Simple Indian Beef Curry
My Indian Beef Curry is very simple yet delicious, packed with flavor, and is the best to serve with a nice flaky parotta or a Roti. Though it is not as popular as other non-vegetarian dishes like, chicken, goat, or fish due to cultural reasons, it's still very popular in some Indian regions. As with all Indian recipes, there are so many variations for a beef curry. This is how I learned to do it and it's so easy and the beef pieces turn out so tender and flavorful.
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Roasting Beef before adding to the Curry
Roasting beef on high heat until they turn brown adds so much flavor to the curry through the Maillard reaction. Maillard reaction is when amino acids and sugars reacts to higher heat and creating complex umami flavors.
You can brown meat through roasting as well as pan frying. I choose roasting because it's easier and hands-off and I don't have to add any extra oil.
If you choose to pan fry, add a little bit of oil to the same pot you're going to make the curry. Wait till the oil gets nice and hot. Add the meat, but don't overcrowd the pot, this can make the meat cook in its juices instead of browning. You may have to do it in batches. Fry on high heat while the meat turns brown on the outside and then transfer to a separate bowl.
Which cut of beef to use in the curry
I like to use beef chuck. It has a good balance of lean meat, connective tissue, and fat. The meat tenderizes really well when cooked slow and low for a long time. Apart from beef chuck, you can also use beef shank, short ribs, brisket, and oxtail.
Buy Ingredients:
For my beef curry I use some very common ingredients that you can find in most of the Asian/Indian grocery stores. You can also buy them from Amazon as well.
Whole spices:
cardamom, cloves, Ceylon cinnamon (Ceylon cinnamon has a very subtle taste and aroma. But the most popular "cinnamon" you find in the store is actually not cinnamon, it's cassia. This is very strong. If you're using cassia, use a very small piece)
Spice powders:
Turmeric powder, Cayenne pepper powder (If I want this Indian beef curry to be mild, I use paprika), Coriander powder, Cumin powder, Black pepper (freshly ground is the best)
Aromatics
Ginger paste, Garlic paste (Or you can use ginger garlic paste instead of using ginger and garlic separately), Curry leaves, Onion.
Serving Ideas for Indian Beef Curry
My favorite way to serve this beef curry is with some flatbreads such as parotta, garlic naan or plain naan or Roti/Chapati/Indian wholewheat flatbread.
I also like it with Basmati Rice.
You can also serve it over a baked potato or it goes over mashed potato as well.
My beginner-friendly Indian beef curry is so delicious and super easy to make. And the beef pieces always turn out super tender.
- 500 g Beef Chuck, cut into bite size pieces (500g = 1.1 lb)
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp Neutral cooking oil
- 5 Cardamom pods, lightly crushed to open the pod
- 4 Cloves
- 3 inch piece of Ceylon Cinnamon (or 1 inch piece of Cassia)
- 1/2 cup Chopped Onion
- 1 Sprig of curry leaves
- 1 tsp Ginger paste*
- 1 tsp Garlic paste*
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Cayenne pepper powder/Paprika
- 2 tsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cup Plain yogurt
- 2 cups Water (might need more)
Preheat the oven to 425F. Pat dry the beef pieces to remove excess moisture. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast at 425F for 20 minutes. Turn halfway through to ensure both sides turn brown.
Alternatively to roasting, you can brown them in the pot too with a little bit of oil.
Heat a heavy bottom pot or a Dutch oven. Add oil and let the oil heat up. Then add cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon and saute for about 5 seconds.
Add chopped onion and curry leaves, and saute for about a minute. Then add ginger paste, garlic paste. Saute on medium-low heat until onions turn soft and tender and the edges start turning brown.
Add turmeric powder, cayenne/paprika, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt. Mix everything with onions and saute for about a minute or until the spices are really aromatic and the color of the spices turns a little darker.
Turn the heat to low. Add yogurt and mix well. Cook on low for 3 - 4 minutes until you see the oil seperates on the edges.
Add beef pieces along with all the accumulated juices and browned bits. Mix well.
Add water and cook on medium-low heat, covered with a lid, for about 1 hour or until the beef pieces become tender. Add more water if the pot is drying out. Taste and adjust salt if needed at the end.
If you'd like the curry creamier, you can add a little bit of coconut milk or cream at the end.
