When you’re hot and bothered and bored with cooking, but still need to eat something nice, try a new recipe or technique.
I like cooking curries when I’m feeling lethargic. The business of measuring out, roasting and grinding exotic spices works like a tonic every time. Making aromatic pastes of garlic, ginger and chillies, similarly lifts the spirits and spurs you to action.
My favourite cookery writers on the food of the sub-continent include Charmaine Solomon, Madhur Jaffrey, Doris Ady and relatively new kids on the block, Jeffrey Alford & Naomi Duguid. Alford and Duguid’s books are a marvellous blend of travel writing, recipes and stunning photography. ‘Mangoes and Curry Leaves – Culinary travels through the great subcontinent’ provided inspiration aplenty.
In the end the decision to cook the Sri Lankan beef curry came down to wanting to try the dry roasted spice mixture which included rice along with typically Sri Lankan sweet spices like cardamom and cinnamon. The aroma when roasting and grinding was glorious; the kitchen suddenly seemed like the best place on earth.
Use a cut of beef that will cook in about an hour. The roasted and ground rice works magically as a thickener. That’s great but you might have problems with the curry sticking to the bottom of the pan if you need to cook, say, chuck steak for a couple of hours. My butcher had very young blade steak that was barely beyond milk-fed veal stage. It was perfect. Try yearling round steak as an alternative.
The vegetable accompaniment was also based on another recipe in Mangoes and Curry Leaves. I included sliced green beans and sugar snap peas along with fresh asparagus.
Sri Lankan Beef Curry
700g yearling blade or round steak, cut into cubes
1 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
12 dried curry leaves
1 green chilli, seeds removed and finely sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2/3 cup coconut milk
1-2 tbsp tamarind pulp/concentrate – you can buy this already prepared in jars
2-3 cups water
Dry Spice Mixture:
1 tbsp raw, white rice – Basmati, Arborio, Jasmine...
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
3cm stick cinnamon, broken into pieces
seeds from 2 cardamom pods (crush lightly to remove seeds)
Place the spices in a small saucepan. Over moderate-hot heat roast the spices for a few minutes until they smell fragrant and the rice begins to colour slightly. Toss the spices around well from time to time. Remove and cool. Grind to a powder and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the curry leaves, chilli, onion and turmeric and stir fry for a few minutes until the onion has softened. Add the beef and salt and stir-fry until the beef has browned a little. Add the spice mixture and stir fry for a minute. Add the coconut milk, tamarind pulp and 2 cups water. Simmer for a few minutes and check for seasoning. Add more salt or tamarind pulp as necessary. Simmer the beef for about an hour, adding a little more water if sauce becomes too thick.
For the spicy vegetable stir-fry:
Snap the woody end from 12 asparagus spears. Slice obliquely into lengths. Slice a large handful of green beans into lengths. Slice a cup of sugar snap peas in half obliquely. Cut a large onion in half and slice into fine half rounds. Mix together 1 tsp very finely chopped ginger, 2 tsp finely chopped garlic and 1/2 tsp ground coriander. Heat oil in a large frypan. Add the onion and stir fry until beginning to brown. Add the ginger, garlic and coriander mix. Stir fry a moment longer. Add the vegetables and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp each turmeric and salt. Stir around well and add half a cup water. Pop a lid on and simmer until vegetables are cooked and liquid has evaporated. Lastly add 2 tbsp finely shredded mint.