When you hear the word curry, you immediately think of HOT. And if truth be told, that is a real injustice to curry recipes all over the world. My Dad never eats curry, (a bad experience in school I believe). Because of that we never ate curry at home. It really only when I went to Ballymaloe that the repertoire of curry opened it’s doors to my tastebuds. Don’t get me wrong- I’m not a lover of HOT flavours, but I LOVE the fragrance and aromas that the perfect mix of spices conjure up.
The trick for me is to taste the chillis first before using. A general rule of thumb is
The Smaller the Chilli- the hotter the flavour
The hottest chilli in the world is reported to be the Carolina Reaper. I wouldn’t even like to chop it…
On that note, be always super vigilant when slicing and dicing chillies, whatever their temperature, no rubbing of the nose or eyes or the like……..
Beef & Spinach Curry
Ingredients
2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large onion, finely sliced
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
675g (1½ lb) beef fillet, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 tin chopped tomatoes
175ml coconut milk
275g (10 oz) spinach
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Method:
Heat the ghee in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chilli and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Season with the garam masala, coriander, chilli powder, turmeric and cumin. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes to release the flavour.
Stir in the beef and salt, cook for 3 minutes more. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk and spinach. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Uncover, then stir in the lemon juice and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring frequently until the sauce has thickened.
I like to serve this with some soft naan breads and some basmati rice. Divine.
