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    Home » Recipes » Curry recipes

    Spicy ground beef curry and rice

    Published: Dec 26, 2020 · Modified: Jun 15, 2025 by VJ · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Jump to recipe

    If you are searching for something different to make for a weekday supper, why not try this spicy ground beef curry and rice? It makes a nice change from the usual spaghetti bolognese or meatloaf.

    A bowl of curry and rice sprinkled with coriander.
    Jump to:
    • A different way to cook minced beef
    • If you like curry, I think you will love this dish
    • What ingredients do I need?
    • How do I make ground beef curry?
    • What to serve with ground beef curry
    • What to do with leftovers
    • How to freeze the curry
    • Make in advance
    • Save for later
    • Related recipes
    • 📋The recipe

    A different way to cook minced beef

    Normally when you think of a curry you think of Madras, Jalfrezi or even Tikka Masala, which are all typically made using chunks of beef or chicken. This curry, which is made with ground beef (or minced beef), doesn't have a fancy name like that. It's simply known as curry and rice! But that doesn't make this dish any less tasty.

    It's packed with flavour from all the aromatic spices, and because it's made with minced beef, there's a greater meat-surface-to-sauce ratio which means you get more taste with each mouthful.

    This curry originates from South Africa, where there are only 3 main types of curry. Durban curry, which is hot and very spicy; Cape Malay curry which is a milder, fruity curry; and this dish, made with ground beef, which you can make as mild or as spicy as you like.

    If you like curry, I think you will love this dish

    • It is very economical - ground beef is still one of the cheapest meats around, and because it is bulked out with potatoes, onions and peas, a little goes a long way.
    • You don't need to spend too much time - brown the onions, spices and meat and then let it simmer until it is ready.
    • The flavours are amazing - the spices are fried with the onions to release the aromas. The meat is browned to provide an extra depth of flavour. Then everything is combined with stock and tomato passata and allowed to simmer until the meat has absorbed all the spiciness and has become soft and tender.
    • You don't need to thicken the sauce - this recipe calls for grated potato, which acts as a thickening agent - so once the curry is cooked, the potatoes will all have disintegrated and thickened the sauce.
    A forkful of beef curry being lifted from the dish.

    What ingredients do I need?

    This recipe will feed between 4 to 6 people, depending on appetite.

    For the meat and vegetables

    Ground beef - I like to use good quality minced beef with a low-fat content. I always try to buy beef with a 5% fat content. If the fat content is too high you will end up with a greasy, unappetising curry.

    Onion - because the beef is ground, you should chop the onion quite finely, about the size of cooked grains of rice.

    Potato - the potato is used to add starch to the meal, but its main use is as a thickening agent. Grate the potato before adding it to the meat, and as it cooks, it will disintegrate, leaving just the starch to thicken the gravy. If you would like pieces of potato in the curry, by all means, add another potato, chopped into approximately 1cm dice.

    Frozen peas - I always think a good curry needs a hint of sweetness. For this reason, I add half a cup of frozen peas into the mix.

    Passata - this should not be confused with tomato concentrate or tomato paste. Passata is just tomatoes that have been cooked and strained, leaving all the delicious pulp and juices. You can buy this in bottles or cartons at the supermarket.

    Beef stock - if you have fresh beef stock to hand, then you can use this. Otherwise, just dissolve one beef stock cube per cup of boiling water.

    You will also need olive oil (for frying the onions and beef), garlic (for extra flavour), salt (optional) and fresh coriander for garnish.

    For the curry spices

    To add the distinctive curry flavour to the dish you will need dried cumin and coriander powder, turmeric, fennel seeds, garam masala and dried chilli flakes.

    The chilli flakes control the heat of the curry. If you like a hot curry add extra; if you prefer a milder taste add less.

    You don't have to worry about grinding the fennel seeds. It is perfectly fine to add the whole seeds, they will soften as the curry cooks.

    How do I make ground beef curry?

    Preparation

    I always think it is easier to cook a dish if all the ingredients are prepared first.

    • Peel and chop the onion as finely as possible - ½ cm or ¼ inch dice is the perfect size.
    • Peel and grate the potato. If you are going to add pieces of potatoes to this dish, peel and cut them into 1cm or ½" dice.
    • I like to use crushed garlic from a jar, but if you prefer fresh garlic peel, crush and dice it as finely as possible.
    • Measure all the spices into a small dish.
    • Dissolve the beef stock cubes in 1 cup of boiling water per cup.

    Make the curry

    Once the ingredients are prepared, there are only a few easy steps to prepare the curry.

    Steps for making the curry
    • Fry the onion and garlic gently in the olive oil until the onion starts to soften. Do not allow it to brown.
    • Tip in all the spices, stir and continue to stirfry for another 1 minute (image 1 above).
    • Remove the onions and spices from the pan and set aside.
    • Now brown the ground beef in the same pan. You may need to add another tablespoon of oil. Stir continuously until the meat is separate and crumbly. Break up any lump of meat with the spatula (image 2 above).
    • Add the onions and spices back to the pan, then add the prepared stock, the passata and the potatoes. Stir well, cover the pan, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 40 minutes (image 3 above).
    • Add the frozen peas and let them heat through (image 4 above).
    • Serve on a bed of white rice, garnished with chopped coriander.
    Close up of spicy beef curry and rice.

