Keralan beef curry is a delicious dish slowly cooked in coconut oil, coconut flakes, fennel seeds, curry leaves, black pepper and chilli.
This recipe takes a little over two and a half hours to cook. But there are no cheffy skills required, and you spend two hours drinking in that heady aroma!
Nadan Beef Curry
Beef may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you are thinking of an Indian curry.
But despite that, I use beef a lot with Indian flavours because I think they work exceptionally well.
Whether that be in takes on curry house favourites like beef dopiaza or beef vindaloo, or in made-up dishes like my take on methi gosht or Indian-influenced oxtail curry.
And contrary to common opinion, beef is not totally unheard of in Indian cuisine. It forms a relatively common ingredient in Kerala, Goa, and Tamil Nadu.
This fantastic Keralan-style beef curry is inspired by dishes from the first of those places.
It's a rich and boldly flavoured curry driven by the flavours of fennel, black pepper and curry leaves.
No, it's not a quick dinner; this dish is going to take you the best part of 3 hours to prepare and cook.
But it is very easy; prep is limited to cutting onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes and grinding a few fennel seeds.
Cooking is equally simple, and consists of throwing things in the pan, stirring for a few minutes, and chucking in some more stuff.
Then you get to walk away for a couple of hours and wait for your dinner to be ready!
Frequently Asked Questions
What cut of beef do you use?
I usually use a thick-cut piece of braising steak with a nice fat content for this recipe.
But any stewing beef would work fairly well, and shin of beef would be excellent, as would neck, if you can find it.
Do I have to use coconut oil?
No, this curry works equally well with both ghee and cooking oil. You could even use mustard oil!
Can I sear the beef?
The beef in this dish is not typically seared; in many Indian recipes, it is cooked in a pressure cooker separately from the sauce.
But yes, you could, in theory, sear the beef before beginning the other processes.
How hot is this curry?
This is a moderately spiced curry, depending on your tolerance to chilli.
It is one of those curries that has a long lingering heat rather than front-end heat. If you wanted to scale this back, then reduce the amount of green chillies.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, most curries are superb when reheated; it will be fine in the fridge for 2-3 days or will freeze for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
This Keralan-inspired beef curry packs a massive punch of flavour and a beautiful thick sauce... which to me means only one side dish!
Naan bread is the perfect flatbread, or gravy mop to clean your plate when you are done eating.
If you want a bread that is quicker to make, then work on your chapati game. The dough is very easy to make, with no onerous kneading or proving. You do have to get your heating right, but once you have that nailed down, they are superbly simple.
Naturally, rice is always a good option to serve with a curry. I usually opt for a lazy, simple, plain basmati rice. But pilau rice would work equally well.
Potatoes also make a great side dish for this beef curry. I would choose some simple jeera aloo.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 20cm or 8" heavy-based saucepan.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Grater.
- Pestle and mortar.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
- Mixing bowl.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
Keralan (Nadan) Beef Curry
Ingredients
- 400 g Braising Steak 14oz
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper Freshly Ground
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Medium Onion 150g
- 35 g Ginger 1 thumb sized piece
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 2 Medium Tomatoes 200g
- 3 Green Chillies
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 12-18 Curry Leaves
- 4 tablespoon Coconut Flakes 25g
- ½ tablespoon White Vinegar
- 3 tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 500 ml Water 2 Cups
- 1 Handful Fresh Coriander (to garnish)
Instructions
- Cut the beef into bite-sized pieces and place them in a bowl.
- Sprinkle the chilli powder, coriander powder, black pepper, garam masala, turmeric and salt over the beef, mix and set aside.
- Cut the onion in half, peel it and then slice it into thin half-moon shapes.
- Peel and grate the ginger.
- Peel and mash the garlic cloves into a paste.
- Roughly chop the tomatoes.
- Slit the green chillies in half lengthways, leaving the stem in place to hold the two halves together.
- Grind the fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar
- Heat a 20cm or 8" saucepan over a medium heat and add the oil. When it is hot toss in the fennel seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves and coconut flakes; cook for 1 minute, stirring all of the time.
- Add the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, garlic, ginger and green chillies and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften, stirring regularly.
- Remove the beef from the spices, tapping off any excess, and add the spice mix to the onion and tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the water and vinegar, then bring the mix to a boil.
- Throw in the spiced beef, stir, reduce the heat to very low, and simmer gently for 2 hours.
- Serve with lots of fresh coriander.
