Low-Fat Beef Curry with Jeera Rice

Low-Fat Beef Curry

It wasn't done on purpose though it should be since we're all in real need of a low-fat everything. But I've always been suspicious of low-fat products, preferring the full taste or none at all. Still, I came across this big pot of low-fat (0,1% fat) yoghurt the other day and wanted to see if it was edible. Since I do not eat yoghurt fresh, I decided to make a curry with it. Allow me to say that the family (especially Hub) loved the low-fat curry, it was therefore a rather successful experiment.

I made the Low-Fat Beef Curry not only with low-fat yoghurt, but also with just a film of peanut oil and low-fat Piemontese beef. Cooking it in my new Le Creuset cocotte helped, I think, and left to the next day to finish cooking, there was almost no fat on the surface of the curry to remove. The meat was very tender and the sauce light and tasty. I will definitely try cooking it this way again. I have adapted my recipe from P's, by the way, simplifying it to suit my laziness and low-fat trip.

All the fat however is with the Jeera Rice since I had a good 20g of butter in it. I would have replaced the butter with magarine if I believed that it's healthier. But I've read somewhere that it's not.

Low-Fat Beef Curry with Jeera Rice :

Low-fat Beef Curry :

800g Piemontese Stewing Beef (big cubes)

A generous slice of fresh Ginger

4-5 Garlic cloves

1 Tsp ground Black Pepper

250ml Low-fat Yoghurt

1 Tsp Vegetable Oil

1 Onion (diced)

2 Bay leaves

1 fresh green Chilli (sliced)

1 Tsp ground Turmeric

1 Tsp ground Cumin

1 Tsp whole Cumin

2 Tsp ground Coriander

1 Tsp ground Chilli

1 Tsp ground Cinnamon

1/4 Tsp ground Cloves

2 Tsp ground Garam Masala

2 Black Cardamoms

2 Green Cardamoms

1 Tsp ground Black Pepper

2 Tsp Salt

4 Cherry Tomatoes (quartered)

Enough hot water to cover the meat

Fresh Coriander leaves for garnishing

Jeera Rice :

2 cups Basmati rice (rinsed and drained)

20g Butter

2 Tsp Salt

2 cups Water

1 Tsp whole Cumin (dry-roasted separately)

Grind the garlic and ginger into a paste. Add the pepper and mix everything into the yoghurt.

Marinate the beef cubes for at least an hour.

In a heavy-bottom pot on medium-low heat, spread a thin film of oil on the surface and add the onions, whole and ground dry spices and bay leaves.

When they are roasted, add the chilli followed by the beef (and its marinade).

Cook for a few minutes till you can smell the garlic cooking, then add the tomatoes. Stir well with a wooden or silicon spoon.

Add the salt and hot water. Cover and simmer for an hour if cooking the curry over 2 days. Cook for another 2 hours on the second day.

If serving on the same day, simmer the curry for 3 hours or till the meat is very tender.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves before serving.

Jeera Rice

To prepare the jeera rice, melt the butter in the pot and gently fry the rice in it. Add the salt and water, cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes*** on medium heat.

Lower the heat to the lowest and cook it till the water is almost entirely absorbed.

Add the roasted cumin seeds, cover the pot and cook for another 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat (do not open the lid) and let the rice finish cooking in its own steam till it's time to serve the rice. Fluff up the rice with a fork and mix the jeera seeds properly at the same time. Grains should be whole and separate and just cooked.

***All time mentioned is approximative as I do it by sight, have no exact idea how much time it took me to cook this rice.