    What to serve with ground beef curry

    Serve this dish with a bowl of white rice, and if you are feeling extra hungry, a cheesy garlic baguette and a fresh green salad.

    This dish will also go well with homemade vetkoek. I have a recipe for vetkoek with yeast, and an easy instant vetkoek recipe made with 2-ingredient dough that you may like.

    What to do with leftovers

    If you have any leftover curry, you can freeze it for a later meal, or turn it into delicious sausage rolls (swap out the bolognese in the recipe for your leftover curry).

    Leftover curry would also be delicious either as a filling in these stuffed Yorkshire pudding pies or served over a baked potato.

    How to freeze the curry

    To freeze, allow the curry to come to room temperature, and pack it into rigid plastic containers. It will last for at least 3 months in the freezer.

    To defrost, place the frozen container in the refrigerator and leave it to defrost. Then tip the contents of the container into a saucepan and heat thoroughly. You can also reheat the defrosted curry in the microwave.

    Do not refreeze.

    Make in advance

    The flavours in any curry improve with standing, and this dish is no exception. Make the curry, allow it to cool, and then store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

    Re-heat in a saucepan or the microwave until piping hot.

    Save for later

    Why not pin this recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? 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 curry and rice recipe, you might like to try some of my other curry recipes.

    • A serving of butter chicken on rice in a white dish.
      Easy butter chicken (Murgh Makhani)
    • A hollowed-out loaf of bread on a plate, filled with beef curry.
      Bunny Chow - an authentic South African curry
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    • A blue serving dish of bobotie next to a bowl of yellow rice and a bowl of peas.
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    📋The recipe

    Beef curry and rice in a dish with a fork.

    Beef curry and rice

    If you are looking for something different to make for a weekday supper, why not try this spicy ground beef curry and rice. It makes a nice change from the usual spaghetti bolognese or meatloaf.
    Recipe by: Veronica
    Main Course
    South African
    Calories 330
    Prep 10 minutes minutes
    Cook 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time 55 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
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    5 from 4 votes

    (Click the stars to rate this recipe)

    Equipment

    • Sharp Knife
    • Chopping Board
    • Large frying pan with lid

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound / 450 grams ground beef
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 large onion finely diced
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 medium potato grated
    • ½ cup frozen peas
    • 1 beef stock cube
    • 1 cup passata
    • salt to taste
    • fresh chopped coriander for garnish

    Spices

    • 1 teaspoon dried cumin
    • 1 teaspoon dried coriander
    • 1 teaspoon turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
    • 1 teaspoons garam masala
    • 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes or more to your taste

    Instructions

    Preparation

    • Peel and finely chop the onion - appproximately ¼" dice.
      1 large onion
    • Peel and grate the potato.
      1 medium potato
    • Peel and mince the garlic (or chop finely with a knife).
      2 cloves garlic
    • Measure all the spices into a small dish
      1 teaspoon dried cumin, 1 teaspoon dried coriander, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
    • Dissolve the beef stock cube in 1 cup of boiling water
      1 beef stock cube

    Make the curry

    • Fry the onion and garlic gently in the olive oil until the onions start to soften. Do not allow to brown.
      2 tablespoons olive oil
    • Tip in all the spices, stir and continue to stirfry for another 1 minute.
    • Remove the onions and spices from the pan and set aside.
    • Add another 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and fry the ground beef over a medium heat until it is no longer pink. Break up any lumps with a wooden spoon. The meat should be crumbly.
      1 pound / 450 grams ground beef
    • Season with salt to taste.
      salt to taste
    • Stir the onions and spices back into the meat
    • Add the stock, passata and grated potato, stir, cover, turn the heat down to a simmer and leave for 40 minutes.
      1 cup passata
    • Add the frozen peas and cook for a further 2 minutes until the peas are warmed through.
      ½ cup frozen peas
    • Serve on a bed of white rice, garnished with chopped fresh coriander.
      fresh chopped coriander

    Notes

    Freeze any leftovers in a rigid plastic container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and reheat either in a saucepan on the stove, or in the microwave.
    Make in advance and store the cooled curry in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
    The calorie count does not take into account any rice that may be served with this dish.

    Nutrition

    Calories - 330kcal | Carbohydrates - 21.5g | Protein - 26g | Fat - 16.1g | Saturated Fat - 4.4g | Cholesterol - 71mg | Sodium - 158mg | Potassium - 349mg | Fiber - 4.3g | Sugar - 3.1g | Calcium - 39mg | Iron - 4mg

    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.

    Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
    All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
    Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I'd love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
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    About VJ

    Before I started my food blog I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, mostly made from scratch, using everyday pantry ingredients.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    1. Raymond pickett

      June 07, 2023 at 11:10 am

      5 stars
      Loved the recipe.
      Also I really appreciated having 3 steps instead of 2.
      Most recipes don't have a preparation step as well.
      I found this really helpful.

      Reply
      • VJ

        June 07, 2023 at 4:12 pm

        5 stars
        Glad you enjoyed it. It's one of my favourites. I always think it makes it easier to have the preparation steps listed and you're the first persons who's mentioned this, so thank you!

        Reply

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