Indian beef curry is fragrant with the flavors of Goa. Taste memorable warming spices and a piquancy from a bit of vinegar. And see how to cook it 3 ways!
This recipe is a simple Goan-style beef curry with instructions on how to make it on the stove, in an Instant Pot, and in your slow cooker. Go a step farther and make a Goan garam masala for an even easier beef curry. You might also like to try a Kerala-Style Beef Curry or an Easy Lamb Vindaloo.
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While eating beef in India is not common, there are a few states it is eaten. Goan Muslims and Christians account for roughly one-third of Goa's population, and they love their beef.
I’ve styled this Indian beef curry after the Goan beef baffad (buffad, or bafado). Karen Ahmed’s beef baffad curry recipe posted on her vlog "Kravings," inspired this recipe. It is rich and flavorful with the fragrance of cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, a bit of tang from tamarind and vinegar, and finished with a good hit of spice from black pepper and dried, whole Kashmiri chilies. And if you would like to try a beef curry from the state of Kerala, try my Instant Pot Kerala beef curry.
The protein: If you are not a beef eater, bone-in, skinless chicken thighs, pork, or even lamb works beautifully with this delicious masala. However, you will need to adjust your cook times.
When using beef: In a perfect world, you would use beef chuck roast and cut it up into 2-inch cubes (or the size that makes you happy). However, sadly we are not always living in such a world. In that case, buying already cut stew meat will give very satisfactory results. By the way, if buying a whole roast, I get an additional 1/2 pound to account for the fat that needs to be removed.
The souring agent: Tamarind is typically used, however, you can use an equal amount of lemon or lime juice. I use the Tamicon tamarind concentrate, but an equal amount of paste will work also. If you are using a block of tamarind, measure a Key lime size, about 1.4 inches (3.5cm) diameter, 1-1/8 ounce (32 grams), or fills 1-1/2 tablespoons.
The spices for a Goan curry sauce: I like to use my homemade Goan garam masala if I have it on hand. Otherwise, I have a simple spice mix of whole spices that you toast and grind. These are cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, and cumin.
The chilies: The liveliness in this curry is from a combination of fresh green chilies, black pepper, and dried Kashmiri red chilies. Add more or less to your taste, as usual.
The liquid: Many red beef curry recipes call for beef stock, but I like to use a combination of stock and coconut milk.
The fat: I like to use coconut oil, but ghee or your favorite oil will do the trick.
One of the beauties of Goan beef curry is that make it successfully in three different ways (four if you count both on the stovetop and in the oven). So you can choose, depending on the time you have and how you like to cook.
How long it takes for your meat to get tender depends on cube size, your pot, and your equipment. The prep and cooking times listed below are for the Instant Pot cooking method. The stove and slow cooker methods will take longer, so factor that in when planning your cook. Here is how to make it:
All three ways begin the same by caramelizing the onions to a beautiful dark brown. This takes time, but it is a crucial step, so no cheating. If you are short on time you might brown the onions a day or two ahead.
While the onions are cooking, put together your sauce ingredients. If you don't have a homemade Goan garam masala, measure, toast, and grind the spices needed for this recipe.
Briefly cook the ginger, garlic, and minced green chili. Then combine all the rest ingredients.
IMPORTANT: Cover and bake in a preheated oven on 325°F (160°C) for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the beef is tender. You can also use your stovetop to cook this beef stew.
Cook the beef curry on High Pressure for 40 minutes, then on Natural Pressure Release for 10 minutes. If the sauce is too thin for your liking, remove the beef and cook on the sauté mode until it thickens.
Cook the curry on high for 4 to 6 hours, or low for 8 to 10 hours until the beef is tender. My preference is to cook in a slow cooker if I am organized. All that is required is the initial 25-minute prep, pop everything in the slow cooker and cook.
Taste for salt, vinegar, and heat levels, adding ground black pepper or red chili as needed.
Yes! The most common vegetable is peeled potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes and stirred in the mixture when ready to cook the curry. Carrots and sweet potatoes work great too. Adding vegetables makes a lovely, comforting twist on meat and potatoes.
Can I make this curry a day ahead?Not only can, but it is even better the next day, as with many curries.
Have you ever made this beef stew "pot roast" style?Yes, it was a happy twist on typical comfort food. I used the slow cooker and made slits in the roast to allow the spices to penetrate. It was yummy!
If I don't have time to make a Goan garam masala, will my curry still be as good?While the homemade garam masala is more complex and nuanced, this dish has so many flavor components that it will still be rich and vibrant with the recipe's spice mix!
I must preface this subject by saying the following are general guidelines. Each cook will have his or her favorite spice combination:
Goan cooks mostly rely on coriander, dried red chilies, black peppercorns, fennel, and star anise, along with small amounts of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and mace for their unique blend of flavors. Here is a recipe for MyIndianStove's Goan garam masala.
If you would like to see how the spice mixtures change from one region of India to another, take a look at MyIndianStove's Kerala garam masala.
For non-Indians, the garam masala we are most familiar with comes from Northern India. This combination starts with a large amount of coriander seeds and adds smaller measures of cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, fennel, and cloves. Here is a recipe for MyIndianStove's North Indian-style garam masala.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Please rate by clicking stars ⭐️ on the recipe card and/or let me know in the comments below. Thank you! ~Alonna
Indian beef curry is fragrant with the flavors of Goa. Taste memorable warming spices and a piquancy from a bit of vinegar. And see how to cook it 3 ways!
