Arati's Beef Curry

In honor of Diwali coming up on November 13 I'll be featuring more of my mother-in-law's recipes.

Another one of Arati's staples, beef curry is almost identical to her chicken curry recipe, but instead of adding yoghurt and tomatoes she substitutes vinegar. You can use many cuts of meat.

Arati's Beef Curry

vegetable oil

2 onions, diced

3 cloves garlic

1/2-inch of ginger root

1 pound stew meat

3 dried red chillies

2 tbs vinegar

1 1/2 tsp coriander powder 
3/4 tsp red chili powder (or more, to taste)

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tbs ghee (clarified butter) (optional)

fresh cilantro

masala combo:

1/4 tbs cumin

2 small cardamoms

2 cloves

1 full star anise

1 big black cardamom

2 bay leaves

1. In 3 tbs oil, brown onions with garlic, ginger and red chillies.

2. When the onions have browned, transfer them to a blender or food processor.

3. In the now-empty pan, add the masala combo and let cook (add a little more oil if necessary) for about 30 seconds, then add the beef and 2 tbs water.

4. While the beef is cooking (not browning), add the vinegar to the onions and puree. You may need to add a little water to get the desired consistency.

5. After the beef has cooked for up to 5 minutes, add the onion puree to the pan and stir to coat the meat.

6. Add the corriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric, salt (to taste) and ghee to the pan, then cover and let the sauce cook on low heat until the beef is cooked.

7. Add water to the pan until the curry reaches your desired consistency. (use 1/2 cup for a thick sauce and 1.5 cups for a thin sauce)

8. Add 1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro, let simmer for another 5 minutes. Check the spices (especially the salt), and serve with rotis, naan or basmati rice.