Super Tasty Spicy Beef Curry Recipe
I am so sure that you will love this recipe. I’ve based it on an easy to make Gordan Ramsay Spicy Beef Recipe from one of his cookbooks – Healthy Appetite
As usual, this version is a little better….
It’s an Indian style beef curry which is cooked slowly so the beef becomes totally tender and just melts in your mouth.
Because it’s cooked for such a long time it also allows the flavours from the spices and the other ingredients to be fully absorbed into the beef giving it a fuller flavour.
Table of Contents
Can I make this Spicy Beef Curry in a Slow Cooker?
Yes you can – Reduce the amount of beef stock you use to approx 250-300ml and follow the recipe until the part where you start to simmer.
At this point you’ll need cook in the slow cooker on low for a good 7-8 hours or so.
How to make Spicy Beef Curry
It’s an easy recipe to make if you follow these simple instructions detailed below.
Here, I’m using braising steak (chuck steak) as I’m going to let it simmer slowly for a few hours and let the meat absorb all the flavours of the curry.
You can make this Spicy Beef Curry Recipe with other cuts of beef, but be sure to change the cooking time to ensure the beef is as tender as can be.
This recipe serves 4
Beef Curry Ingredients:
- 1kg good quality braising steak
- 2 tablespoons natural yoghurt (fat free)
- Pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ a teaspoon of fenugreek (methi) seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
- 2 large onions – diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves – finely chopped
- a 3cm cube of fresh root ginger – peeled and grated or very finely sliced
- Handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) with the leaves and stalks separated. The leaves will be used as a garnish for serving and the finely chopped stalks will go in the curry
- 2 green finger chillies with the seeds left in and sliced – you may want to add more if you like a spicier curry
- 2 red chillies seeds with the seeds left in and sliced – you may want to add more if you like a spicier curry
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar – This is optional
- 2 tablespoons of tomato puree (paste in the US)
- 1 x 400g tin of good quality chopped tomatoes. Can use passata. I’d suggest you use some good quality tomatoes rather than the cheapest ones you can find.
- 400ml beef stock – made from one beef stock cube. If you’re using a slow cooker you’ll want to make less stock so I’d use approx 250 – 300ml.
- 6-8 dried curry leaves or Kafir lime leaves if they are more easily available for you
Spicy Beef Curry
Marinading the Beef
Prepare the beef by chopping the beef into bite-sized cubes approx 2-3cm across.
Add the chopped beef to a bowl and season with a little salt and pepper. Add the garam masala, the yoghurt and a a table spoon of oil. Mix well and ensure that beef is well coated.
Cover the bowl with cling film and pop it into the fridge and allow it to marinade for at least an hour, but ideally longer.
Once the beef is in the fridge, we can make a start with all the other ingredients, so begin by chopping all the onions, chillis, garlic and ginger and set aside.
Making the Beef Curry
You’ll need a decent sized heavyish pan that has a lid and can be used on the stove top.
Place the pan on a medium heat and toast the fennel, fenugreek seeds, cumin and coriander seeds.
Remember to keep them moving and you’ll only need to do it for approx 1 min until you can start to smell them toasting. Be really careful not to burn them or they’ll taste bitter.
Now put them into a spice grinder or a motar and pestle and grind them to a powder. Add in the turmeric and curry powder and mix well and set aside.
Heat a small amount of oil in in the pan and add the beef including its marinade. Stir gently and keep the beef moving and let it cook for a few minutes.
Once the beef begins to brown, remove it from the pan set it aside.
Heat the rest of the oil and add the onions, garlic, ginger, chillies and sugar to the pan.
Cook on medium heat until the onions begin to colour for approx 7 – 10 minutes stirring every so often to prevent the contents sticking.
Now add the finely chopped coriander stalks and stir in.
Add the remaining spice mix we set aside earlier along with the tomato puree and cook for approx 1 minute.
Now add the beef back into the pan as well as any meat juices and add the tomatoes, the beef stock, the chopped coriander stalks and the curry leaves – remember to use less stock if you’re using a slow cooker.
Stir well and cover the pan with the lid – If you’re using a slow cooked this is where you transfer everything to the slow cooker, add the lid and then cook for 7-8 hours on low.
If you’re cooking on the stove top, simmer the Beef Curry on a low heat stirring occasionally.
Cook for for approximately 3 hours or until the beef is really, really tender. This will depend on the cut of beef you’ve used.
Once the Spicy Beef Curry is ready, add the chopped coriander leaves to garnish.
What to Serve with the Spicy Beef Curry?
This is curry is so rich and tasty I prefer to serve it with just plain white fluffy rice. If you’d rather, you could also serve it with chapatis or naan bread.
Spicy Beef Curry Recipe
Ingredients
Spicy Beef Curry Ingredients
- 1 kg Braising steak Better quality is better
- 2 tablespoons Natural yoghurt Fat Free
- Pinch Sea salt
- Pinch Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoon Garam masala
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon Fenugreek Also known as methi seeds
- 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons Cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons Coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon Ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
- 2 Large onions Diced
- 2-3 Garlic cloves finely chopped
- 3 cm Cube of fresh root ginger - Peeled and grated or very finely sliced
- 1 Handful Fresh coriander (cilantro) Leaves and stalks separated. The leaves will be used as a garnish for serving and the finely chopped stalks will go in the curry
- 2 Green finger chillies with the seeds left in and sliced You will want to add more if you like a spicier curry
- 2 Red chillies seeds with the seeds left in and sliced You will want to add more if you like a spicier curry
- 1 tablespoon Caster sugar Optional
- 2 tablespoons of tomato puree Or paste in the US
- 400 g Tin of good quality chopped tomatoes Can use passata. I'd suggest you use some good quality tomatoes rather than the cheapest ones you can find.
