Cuts of prime Scottish beef slowly cooked in a Madras style curry sauce
Beef is seared, then removed from the pan. Onions and spices are then sauteed before adding the beef back in along with beef stock. The dish is then slowly cooked for at least two hours until the beef is melt in the mouth tender. This dish is very easy to make, but has a real depth of flavour.
The dish is best served with a simple cucumber and mint raita to balance the rich spiced taste of the curry sauce. This is also very easy to make.
This dish works well with choice of rice or Indian breads.
Serves two people
Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 2 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the curry:
350g Braising steak – cut into 3cm cubes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
4 cardamom pods
4 cloves
2 bay leafs
4 white onions – diced
1 garlic bulb – crushed, chopped
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 desert spoons tomato puree
1 teaspoon madras curry powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper (use more for extra heat)
1/2 teaspoon salt
500ml beef stock
1 red chilli – thinly sliced as a garnish
2 tablespoons coriander leaf – roughly chopped as a garnish
2 lime wedges – as a garnish
For the Raita:
3 heaped tablespoons Greek yogurt
2 heaped tablespoons diced cucumber – peel and deseed before finely chopping
Pinch salt
2 desert spoons chopped mint leaf
Juice of 1/4 lime
Method: Peel then deseed the cucumber, then finely chop and add to a mixing bowl. Add the yogurt, chopped mint, lime juice and a pinch of salt then mix well. Cover and sit aside in the fridge until serving.
Get cooking!
- Start by heating a tablespoon of oil in a deep frying pan over a medium to medium high heat. Once the oil is hot add in the beef and fry. turning each cube until browned on all sides. This should take 3-4 minutes. Tip the contents of the pan into a colander to drain the beef, then set aside.
- Wipe the pan with some kitchen paper, then add 2 tablespoons of oil and place back on a medium heat. Add the teaspoon of mustard seeds and fry for 1-2 minutes then add the diced onions, cardamon pods, cloves and bay leafs. Stir and fry for 5-7 minutes until the onions start to colour.
- Add in the 2 tablespoons of grated ginger, chopped garlic and 2 desert spoons of tomato puree, stir and fry for a further 3-4 minutes.
- Next add in the spices – 1 tsp Madras powder, 2 tsp ground coriander, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp fenugreek, half tsp cayenne pepper and a half tsp of salt. Stir through the fried onions and make sure that the spices coat all of them. Fry for 2-3 minutes until the spices become very aromatic.
- Add the beef back to the pan and stir well then add 500ml beef stock. Bring to the boil, stir well then cover and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Let the dish cook for at least 2 hours, during this time the taste will become rich and strong and the beef will slowly become melt in the mouth tender.
- Garnish with coriander leaf, sliced chilli and lime. Serve with choice of rice or bread and a generous dollop of the Raita on the side. Enjoy!
Ferret chef 
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