Easy Beef Madras curry made with a blend of spices, yoghurt and coconut milk. You can adjust the heat to your own taste by altering the amount of chilli you add. If you've never ordered a Madras in an Indian restaurant because you don't like the heat, then this recipe is for you!
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How spicy is Beef Madras?
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the hottest, a Madras curry would rank an 8, with only Vindaloo and Phaall curries being hotter.
And that is why I would never order a Madras in an Indian restaurant. I'm afraid I'm a bit of a wimp where hot spicy flavours are concerned. I don't believe food should hurt!
However, that said, the description of a beef madras curry on the menu at my local Indian restaurant, sounded delicious.
Tender chunks of beef cooked in yoghurt and coconut milk, with a blend of garlic and spices in an onion and tomato sauce (very hot)
So I decided to make my own at home, but reduce the heat by cutting down on the amount of chilli.
The result was amazing! The flavour of the spices, coupled with the slightly sour tang from the yoghurt and the sweetness of the coconut was mind-blowingly delicious. The meat was fall-apart tender, and a piece of naan bread soaked up the delicious gravy perfectly.
For a hint of freshness, I added a quick sambal made by chopping tomatoes, onions and coriander, and mixing with a little balsamic vinegar.
And because I'd adjusted the chilli to my own taste, it had the perfect amount of heat!
What you will need
Equipment
You won't need much in the way of equipment for this recipe. A sharp knife and a chopping board will be required for cutting up the onions or if you have a small food processor you could process the onions in that.
For cooking the curry you will need a large frying pan or a saute pan, and for coating the meat with flour you will need a small mixing bowl.
Ingredients
This beef madras recipe will feed 4 people and you can easily increase the amount of meat to feed more. You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Beef - good quality stewing beef cut into bite-sized chunks. You need something like chuck, brisket or even topside, which has a lot of collagen, which will break down during the cooking process, leaving you with lovely tender pieces of meat. Allow 5 to 6 ounces (140 to 170 g) of beef per person depending on appetite.
Onion - the onion should be chopped very finely in a food processor until it is about the size of a cooked grain of rice. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a sharp knife to chop the onion as finely as possible.
A can of chopped tomatoes - use your favourite brand. Get tomatoes canned in plain tomato juice, not the ones flavoured with herbs.
Greek yoghurt - if you can't get Greek yoghurt you can substitute with natural thick yoghurt.
Coconut milk - not to be confused with coconut cream which is a lot thicker. I normally buy my coconut milk in cans from my local supermarket.
Red or white wine vinegar - substitute this for any 'fruity' vinegar.
Brown sugar - to add a touch of sweetness
Garlic - you can use fresh cloves of garlic, which have been finely chopped (tip - chop them in the food processor with the onions). If you don't have fresh garlic, you can use chopped garlic from a jar instead.
Flour - (not pictured) - used to coat the meat before frying. If you cook with salt, you may like to add half a teaspoon of salt to the flour before coating the meat.
Sunflower oil (not pictured) - for frying.
Chopped fresh coriander - some will be stirred into the curry, and some will be used as garnish.
Spices
The following may look like a lot of spices, but believe me, they are not overpowering.
- dried cumin
- dried coriander
- ground turmeric
- garam masala
- cardamom
- ground cloves
- ground black pepper
- dried chilli flakes
The chilli is where the heat comes from. For my taste, I like to use half a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes. This gives enough heat to produce a slight 'burn' but not enough to make the curry 'blow-your-head-off' spicy. Adjust this according to your own taste.
What to do
Fry the meat
Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and coat it in flour seasoned with salt.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and then fry the meat, stirring continuously, until it is nicely browned on all sides. Transfer the browned meat to a plate and set aside while you make the sauce.
Make the sauce
Fry the onions and garlic in the same pan on moderate heat, stirring continuously, until the onions soften and turn translucent. Take care not to allow them to brown.
Tip in the spices and continue to fry gently for another minute.
Stir in the tomatoes, brown sugar and vinegar. Also, stir in any flour remaining from coating the meat. Bring to a boil.
Stir in the yoghurt and coconut milk and return the browned meat to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid, turn the heat to low and leave the curry to simmer for 1 and a half hours. Stir occasionally to ensure it doesn't stick on the bottom of the pan.
If the sauce seems too thin, remove the lid for the last 15 minutes, to allow some of the liquid to evaporate. Stir through most of the chopped coriander and sprinkle the remainder on top for garnish.
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How do I serve this curry?
I like to serve beef madras curry with white rice and naan bread.
For an even more substantial dish, serve with saag aloo, Indian-style green beans, and/or Bombay potatoes.
A simple sambal made by mixing equal quantities of finely chopped tomatoes and onions, with a tablespoon of chopped coriander and moistened with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar also makes a nice accompaniment.
Tips for a perfect result
Here are my top tips for ensuring a perfect outcome:
- If you are cutting the meat yourself from a joint of beef, remove most of the fat and cut the meat into evenly-sized pieces. If you have bought ready-diced beef from the supermarket, cut away any fat and slice the larger pieces through the middle to get the pieces as evenly-sized as possible.
- Do take the time to brown the meat before adding it back to the curry. Browning the meat seals in the juices resulting in more tender meat.
- When browning the meat, don't overcrowd the pan as this will cause the temperature of the oil to drop and the meat will release moisture and stew rather than brown. Fry the meat in two batches if necessary.
