Recipes

Beef and Potato Curry

Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez

The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook: Artisanal Baking from Around the World

"Another Lutfunnessa specialty, this curry, called alu-maunsho torkerry in Bangladeshi, is perfect on a cold night with, of course, plenty of warm whole wheat chapatis or a pot of basmati rice. Lutfunnessa also recommends making this recipe with a bone-in cut like a short rib, or cubes of boneless, skinless chicken thighs or lamb shoulder. As curries go, this is a relatively simple one to make with spices that you likely have at home. Let the beef brown well and use the caramelized bits to add depth of flavor to the dish. This cooks for almost 2 hours, so make sure to keep an eye on the liquid in the pot, adding more water if necessary." —Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 pounds chuck steak, well trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Kosher salt and
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large yellow onion, cut into ¾-inch dice
  • One 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
  • ½ teaspoon ground dried red chile pepper or cayenne
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 cups water
  • 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ¾ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Method

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Pat the beef dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, and add to the pot. Cook the beef, turning the pieces a few times, until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, onion, ginger, and ground chile to the pot. Stir in any brown bits of meat from the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and cook, stirring now and then, until the vegetables have softened and are beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin, turmeric, cardamom, and cinnamon and stir to combine. Cook until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.

Return the beef to the pot with the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring every now and then, until the beef is quite tender, about 1 hour.

Add the potatoes and continue to simmer, stirring now and then, until the potatoes are tender, another 30 minutes. Add water as needed to ensure the liquid nearly covers the meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, scatter the cilantro leaves on top, and serve hot.

 

Reprinted from The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook. Copyright © 2015 by Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez. Photos copyright © by Jennifer May and Evan Sung. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.

Yield

6 servings