Nadan Beef Curry / Kerala Style Beef Curry

Kerala cuisine is incomplete without a beef curry. This was an all-time favourite dish during our childhood days. Couple of days back I was speaking to my sister through skype and I don’t know from where the thought came about our Mom’s beef curry. She makes wonderful beef curry. It tastes delicious with appam/ghee rice/Parotta. Actually Beef curry could be called as an all-rounder, as you could have ii in breakfast, lunch & dinner. We both decided to make beef curry at our respective kitchens.

Today I am going to share with you my Mom’s beef curry recipe. I am sure you will like it.

Ingredients:

Beef - ½ kg, cleaned and cut into small pieces

Potato - 1 medium, cut & boiled in big cubes

Onion - 2 medium

Ginger & garlic - crushed, 1 tbsp each

Dry red chilli – 2 broken into halves

Chilli powder - ½ tbsp.

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Meat masala - 1 tsp

Thick coconut milk - ½ - 1 cup

Shallots – 4 to 5 chopped

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Fennel seeds - a pinch

Curry leaves – 7 to 8 leaves

Coconut oil - 3 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat a wide pan, add chilli powder and coriander powder, slightly warm up the powders in medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes (be careful not to burn the masala powder, otherwise the gravy will taste bitter).
2. Now add this to the washed beef pieces. Add salt, turmeric powder and mix well, such that all the pieces are coated with the masala. Leave this aside for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. After which transfer the beef pieces to a pressure cooker and add 1 cup water. Close the cooker with lid and cook in a medium heat for 15-2 minutes or till 5-6 whistles are given out.
4. Meanwhile when the beef is getting cooked, heat 3 tbsp of coconut oil in a shallow pan, add mustard seeds. When they splutter add fennel seeds, shallots, ginger & garlic, red chilli and salute it.
5. When it changes into golden brown, reduce the heat and add 1 tbsp of meat masala. Mix it well and now add the cooked beef along with the gravy. Increase the heat and allow it to boil.
6. When it starts to boil you could add the boiled potatoes & curry leaves. At this stage check for seasoning, adjust the salt as per requirement. You could add water as per the gravy thickness you desire.
7. Finally add the thick coconut milk and turn off the flame.
8. Our nadan beef curry is ready to be served. You could serve this with Rice, Roti, Naan, Parotta.

Lasagna with meat sauce

Lasagna is a wide, flat pasta shape and possibly one of the oldest. It originated in Italy. Lasagna made with ricotta or mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, various meats (e.g., ground beef, Lamb or chicken), and miscellaneous vegetables (e.g., spinach, zucchini, celery, mushrooms). In all cases the lasagna are oven-baked.

Here’s a traditional Italian pasta recipe

Ingredients:
Lasagna sheets – 6 nos
Minced meat – 250 gms
Onion – ½ cup(chopped)
Carrots – ½ cup, diced
Celery – ¾ cup, chopped
Tomato puree – ½ cup
Water as required
Extra virgin Olive oil – 4 tbsp
Cheese – 4 tbsp, grated
Bay leaf – 1 nos
Nutmeg powder – a pinch
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:
In a saucepan, fry onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf and minced meat in oil until browned. Now add tomato puree and water, then season with nutmeg powder, salt and pepper and cook for 20 mins over a medium heat. Grease an ovenproof dish, spread a ladle full of meat sauce over the base and then cover with lasagne sheets.
Repeat this process for another 2 times.  Make sure you cover the corners of each sheets with plenty of meat sauce. Now spread the grated cheese on top. Place the dish in the oven, preheated to 220 degree Celsius and bake for 20 mins. Next take it out from the oven and rest leave to rest for 10 mins.

Lasagne with meat sauce is now ready.

[Recipe Courtesy - Simple recipes.com]

Kerala style Beef Ularthiyathu / Beef fry

Ingredients:

Beef cubes, on the bone  - 750 grams

Coconut Oil  - 3 tablespoons

Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 2 tbsp

Garam Masala – 2 tsps

Ginger-garlic paste         - 2 tbsp

Curry leaves – 10 to 15 leaves

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Onion, thinly sliced – 4 medium

Salt to taste

Coconut, sliced and cut into small pieces - 1/2 cup

Preparation:

 Wash the beef pieces and keep it aside. Heat a wide pan, add chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder, slightly warm up the powders for 1 to 2 minutes (be careful not to burn the masala powder, otherwise the gravy will taste bitter). Now add this to the washed beef pieces. Add salt, ginger & garlic paste and mix well, such that all the pieces are coated with the masala. Leave this aside for 1 hour. After which transfer the beef pieces to a pressure cooker and add 1 cup water. Close the cooker with lid and cook for 20-25 minutes or till 5-6 whistles are given out.

Heat a cooking pan and add oil, now roasted the coconut pieces when it started to change colour add mustard seeds and allow it to sputter.  When it’s crackled add onions and curry leaves, sauté till it becomes light brown.  Now add the cook beef pieces and gram masala and mix well. Reduce the heat and allow it to cook till it reaches a dry consistency and is fried will. 

Turn off the heat and serve hot. This can be served with Parota’s, roti’s, naan’s, but it taste awesome with red rice and some mooru curry (tempered yogurt curry).

Beef Cutlet

Things you need:

1. 1 kg - Beef
2. 1/2 kg - Potato
3. 1/2 kg - Onion
4. 7 to 8 - Green Chilly
5. 2 big pieces - Ginger
6. 3 to 4 pods- Garlic
7. Few Curry leaves
8. 2 teaspoons - Pepper powder
9. 1/2 teaspoon -Ttumeric powder
10. 1/2 to 1 teaspoon - Garam masala
11. Bread crumbs (from fresh bread/ ready made -store bought)
12. 2 Nos - Eggs
13. Oil to fry
14. Salt as per taste

Procedure:

1. Clean and cut the beef into big pieces. Cook the beef (in pressure cooker) with salt, pepper powder and turmeric Powder till it turns tender. After cooling down, mince the beef. 
2. Cook the potatoes, peel the skin, mash them and keep it aside. Chop the onion, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and chilly well. 
3. Heat oil in a kadai/pan. Add the chopped vegetables and saute well till it becomes dry.
4. Add the minced beef, salt, turmeric powder, garam masala, and pepper powder. Saute well for a few minutes and keep it aside. 
5. After cooling down the mixture, add the mashed potato into the beef and mix well. Beat the egg well. 
6. Make bread crumbs from fresh bread by using a chopper or food processor. 
7. Then make the cutlets, dip it in egg and coat it with bread crumbs. Fry it in oil.