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Home » Main Meals » Spicy ground beef curry and rice – an easy midweek supper

Spicy ground beef curry and rice – an easy midweek supper

Author: VJ Published : December 2020 Modified : April 2022 / Be the first to comment!

Recipe
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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.

A bowl of curry and rice sprinkled with coriander.

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Table Of Contents
  1. A different way to cook ground beef
  2. If you like curry, I think you will love this dish
  3. What ingredients do I need?
  4. How do I make ground beef curry?
  5. What to serve with ground beef curry
  6. How to freeze the curry
  7. Make in advance
  8. Pin for later
  9. Other recipes
  10. Spice ground beef curry and rice recipe
  11. Beef curry and rice

A different way to cook ground 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, 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 ground 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 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 – just brown the onions, spices and meat and then leave it to 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. And 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 a good quality ground beef with a low fat content. I always try 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 chili flakes.

The chili flakes control the heat of the curry. If you like a hot curry, just add extra; if you prefer a milder taste then 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 – 1/2 cm or 1/4 inch dice is a perfect size.
  • Peel and grate the potato. If you are adding whole potatoes to this dish, peel and cut into 1cm or 1/2″ dice.
  • I like to use crushed garlic from a jar, but if you prefer to use fresh garlic just peel, crush and then dice 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 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 then cover the pan, turn the heat down 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, slices of garlic bread and a fresh green salad.

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

How to freeze the curry

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

To freeze, allow the curry to come to room temperature, and then 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. Just 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 in the microwave until piping hot.

Pin for later

Why not pin this recipe to your pinterest board so you can make it later. Just click the image below.

Other recipes

If you enjoyed this curry and rice recipe, you may like to try some of my other curry recipes.

  • Chicken bhuna with bombay potatoes and naan bread
  • Easy lamb curry
  • Vetkoek and curried mince
  • Leftover lamb curry in pita bread
  • Thai green chicken curry with jasmine rice
  • Easy butter chicken

Spice ground beef curry and rice 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
Cook 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 people
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5 from 1 vote

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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

  • 2 teaspoon dried cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried coriander
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes

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
    2 teaspoon dried cumin, 1 teaspoon dried coriander, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 2 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.
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Filed Under: All Recipes, Main Meals

About VJ

In my previous life, 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, and you'll probably find a little South African influence creeping in due to the many years I spent there.

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In my previous life, 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, and you'll probably find a little South African influence creeping in due to the many years I spent there.

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