Beef Madras - Slow Cooked (with Thermomix instructions)

Without exaggerating, I can honestly say that I was gobsmacked by the success of this dish!

Unfortunately, I can't really take the credit for it either (I wish I could!), aside from offering tips gleaned from my own experience, and lots of warnings about what might happen to the meat in the Thermomix if it was cooked on the wrong setting etc.! Well I knew the flavours were going to be good, as we've been cooking our version(s) of beef madras for years, loosely based on an authentic recipe which has evolved over the years, but would probably originally have been cooked with hogget (sheep) or lamb; but this one is down to my lovely man, Mike. Don't worry, the non-Thermomix way of cooking it is included below, for once (rather than on top). But this is a bit of a breakthrough in Thermomix land, so it has to come first on this occasion!

I have resisted cooking anything which should be slow-cooked in the Thermomix ever since I've had one. Don't get me wrong, it's an absolutely amazing machine. It does things you can often only dream of doing without one. However, previously I wouldn't have dreamed of slow-cooking in it, much like I wouldn't dream of stir-frying in it either (although I do have ways around this for certain dishes which I think can work). I'm a bit anal about cooking (well, you might have noticed...!), to say the least and for me, slow cooking occurs in a large, earthenware, ceramic or cast iron vessel in a low oven (much like stir-frying generally occurs in a nice hot wok where I can toss the food around to my hearts content).

Ordinarily, I have great faith in Mike's cooking - which is well deserved as he is a fantastic cook (I don't think I could live with a 'can't cook, won't cook' type of person who didn't love good food!). But I was on tenterhooks for him, expecting at best tough meat that needed to go into the oven for an hour or so, and at worst, babyfood. Especially after the 'crime' caramels...

Anyway, it didn't happen. Fantastic curry happened, and without further ado, here is the recipe!

Serves six as a main meal on its own, or more with other dishes. 655 calories per portion - worst case scenario (for a sixth) - however this is based on full fat stewing steak, plus every tablespoon of oil you skim off at the end is about 145 calories, so if you're counting, you can get this down a fair amount! [Calories in square brackets]


Ingredients
1 kg boneless stewing and/or braising beef, cut into 1 inch cubes (we used a mixture, not lean but trimmed of excessive fat) [2,270 calories worst case scenario! Consult your packaging if you have any and it has nutritional data]
2 tsp ground turmeric [14]
1 tsp fennel seeds [7]
1 tbsp tamarind paste / concentrate [6]
40g ghee (or oil) [360]
3 large onions, quartered for Thermomix, sliced for traditional method (about 400g) [164]
1 quantity chilli paste (see below)
625ml coconut milk [963]
1 cinammon stick
5 cardomom pods
Salt and freshly ground black pepper [2]
10 fresh (or frozen) curry leaves, dried at a push [2]

For the chilli paste
2 tbsp coriander seeds [30]
1 tbsp cumin seeds [23]
5-10 dried chillies (medium to hot - go for 10 for a proper madras! However, if you don't like hot curry, and you want something mild, just stick to one or two) [32]
10 curry leaves [2]
8-10 garlic cloves, peeled [48]
2-3 inch piece of root ginger (peeled and sliced into 'coins' for Thermomix) [9]

Thermomix Method
(Mike cooked this in the TM5, suggestions have been made for the TM31, but it hasn't been tested in one)

Sprinkle the beef with the ground turmeric, rub in and set aside.

Dry roast the fennel seeds in a small pan until they start to pop a little, and turn golden, and set aside.

Make the chilli paste
Dry roast the coriander and cumin seeds in a small  pan (Mike felt it was too small a quantity to use the Thermomix for) until fragrant, then add to the bowl. Do the same with the chillies, and also add to the bowl.

Pulse on Turbo (twice for 2 seconds) then add the 10 curry leaves, peeled garlic cloves and ginger 'coins' and process for 30 seconds at speed 6, or until it becomes a paste (scrape down and repeat if necessary - you can always add a little water if you feel it needs it). Set aside.

Cook the curry
Weigh in the ghee, and cook for 1 minute / 70C / Speed 1 to melt.

Drop the onions onto running blades, Speed 4, until roughly chopped. Scrape down, and then cook 6 minutes / 120C (TM31 Varoma temp) / Reverse / Speed Spoon.

Add the chilli paste, and cook 2 minutes / 120C (TM31 Varoma temp) / Reverse / Speed Spoon.

Add the meat, and stir in to the paste, 30 seconds / Reverse / Speed Spoon.

Add 500g coconut milk and 60g water and cook 8 minutes / Varoma temp / Reverse / Speed Spoon / MC on.

Add the remaining coconut milk, the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and roasted fennel seeds, salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook 1 hour and 20 minutes (TM31 set 1 hr, then repeat for 20 minutes with the same settings) / 98C (TM31 100C) / Reverse / Speed Spoon / MC off and Basket over lid to prevent splashing (upside down), or until meat is tender.

Remove meat (either with a slotted spoon, or use the internal basket as a colander and drain the sauce into a jug and return it to the bowl) and set aside in a covered, warmed dish (preferably into a warm oven or similar, to keep hot). Remove cinammon stick (and you could also remove cardamom pods if you wish to, at this point).

Add tamarind paste to sauce in the bowl, and reduce sauce to desired thickness - 20 minutes / Varoma temp / Reverse / Speed Spoon (TM5 - keep an eye on it, if cooking in the TM31). Blot or skim any oil off the top (i.e. with kitchen towel), stir in the curry leaves and taste for seasoning. Add the sauce to the meat in the warm dish, stir in and serve. Garnish with more curry leaves if desired, or coriander. Serve with rice, and Indian breads.


Traditional method
Sprinkle the beef with the ground turmeric, rub in and set aside.

Dry roast the fennel seeds in a small pan until they start to pop a little, and turn golden, and set aside.

Make the chilli paste
Dry roast the coriander and cumin seeds in a small  pan until fragrant, then set aside. Do the same with the chillies, then grind everything as finely as you can with a pestle and mortar, spice grinder, or food processor.

You now need to add the 10 curry leaves, peeled garlic cloves and ginger and either grate them, pound them in a pestle and mortar, or cut into pieces and put in a food processor and blend until it becomes a paste. Set aside.

Cook the curry
Heat the ghee in a large, heavy-based pan and add the sliced onions. Cook for 5-10 minutes until softened. Add the chilli paste, and cook for a further couple of minutes until aromatic.

Add the meat, and stir in to the paste, then add 500g coconut milk and 60g water and bring to the boil, then simmer for about ten minutes until reduced.

Add the remaining coconut milk, the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and roasted fennel seeds, salt and freshly ground black pepper, cover with a lid and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the meat is tender, checking occasionally to make sure it hasn't dried out - if it is starting to look dry at any point, add a little hot water.

Mix the tamarind with about 100ml hot water, then stir into the curry. Blot or skim any oil off the top (i.e. with kitchen towel), stir in the curry leaves and taste for seasoning. Serve garnished with more curry leaves if desired, or coriander, accompanied by rice, and Indian flat breads.