The Best Beef Vindaloo

Wombat47's Note:

This recipe comes from Jacki Passmore's All Asian Cookbook, published in 1978. The curry is hot, as it should be, but has amazing depths of flavour. I've tried ready made pastes and numerous Indian restaurant offerings and nothing comes close to it, although my sons recently holidayed in Fiji and discovered a similar version in an Indian restaurant - one son told me that he had found the second best Vindaloo. Must have been good - they went to that restaurant 2 nights in a row, and they only had 4 nights there. I use a coffee grinder to grind the spices.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 kg beef chuck steak (2lb)
• 3 tablespoons coriander
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 6 cloves
• 5 cm cinnamon sticks (2 inch)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
• 6 dried chilies, soaked
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 large onion
• 2 1/2 cm piece fresh ginger (1 inch)
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons ghee (or a bit of oil)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups beef stock
• salt, but I don't add it

Directions:

1. Trim meat and cut into 5cm (2 inch) cubes. Set aside,.
2. Grind spices from coriander to fennel to a very fine powder.
3. Grind chillies with garlic, onion and ginger (I put in the blender with the vinegar).
4. Mix spice powder with vinegar and rub well into the meat. Pour on the onion paste and leave meat to marinate for 2 hours (or overnight).
5. Heat ghee, or oil, and fry meat until very deeply coloured.
6. Add bay leaves and stock and bring to the boil, then simmer until meat is very tender.
7. Season to taste with salt, if you are using it, and leave overnight if time (or family "pickers") permits.

Reviews

[Katplus3]

Lots of zing, this was really good! I did mine in the crock pot on high for 5 hours, and it was just falling apart.

[parselysage]

Just did an Indian Foodie dinner. This was a huge hit. many thanks for this Recipe!!! Super yummy! I did add a few hits of cayenne pepper to get the heat up but I'm sure its due to insipid chili peppers on my part :-)