Coconut Beef Curry

Coconut Beef Curry

Vijay Kumar, the chef behind the Michelin-starred restaurant Semma in New York City, once told me, “Coconut and spices have a love connection.” Inspired by an intricate beef curry he taught me, this recipe has been reimagined for home cooks. There are still many ingredients and steps, and every one earns its place. This is a dish of texture, aroma and deeply coaxed flavor, where whole spices are toasted until they bloom with warmth and then get blended into a rich paste. That paste becomes the backbone of the curry, lending a complexity and depth that ground spices alone can’t achieve. Simmered with coconut milk and spiked with green chiles, the final curry is velvety, robust and soulful; the kind of dish that rewards patience and turns an ordinary dinner into a celebration. Serve it with paratha, rice or roti, and let the sauce shine.

Yield: 4 servings

For the Masala Paste

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon coriander seeds 

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds 

1 teaspoon poppyseeds

5 green cardamom pods

12 cloves

2 whole star anise 

3 whole dried red chiles (preferably dundicut chiles)

8 to 10 fresh curry leaves 

¼ cup dried unsweetened grated coconut

For the Curry

4 tablespoons sesame, canola or another neutral oil 

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger 

1 teaspoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic 

1 large red onion, finely chopped

Fine sea salt

2 tablespoons ground coriander 

1 tablespoon ground cumin 

1 tablespoon Kashmiri or other red chile powder 

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 green bird’s-eye chiles, stems removed and split

2 plum tomatoes, chopped 

1¼ pounds boneless beef chuck or boneless short ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces 

1 medium potato (optional), such as Yukon Gold, cubed into 1-inch pieces

1 (13-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk 

Paratha, basmati rice or roti, for serving

Make the masala paste: Heat a medium fry pan on high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until it is scalding hot. Add the peppercorns, coriander, cumin, fennel, poppyseeds, cardamom, cloves, star anise and chile. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently and reducing the heat more if the spices begin to smoke, until the seeds start to sputter and pop, about 5 minutes. Add curry leaves and coconut; continue to cook, stirring, for about 15 seconds, until the spices release an earthy, warm and smoky fragrance and the coconut darkens in color.

Transfer the spice mixture to a blender. Add ¼ cup water and pulse for 2 to 3 minutes, until a smooth paste forms. To help the spice mixture blend more easily, scrape down the sides a couple times between pulses, and add up to ¼ cup more water if needed. Set aside.

Make the curry: Heat oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot on medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until the oil starts to shimmer. Add mustard seeds and let them sputter briefly. (A pan lid is helpful to shield you from any spatter.) Add ginger and garlic and stir, then immediately add onion and a pinch of salt and stir again. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften and turn golden, about 15 minutes.

Stir in coriander, cumin, red chile powder, turmeric and green chile, and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes more, lowering the heat if the mixture begins to smoke. Stir in a splash of water if the mixture starts to stick.

Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in tomatoes and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down and the oil starts to separate from the jammy mixture, 10 to 15 minutes, adding a splash of water any time the mixture starts sticking to the pot. Stir in the masala paste, then add beef and stir so it’s thoroughly coated with the masala. Stir in 1 cup water and cook at a low simmer for 40 to 50 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by half. (Feel free to add up to ¾ cup more water as it cooks, depending on how saucy you like your curry.)

Add half of the coconut milk, bring to a simmer and cook for another 20 minutes. Add the potatoes, if using, bring to a simmer and continue to cook for another 20 minutes, until the beef and potatoes are tender. Stir in the remaining coconut milk and warm through, then taste and add more salt if needed. Serve with paratha, rice or roti.