This hearty dish is a spin on the classic roast beef, loaded with aromatic spices and buttery mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
Serves 4
For the beef:
- 1.2 kg chuck or blade of beef (whole piece, tied or rustic)
- 2 tbsp light olive oil
- 2 red onions, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 thumbs fresh ginger, sliced into thin batons
- 4 tsp Green Saffron Tamil or House Curry Spice Blend
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 250ml red wine
- 250ml beef stock or water
- 1 tsp sea salt
To finish the sauce:
- 3 tbsp crème fraîche
- 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) (optional)
- Small handful chopped coriander or parsley
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar or malt vinegar
For the ghee tadka:
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 10–12 curry leaves
- 1 red chilli, diced
To serve:
- Buttery mustard mash
- Steamed carrots
Method
- Brown and build.
In a heavy casserole, heat the oil. Add sliced onions, garlic and ginger; sauté till caramelised. Stir in the curry spice blend until fragrant. - Braise.
Add tomato purée, let it darken a little, then pour in the red wine to deglaze. Add stock and salt. Return the beef, cover very well, tightly with foil then roast at 160 °C (fan 140 °C) for three and a half hours, until it yields to a spoon. - Finish the sauce.
Lift out the beef. Whisk crème fraîche, fenugreek leaves, herbs and vinegar into the hot pan juices till glossy and sunset-red. Slice or pull the beef; let the juices run back in. - Ghee tadka finale.
In a small pan, melt ghee, add mustard seeds till they pop, then toss in curry leaves and diced red chilli. Pour the sizzling tadka straight over the plated beef and mash. - Serve.
Spoon beef and sauce on top of buttery mustard mash next to carrots – cooked to your choice. Eat with your hands if you dare. The roast has rebel soul, Irish comfort and Indian heat.
Tips
- You can use any curry powder, but do add a little chilli powder to give background heat
- Rather than ghee, any vegetable oil, light olive oil or butter is fine.
- I like to cook the carrots in a little sugar, butter and water to add extra sweetness – this works so well with the earthy beef curry.