- 400 ml Beef stock - made from one beef stock cube If you're using a slow cooker you'll want to make less stock so I'd use approx 250 - 300ml.
- 6-8 Dried curry leafs Kafir lime leafs
Instructions
Marinading the Beef
- Prepare the beef by chopping the beef into bite-sized cubes
- Add the chopped beef to a bowl and season with a little salt and pepper. Add the garam masala, the yoghurt and a a table spoon of oil. Mix well.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and pop it into the fridge and allow it to marinade for at least an hour.
- Now chop all the onions, chillis, garlic and ginger and set aside.
Making the Beef Curry
- Use a good sized heavy pan with lid
- Place the pan on a medium heat and toast the fennel, fenugreek seeds, cumin and coriander seeds. Don't let them burn
- Grind the toasted spices in spice grinder or a mortar and pestle and grind them to a powder. Add in the turmeric and curry powder and mix well and set aside.
- Heat a small amount of oil in in the pan and add the beef including its marinade Cook and keep the beef moving until it begins to brown. Then remove it from the pan set it aside.
- Heat the rest of the oil and add the onions, garlic, ginger, chillies and sugar to the pan.
- Cook on medium heat until the onions begin to colour (approx 7 – 10 minutes) stirring every so often to prevent sticking.
- Now add the finely chopped coriander stalks and stir in.
- Add the remaining spice mix we set aside earlier along with the tomato puree and cook for approx 1 minute.
- Now add the beef back into the pan as well as any meat juices and add the tomatoes, the beef stock, the chopped coriander stalks and the curry leaves
- Stir well and cover the pan with the lid
- If you’re cooking on the stove top, simmer the Beef Curry on a low heat stirring occasionally for approx 3 hours until the beef is tender
- Once the Spicy Beef Curry is ready, add the chopped coriander leaves to garnish and serve.
Nutrition
Spicy Beef Curry Q & A
Can I Freeze this Curry?
Yes you can. You can freeze any leftovers from this curry and save it for another day. Make sure you let it cool properly and decant it to a suitable storage container before freezing it.
What’s the “Secret” to a Good Beef Curry?
When it comes to making a good beef curry, there are a few key ingredients that are essential in order to make a dish that is both flavourful and satisfying.
- It really goes without saying, but use a good quality beef and cook it until it is tender. In this Spicy Beef Curry Recipe recipe I’ve used braising steak and cooked it for approx 3 hours. If you were to use other cuts of beef, you’d need to adjust the timings accordingly. You’re aiming for beef to be tender and to just break apart
- Try wherever possible to use the freshest ingredients that you can.
- Rather than marinading for an hour or so, try to marinade the beef overnight in your fridge.
- If possible make this a day or two before you eat it and let it cool and store in the fridge. The extra day or so will really let all the flavours come alive.
How do you Make the Beef Curry Spicier
You can add additional chillis or a teaspoon or more of red chilli powder.
What Kind of Beef Should I Use?
When it comes to beef curry, you have a few different options in terms of the type of beef you use.
You can use chuck steak or braising steak, stew steak, or even ground or minced beef.
If you’re using a chuck steak / braising steak or stew steak, you’ll want to make sure that it’s cut into small cubes before you add it to the curry.
Which cut of beef you use, make sure you cook it long enough to become tender.
What is the Best Way to Cook Beef for a Curry?
The best way to cook beef for this curry is to marinade and then brown the beef and then simmer it in the curry sauce.
This will help to tenderise the beef and also allow the flavours of the curry to penetrate the beef. You’ll want to simmer the beef for at least 2-3 hours, but longer if you have the time.
What are Some Common Mistakes to Avoid When Making this Spicy Beef Curry?
One of the most common mistakes people make when making beef curry is not browning the beef before adding it to the curry. This step may seem unnecessary, but it really does help to give the beef a nice flavor.
Another mistake people make is not simmering the beef long enough. Be sure to to follow the recipe and allow the beef to become tender.
What are Some Common Beef Curry Ingredients?
This Spicy Beef curry includes beef, curry powder, onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, corriander, cumin, fennel seeds, and tomatoes.
However, there are a number of different ingredients that you can add to change things up.
Feel free to experiment with different vegetables, fruits, or spices to change things up.
What are Some Good Side Dishes to Serve with this Spicy Beef Curry?
I normally serve this with my spicy mint raita and there are a number of different side dishes you can serve with beef curry.
Rice is a classic choice, but you could also serve it with naan bread, potatoes, chips or fries, or even just a simple salad.
Now you’re here, take a look at my other Curry Recipes
Lamb Vindaloo
If you’ve enjoyed making this Gordan Ramsay Spicy Beef Curry then I think you’ll like my Lamb Vindaloo – hot and spicy, just how it should be.
Chicken Madras
You can’t visit Currytastic without having a look at my iconic Chicken Madras Curry Recipe… Checkout the comments – I think it’s the most popular chicken madras online!
Made my Spicy Beef Curry Recipe?
Then tell us how it turned out in the comments below or if you have a question about this recipe, ask away…
