Beef is also eaten in India. Not everywhere, but in Kerala, for example. This recipe for beef curry is incredibly flavorful and definitely recommended for non-vegetarians and lovers of Indian cuisine.
Beef? Yes, beef. India is home to 14% Muslims and 2% Christians. For them, eating beef is not sacrilege. And considering the size of the country, that means more than 170 million Muslims and 27 million Christians (the numbers are from 2011, but surely won’t have moved down). So enough people to have relevance in the culinary space! And since my wife and in-laws are Christians, I find enough grateful eaters for beef curry as well. In Mumbai, however, with buffalo meat, since beef is actually forbidden here. But it tastes more or less the same. Especially with such quantities of spices!
This beef curry tastes great, spicy, intense and has roasted flavors en masse. It really tasted great, along with the beetroot (recipe coming in the next few days). I overcooked the potato a bit – no idea if that’s on purpose to thicken the sauce, or if I cut it too small. Doesn’t matter, was super tasty!
You can find all my Kerala recipes here. More Indian recipes and tips and tricks on Indian cooking can be found here.
Beef Varutharacha Curry – Indian beef curry from Kerala
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker or Dutch Oven
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 2 onions
- ½-1 Tbsp ginger grated
- ½-1 Tbsp garlic crushed
- 2 green chilies chopped
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp red chili powder
- 3 tsp coriander powder
- salt
- 500 g beef goulash
For the coconut paste
- coconut oil alternatively neutral oil
- 1 cup grated coconut
- 8 pearl onions or 5 shallots
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- salt
- 1-2 Tbsp water
For the curry
- 1-2 in cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- 1-2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 potato medium
- 1 cup water
For the tadka
- 5 pearl onions alteratively 3 shallots
- ¼ tsp mustard seeds brown
Instructions
The marinade
- For the marinade, cut the large onions into rings.
- Then add the ginger and garlic pastes, the chopped chiles, ½ tsp turmeric, the chili powder, the coriander powder and salt.
- Now mix everything with the beef and let it marinate for a ¼ hour.
The coconut paste
- Cut the 8 pearl onions into rings.
- Now fry the grated coconut, pearl onions and fennel seeds in a little oil. Add ¼ cup turmeric powder while frying and mix it together. Roast everything until the mixture is golden brown.
- Now let everything cool down and put it into a blender without water. After blending, add 1-2 tablespoons of hot water and set aside.
The curry
- Peel and cut the potato into large cubes.
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker over medium heat. In India, red meat is usually cooked with pressure cookers. Of course, this also works great in a Dutch Oven (I dare say, it will be even better then), only you have to extend the cooking time accordingly.
- My pressure cooker is a bit small (that would give a lot of mess when stirring), so I fry that in the pan before I put everything in the cooker to cook.
- Now first fry the cloves and cinnamon in the oil for about 1-2 minutes.
- Then you add the meat and curry leaves and fry it on low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Now add the water and potato, mix everything well and close the pan.
- In the pressure cooker:Increase the heat and wait until the cooker sizzles for the first time. Then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let the pot hiss for about 10-12.Now turn off the heat and wait about 20 minutes before opening the pot.
- In the Dutch Oven:When the liquid is simmering, reduce the heat and let everything braise for about 1 ½ – 2 hours. Because of the long braising time, the meat will be nice and tender. Make sure that you always have a little liquid in the pot and add a little now and then. It does not have to swim in water, but there should always be some water in the pot to prevent it from burning.
- When the meat is cooked, add the coconut paste and simmer on low heat for 5-7 minutes.
- Taste the whole thing and add a little salt if necessary.
- The curry will still thicken a bit as the coconut absorbs the water.
The tadka
- For the tadka, cut the remaining pearl onions into rings.
- Now, put the mustard seeds in oil in a small pan and fry them until they pop and pop up. Therefore, it is best to use a lid, otherwise your whole kitchen will be dirty afterwards.
- When the mustard seeds have popped, add the onions and fry until golden brown.
- Now add everything to the curry.
- Let the curry rest for a while before serving. This will bring out the flavors even better.
- Enjoy your meal!
Please rate my recipe before you leave 🙂:
Source of the recipe for Indian Beef Curry (Beef Varutharacha Curry): https://mariasmenu.com/spicy/beef-varutharacha-curry/2
Cooked with lots of love ♥ on From zero to curry.