- Measure all the spices into a small dish and then tip them all at once into the onions. This ensures that the spices are evenly mixed through the dish (and also ensures you don't inadvertently leave anything out).
- Do stir in any flour leftover in the bowl from coating the meat. This will help to thicken the sauce.
- Stir the curry occasionally as it is cooking to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid for the last 15 minutes of cooking time, to allow some liquid to evaporate.
- If the sauce starts to dry out, add extra yoghurt and coconut milk or a little stock made by dissolving a beef or vegetable stock cube in one cup of boiling water.
- The sauce should be very thick, and it may look slightly curdled. Don't worry, this is perfectly normal and happens as a result of the yoghurt reacting with the oil that the meat was browned in.
Can I freeze this curry?
Yes, beef Madras curry freezes well.
Allow it to cool and then transfer it into suitable freezer containers. You can freeze this Madras curry for up to 4 months.
To use, allow the curry to defrost in the refrigerator, then transfer it to a saucepan and heat thoroughly.
Make ahead
If you want to make this ahead of time, you can prepare the curry to the point where the chopped coriander is added at the last step.
Allow to cool, and then refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days.
To reheat, transfer to a saucepan and add the chopped coriander. Bring to the boil and serve immediately.
I always think that the flavours of a curry develop and improve with standing.
Save for later
Why not pin this easy beef Madras curry recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can make it later? Just click the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Related recipes
If you enjoyed this easy beef Madras curry recipe, you may also like these other curry recipes:
📋The recipe
Easy Beef Madras Curry
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Small mixing bowl
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Large fryingpan or saucepan
Ingredients
- 1¼ pound / 570 grams cubed beef (topside / flank / chuck)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil (2 for frying the meat, and 1 for frying the onions).
- 1 teaspoon salt optional
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 14 ounce / 400 grams can chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
- 1 cup greek or natural thick yoghurt
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
Spices
- 1 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes adjust to your own taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces (approximately 1" cubes)1¼ pound / 570 grams cubed beef
- Place the meat in a small mixing bowl and coat it in flour seasoned with 1 teaspoon of salt2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon salt
- Heat 2 tablespoons sunflower oil in a saucepan (or large frying pan) and fry the meat until nicely browned on all sides. Return the meat to the bowl while you make the sauce.3 tablespoons sunflower oil
- Put the onion and garlic into a food processor and pulse until the onion is finely chopped.1 large onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Heat 1 tablespoon sunflower oil in the same frying pan and stirfry the onions and garlic until the onions soften and turn translucent. Take care not to allow them to brown.
- Stir in all the spices and continue to fry for a further minute. Stir well to ensure the onions are completely coated with the spices.1 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, 2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Stir in the tomatoes, brown sugar and vinegar. Also, stir in any flour remaining from coating the meat. Bring to a boil.14 ounce / 400 grams can chopped tomatoes, 2 tablespoon dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
- Stir in the yoghurt and coconut milk and return the browned meat to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid, turn the heat to low and leave the curry to simmer for 1 and a half hours. Stir occasionally to ensure it doesn't stick on the bottom of the pan.1 cup coconut milk, 1 cup greek or natural thick yoghurt
- If the sauce seems too thin, remove the lid for the last 15 minutes, to allow some of the liquid to evaporate. Stir through most of the chopped coriander and sprinkle the remainder on top for garnish.2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
- Serve with white rice and/or naan bread to mop up all the delicious gravy.
Notes
- If you are cutting the meat yourself from a joint of beef, remove most of the fat and cut the meat into evenly-sized pieces. If you have bought ready-diced beef from the supermarket, cut away any fat and slice the larger pieces through the middle to get the pieces as evenly-sized as possible.
- Do take the time to brown the meat before adding it back to the curry. Browning the meat seals in the juices resulting in more tender meat.
- When browning the meat, don't overcrowd the pan as this will cause the temperature of the oil to drop and the meat will release moisture and stew rather than brown. Fry the meat in two batches if necessary.
- Measure all the spices into a small dish and then tip them all at once into the onions. This makes sure that the spices are evenly mixed through the dish (and also ensures you don't inadvertently leave anything out).
- Do stir in any flour leftover in the bowl from coating the meat. This will help to thicken the sauce.
- Stir the curry occasionally while it is cooking to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid for the last 15 minutes of cooking time, to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.
- If the sauce starts to dry out, add extra yoghurt and coconut milk, or even a little stock made by dissolving a beef or vegetable stock cube in one cup of boiling water.
- The sauce should be very thick, and it may look slightly curdled. Don't worry, this is perfectly normal and happens as a result of the yoghurt reacting with the oil that the meat was browned in.
- Allow the curry to cool and then transfer it into suitable freezer containers. You can freeze this Madras curry for up to 4 months.
- To use, allow the curry to defrost in the refrigerator, then transfer it to a saucepan and heat thoroughly.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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Simon
Absolutely awful nothing like a beef madras won’t be cooking it.again 🤮
VJ
Wow - that's a bit harsh. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the beef madras, but I guess tastes differ - we like it! However, I do appreciate constructive criticism and I'm always willing to take feedback. I'd love to know what you think I can do to improve the recipe.
Roberta Taylor
Veronica,
I’m def going to try your recipe!
And I wish everyone explained a recipe in the very detailed way you have.
I will let you know how it turns out.
Regards Roberta
VJ
Thanks Roberta, looking forward to hearing whether you enjoyed it!