Beef Korma

My husband has been asking for Indian inspired food again, wanting to stay on the mild side but still keep all of the lovely spicy flavours. Of course, butter chicken came to mind, but as I had a lot of beef stew to use, half of it got set aside for this meal, and the other half was turned into goulash.

Looking around the kitchen I found some coconut milk in the freezer, some tomato paste in the fridge and some almonds in the cupboard, so working with these ingredients, I made my own version of beef korma.

It delivered on the spiciness, without the heat, and was creamy thanks to the coconut milk. I served it over plain basmati rice, which soaked up all of the yummy sauce....this dish will definitely be made again!

Make a spice blend by combining the following in a spice blender, and grinding until fine:

1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
5 cardamom seeds
a heaping 1/4 teaspoon of paprika
2 whole cloves
2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Add:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix until fully combined.

Whisk in:

3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Set aside until needed.

In a hot, heavy bottomed pan, heat a bit of olive oil, and quickly brown:

1 pound beef stew, cut into 1/4" thick slices
salt and pepper to season

When the beef is browned, remove from the pan and set aside until needed.

In the same pan, with a bit of olive oil, cook until soft and starting to brown:

1 medium onion, thinly sliced.

Stir in the reserved spice mixture. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring.

Add:

the browned beef strips
1/4 cup water

Cook for a couple of minutes, to coat the beef with the spices.

Stir in:

1 cup coconut milk



Cover and simmer until the beef is tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve the hot beef korma over rice. Place your favourite fruit chutney on the table for people to add if they wish.

• Do not feel that this dish is limited to beef. You can use chicken or lamb if you prefer.
• Cooking the korma covered creates steam inside the pot, which keeps the meat moist, and prevents all the liquid from evaporating.
• No coconut milk? Then use whipping cream, or yoghurt. Whipping cream will make the dish richer, yoghurt will also add a bit of a tang.
• Garnish with toasted almonds if you have extra...I had exactly 2 tablespoons.
• Add more vegetables if you wish...carrots, peppers, squash or chickpeas.
• The korma can be made and frozen; a perfect reason to double or triple the recipe.