Beef Curry with Toasted Spices

Photography: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Jan Gautro
You can also prepare this recipe with cubed leg of lamb. Fenugreek seed is a common spice in Indian food. Find it at an ethnic grocery such as World Market, or order online at www.americanspice.com.
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
Ingredients
- Beef:
- 1 tablespoon Homemade Curry Powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 3 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
-
Toasted spices: - 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick, broken
- 2 dried hot red chiles
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
-
Remaining ingredients: - 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 3 cups vertically sliced onion
- 3 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
- 2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
- 1 1/2 cups low-salt beef broth
- 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro stems
- 1/2 cup tomato puree
Preparation
To prepare beef, combine first 3 ingredients; rub evenly over beef. Cover and chill 2 hours, tossing occasionally.
To prepare toasted spices, heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add coriander and next 6 ingredients (coriander through bay leaves); cook 1 minute or until fragrant, shaking pan constantly. Place coriander mixture, sugar, cardamom, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a spice or coffee grinder, and process until finely ground.
Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of beef mixture; sauté 5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and beef mixture; remove from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and ginger to pan; cook 6 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Add the toasted spice mixture, garlic, and paprika; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add beef, yogurt, and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the beef is tender.
Nutritional Information
- Calories:
- 262 (38% from fat)
- Fat:
- 11g (sat 3.9g,mono 5g,poly 0.5g)
- Protein:
- 27.6g
- Carbohydrate:
- 12.9g
- Fiber:
- 2.1g
- Cholesterol:
- 79mg
- Iron:
- 4.1mg
- Sodium:
- 440mg
- Calcium:
- 118mg




