Sri Lankan Beef Curry
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Sri Lankan Beef Curry
Recipe Dani Venn
Ingredients
spice powder
1 tbsp coriander seed
2 tsp cumin seed
2 tsp fennel seed
½ tsp black peppercorns
2 dried red chillies
1 cinnamon stick or ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 sprig curry leaves
beef cheeks
2 tbsp full flavoured / unrefined coconut oil
800g diced beef (chuck, gravy or 3 whole beef cheeks)
1 brown onion, skin removed, quartered
4 garlic cloves, whole
5cm knob ginger
1 pandan leaf, tied into a knot
1 stick lemongrass, outer skin removed, chopped and bruised
2 long red chillies, diced
2 sprigs curry leaves
400mls coconut cream or milk
400mls water or coconut water
2 tbsp full flavoured / unrefined coconut oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
4cm peeled ginger, diced
1 red chilli, diced
2 sprigs fresh curry leaves
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
½ tsp brown or yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
400mls coconut milk
1 stick lemongrass
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground paprika
1 pandan leaf, tied into a knot
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp pure maple syrup or sri lankan treacle
2 tsp salt flakes, to seaso
1 lime, juice only to finish
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, garnish
Method
To make your spice powder, place all spices including coriander, cumin, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, dried chillies, cinnamon stick and curry leaves into a frypan over low heat and toast, swirling pan occasionally, for about 5 minutes until spices are fragrant and roasted. Allow to cool then grind to a fine powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
Using a pressure cooker, turn on heat to high, add coconut oil and sear beef on each side until lightly caramelised and brown. Remove beef from cooker. Add onion, garlic, ginger, chillies and curry leaves and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally then return beef cheeks back to the cooker with pandan leaf, lemongrass coconut cream and water. Place lid on and cook beef for 1 hour if using diced beef or 1.5 hours in the pressure cooker if using beef cheeks. Alternatively you can cook on a stove top simmering for approx. 3 – 4 hours or a slow cooker for 6 – 8 hours.
To make your curry sauce, use a large frypan, add coconut oil when melted sauté onions for five minutes then add garlic and ginger and cook for a further 3 minutes, add curry leaves and spices including dried chilli flakes, fenugreek, mustard seeds, cumin and fresh chilli, add a little more coconut oil if too dry. Add coconut milk, then add lemongrass, pandan leaves, stir through turmeric and paprika for colour. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes, then stir through tamarind and maple or treacle, season with salt and taste. Adjust seasonings if needed. Sauce can be pre-made and heated to serve.
When beef cheeks have cooked through, meat should be almost falling apart. Remove from liquid and pull apart meat with a fork. Add meat into curry sauce. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and chopped coriander, serve with rice, sambols and roti.
