Beef Madras
(recipe and picture: courtesy of Ken K.)
Ingredients:
1 – 2 dried red chilies
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/4 cups coconut cream
4 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
2 onions chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1-1/2 pounds lean braising beef, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
generous 1 cup beef stock,
plus a little extra if necessary lemon juice salt
Depending on how hot you want this dish to be, chop the chilies with or without any seeds. The more seeds you include, the hotter the dish will be. (sounds good to me…more) Put the chopped chilies and any seeds in a small bowl with the coriander, turmeric, mustard seeds, ginger, and pepper and stir in a little of the coconut cream to make a thin paste.
Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole or large skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 5 – 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is golden brown. Add the spice paste and stir for 2 minutes, or until you can smell the aromas. Add the meat and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to its lowest level, cover tightly, and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, or until the beef is tender.
Check occasionally that the meat isn’t catching on the bottom of the casserole, and stir in a little extra water or stock, if necessary.
Uncover the casserole and stir in the remaining coconut cream with the lemon juice and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce the heat again and simmer, still uncovered, until the sauce reduces slightly.
Serves 4 to 6.
Suggested wine pairing:
For it’s spiciness, I have paired this delicious dish with young and spicy Garnacha from Campo de Borja, Spain. The wine is produced by Bodegas Borsao and called Monte Oton. The spicy sauce brought up the spice in the wine and those two complimented each other very well.
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