Yoghurt and Almond Beef Curry

Yoghurt and Almond Beef Curry

In this household, we need to eat curry at least once a week. I wouldn't have married Hub if he didn't like curry and I suspect, vice versa. Luckily we have trained the children to love curry too, so we're in this as a family.

To give my tired eyes some rest, I decided to make dinner early. I've been trying to plan too many trips at the same time. Singaporeans living in Italy have all been invited to dinners hosted by the Overseas Singaporeans Unit (OSU) in different Italian cities in early April. After spending yesterday working out the logistics, I have more or less decided to attend the one in Venice. It's 2 hours away, but the roads are quite direct and more importantly, I know where to park once I'm there. Will bring the children with me. Have been looking for a place to bring them to during their one-week break anyway. We couldn't go to ski at Risoul as planned since we had tried to book for the trip too late and the hotel club's full. I'm still working on our trip to Rome...

Today's curry is one of Hub's favourites : Yoghurt and Almond Beef Curry. I would hesitate to name this a Kashmiri curry simply because they usually do not use beef there. And I have not cooked mine with a sweet fruit because I am not hot about fruit in an Indian curry. Otherwise, add banana, lychee or pineapple and use chicken or lamb and you'll have a Kashmiri curry. One that is strong in cardamoms, fennel and fenugreek.

Yoghurt and Almond Beef Curry :

700g Piemontese stewing beef (largely cubed)

2 Tsp ground Turmeric

2 Tsp ground Cumin

2 Tsp ground Coriander

1 Tsp ground Red Chilli or Paprika

1/2 - 1 Tsp ground black Pepper

1 large piece Ginger

4-5 Garlic cloves

3 small Onions (1 to be sliced for frying and 2 for the spice paste)

2 green or red Chillies

1 Bay leaf

1 Cinnamon stick

4-5 whole Cloves

1 Tsp Fennel seeds

1/2 - 1 Tsp Fenugreek seeds

5-6 green Cardamoms

1 Tsp Cumin seeds

2 medium Tomatoes (chopped)

400ml Hot water or Meat Stock

Salt to taste

Saffran (optional)

300ml Yoghurt

50g Sliced Almonds

Fried Shallots and fresh Coriander for garnishing

Marinate the beef for a few hours with the ground dry spices.

Pound or grind the ginger, garlic, onion and chillies into a paste.

Heat some oil in a heavy-bottomed pot and fry the onions, whole spices, marinated beef and then the spice paste till fragrant.

Add the tomatoes, bay leaf and pour in the hot stock or water. Cover and let it simmer for 2 hours or till the beef is tender and melt-in-the mouth. Salt to taste.

If using saffran, immerse the strands in some milk, mix it with the yoghurt and then stir into the curry. Simmer for another 15 minutes.

Dry-roast the sliced almonds lightly and add to the curry when serving. Garnish with fried shallots and fresh coriander if so desired.

Asked Hub if his diet would allow him to eat this curry for dinner. Not only it would, but he had at least 2 servings with rice plus the fried Okra that I've made! What kind of dieting is that.