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Beef Massaman Curry
I find cooking curries from scratch to be very therapeutic. It’s a mindful activity – you have to slow down and take your time; a good curry can’t be rushed. There’s a delightful sense of wellbeing as you toast the spices, simmer the curry paste, keep an eye on the slowly bubbling sauce, then enjoy the complex flavours of a mouth-watering, tender curry when it’s done. It’s so worth the time it takes! But if you want to save some time (I get it!), here’s a shortcut… Use my Massaman Curry Spice Blend to cut down the prep time! This recipe is from my Simple, Healing Food cookbook – I hope you enjoy. x
Beef Massaman Curry
Ingredients
2 lemongrass stalks
1kg stewing beef*, diced, or chuck steak, cut into 2–3cm cubes
750ml (3 cups) beef stock, plus extra if needed
3 Tbsp ghee
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 Tbsp additive-free fish sauce
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
500–600g swedes*, cut into 1–2cm cubes
Cauliflower ‘Rice’, to serve
Curry Paste
1 large red onion, cut into eighths
5 garlic cloves, unpeeled
3cm piece ginger, peeled and cut into 1cm slices
4–6 small dried red chillies (not bird’s eye)
1 Tbsp Quirky Cooking Massaman Curry Spice Blend, OR
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 3/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp fine sea salt
zest of 1 lime
540ml coconut cream
Garnish (optional)
75g (1⁄2 cup) roasted, unsalted peanuts or cashews, roughly chopped
20g (1⁄2 cup) coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
Instructions
1. Peel the outer leaves off the lemongrass stalks and set aside. Cut the white inner part into 1cm slices to reserve for the curry paste.
2. Place beef in a 4L heavy-based saucepan and add stock and lemongrass outer leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium–low. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, or until beef is tender and liquid is reduced by half. (If liquid reduces too quickly and beef isn’t tender, add a little more stock or water and continue to simmer until done.) Turn off the heat. Discard lemongrass leaves.
3. Meanwhile, start the curry paste. Place the reserved lemongrass inner part, onion, garlic and ginger in a large frying pan. Toast, stirring, over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, until garlic is beginning to soften and onion edges are browned. Add dried chillies and stir, turning chillies over, for 30 seconds. Remove to a bowl and set aside to cool.
4. Add Quirky Cooking Massaman Curry Spice Blend (OR listed spices) to the same pan (no need to clean). Toast, stirring, over medium–high heat for 1 minute, or until fragrant – don’t burn them! Remove to a Thermomix or food processor bowl.
5. Blend in Thermomix (1 min/speed 9) or process in a food processor along with toasted lemongrass, onion and ginger. Add salt, lime zest and about half the coconut cream and process for 1 minute on high speed, or until curry paste is smooth. Set aside.
6. Heat ghee in the same pan over medium–high heat, then stir in curry paste and cook for 5 minutes, or until liquid is reduced and the paste is thick.
7. Pour in the remaining coconut cream and stir, scraping the pan to release any stuck-on bits. Add to the pan with the beef and stock.
8. Turn heat to medium–high and bring to a simmer. Add cinnamon stick, star anise, fish sauce, honey, lime juice and swede.
9. Simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 20 minutes, or until the swede is soft and the sauce is reduced and thickened. (Stir constantly for the last 5 minutes, so the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.)
10. Remove from heat, and taste, adjust seasonings if needed.
11. Serve in shallow bowls over cauliflower ‘rice’. Garnish with nuts, coriander and chilli if desired.
Slow Cooker Method
Place beef, 500ml (2 cups) stock and lemongrass outer leaves in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4–6 hours, or low for 6–8 hours, or until beef is tender. Continue with the recipe as above from step 3.
Variations
Dairy Free: Omit ghee and use coconut oil instead.
Nut Free: Omit cashews in garnish, or use toasted pepita seeds.
Low FODMAPS: Omit garlic, swap onion for the sliced green leaves of 1 leek. Omit honey and swap cashews for toasted pepita seeds.
*Note: This recipe is GAPS compliant. If you are not on GAPS you can use potato instead of swede. If desired, you can swap beef for diced lamb.
