Beef Madras Curry

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Beef Madras Curry

This homemade beef madras is a hot and fragrant Indian curry, with tender beef slowly simmered in a rich tomato gravy with spices. Serve with naan bread and rice.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2 15

Total Time2 25

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: beef madras curry

Servings: servings

Author: Katerina | Diethood

Equipment

Dutch Oven

Ingredients

For the onion paste:

1 large onion peeled, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic peeled
1 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the beef:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1¼ pound beef chuck steak cut into 1-inch cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon ghee
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons Madras curry powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
2 cups beef stock or beef broth
1½ cups tomato sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Make the onion paste. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and lemon juice to a food processor. Process until you have a paste. Set aside.
Cook the beef. Heat half the oil in a pot or a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add half of the cubed beef, season it to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until browned on all sides. Remove the beef from the pot and place it into a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef. Once browned, add it to the bowl with the previously cooked beef. Set it aside.
Make the curry sauce. Melt ghee in the same pot over medium-high heat. Add bay leaves and cumin seeds. Cook until the cumin seeds pop. Then add tomato paste and prepared onion paste, along with Madras curry powder. Cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes.
Deglaze. Add the beef stock and stir to deglaze the pot, removing any browned bits from the bottom. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil.
Add the beef. Add the browned beef to the prepared sauce. Reduce heat and simmer the beef, partially covered with a lid, for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until tender.
Thicken the curry. Uncover the curry and simmer for another 15 minutes, or until the sauce is lightly thickened. If your curry looks dry, add some hot water.
Serve. Serve the curry warm, garnished with chopped coriander and desired side dish, steamed rice, or naan bread.

Notes

You can make this curry in the oven, but use a Dutch oven. Once you have assembled your curry, cook it in the oven at 320°F for 3 hours.
Beef chuck is the best meat cut for the curry because it is flavorful when slow-cooked. You can also try skirt steak.
If you feel like your curry has more acidity, then instead of lemon juice, use tamarind paste. Only ½ of a teaspoon will be enough. Add it to the sauce step.

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