoy!