Last week was an easy to make medium-spiced Chick Pea and Mushroom curry. This week is probably my favourite home-made recipe by the Queen of Curry Madhur Jaffrey from her 2001 book “Foolproof Indian Cookery” (BBC). Beef Madras – we’ve stepped up a level in complexity, heat, and breadth of ingredients with this one but trust me it’s worth it.

2lb of good quality beef stewing steak (you can use pork or lamb shoulder meat just cook for 1hr instead of 1 1/2 hours)
400ml can of coconut milk
1tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp fennel seeds
10 fenugreek seeds
4 cloves
4 hot dried red chillies
6 tbsp olive or groundnut oil
2 onions, very finely chopped
1 tsp very finely grated fresh root ginger
2 tsp crushed garlic
3-4 hot green chillies
2 large tomatoes, very finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt

1. Put the peppercorns, coriander, fennel & fenugreek seeds, cloves and dried chillies into a cast iron frying pan over a medium heat until they go a shade darker and start to give off a lovely spicy aroma. Leave to cool then grind to a powder.
2. Pour the oil into a wide non-stick pan over a medium heat (I use a wok), cook the onions until they soften and turn brown at the edges. Add the ginger, garlic and green chillies and stir for 20 seconds. Add the meat and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, ground roasted spices, salt and cocunut milk and bring to the boil. (as the beef cooks for longer add a little water as well).
3. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours until the meat is tender. Then take the lid off and boil away the liquid until you get it to the stage of a sauce which is just clinging to the tender meat.

This one will mature nicely in the fridge overnight or freeze for a quick curry next time you get the craving!

Garnish with coriander, serve with rice and/or breads. Perfect!

About these ads