This fragrant curry is simple to prepare but requires slow cooking for the meat to become beautifully tender. Add spinach towards the end of reheating, a couple of minutes in the pot is all it requires. Serve with plain boiled fragrant or basmati rice.
I have specified 1-2 green chillis; the last ones I bought were shockingly hot. It is always worth testing the end of your finger after chopping your chilli to get a sense of what you’re dealing with, best to bring the tears to your eyes than to everyone else’s.
Ingredients - serves 4
700g diced beef or braising steak
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
knob of fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
1-2 green chilli, seeded & thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 400ml can of coconut milk
2 cans chick peas, drained & rinsed
200g spinach, trimmed,blanched & chopped
salt, pepper
Method
Place the onion, ginger and garlic in a food processor and blend to a paste. In a large saucepan, heat the oil and cook the onion paste for a few minutes until beginning to colour then add the dry spices and chilli, stir in. Turn up the heat and add the diced beef (if you're using braising steak, cut into generous dice) and fry off for a few minutes to seal. Shake the can of coconut milk well, open and pour over the meat, stirring in to the curry and top up with a little water if the meat isn’t covered.
At this point, take a taste of the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat down to low, pop on the lid, and simmer gently for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally - making sure that the liquid level isn’t being reduced. Now add the chick peas to the curry and fold in to the mixture, cook a further 15-20 minutes by which time the sauce should be rich and thick, the beef deliciously tender.
Finally, fold the chopped spinach into the curry and cook for 2 minutes to heat it through then serve the curry immediately over plain boiled rice or with hot nan bread. If you wish, offer a bowl of thick yoghurt to serve alongside. |
