Beef Madras

Most curry recipes call for a lot of spices which can be a bit daunting when first trying to cook a curry. This recipe is a lot simpler but will still taste delicious.

Ingredients:

5 tbsps oil for frying
1.5kg braising steak, cubed (not too small because of the long cooking time needed to thicken the sauce)
800g red pepper, chopped
450g onions, chopped
12 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 in (7.5mm) ginger, peeled and grated
900g skinned tomatoes (or 3 cans)
1 tbsp Madras curry powder
2 level tsp salt
3 heaped tbsp sage
5 heaped tbsp parsley

How to make:

• Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onions and peppers until browned.
  
  
• Using a slotted spoon remove the onion and pepper to a blender and liquidize until very smooth.
  
  
• Fry the garlic and ginger for 1 minute in the remaining oil in the pan, (low to medium heat - don't burn!) add curry powder and fry for another minute.
  
  
• Add the onion and pepper paste and stir well.
  
  
• Add the meat and bring to the boil.
  
  
• Liquidize the tomatoes and add to the pan together with the salt and herbs.
  
  
• Cook on a moderately low gas, without a lid, until really tender (probably 2 - 3 hours depending on how tender the meat is, although the longer cooking time does produce a more intense sauce).
  
  Do keep your eye on the curry during cooking. You want a nice thick sauce at the end, but if you find the sauce is reducing too fast you can put a lid on to prevent further evaporation.
  
  
• Serve with plain boiled rice or pilau rice and perhaps a vegetable side dish if you really want to impress.

This recipe freezes well so you can make a batch and freeze it in individual portions until needed

Serves 12