Beef Curry Recipe – Rich, Spicy

I cook beef curry for my family often. It’s filling, tasty, and not hard to make. Maybe you’re used to restaurant versions that are too oily or heavy on spices. This one is different. It’s balanced, honest cooking meant for people who want real food at home.

I’ll walk you through the process, piece by piece. No shortcuts, no fancy tricks, just what works in a normal kitchen. I use everyday ingredients you can find anywhere. Feel free to tweak things as you go. Recipes are guides, not rules.

Let’s start with what you need.

What You Need

Most of these things sit in my kitchen all the time. If you don’t have them, add them to your next grocery list. They’re useful for lots of dishes, not just curry.

• Beef: I use about a kilo. Chuck or stewing beef works best. Pieces with a bit of fat stay juicy.
• Onions: Two big ones. Chop them fine.
• Tomatoes: Three medium ones. Chop them up, too.
• Garlic and ginger: Four cloves of garlic and a two-inch piece of ginger. Peel and chop them fine. You can grate the ginger if you want.
• Green chilies: Use two, but adjust if you like more or less heat. Just slit them open.
• Spices: Coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala—all basic stuff.
• Yogurt: About half a cup of the plain kind. Not flavored.
• Oil: Any cooking oil will do. I use vegetable oil. About a quarter cup.
• Salt: To taste. Simple.
• Fresh coriander: For garnish. Not a must, but it adds freshness.

That’s it. Nothing exotic. Let’s move to the actual cooking.

Getting Ready

Take the beef out of the fridge 30 minutes before you start. Let it come to room temperature. Pat it dry with paper towels. Wet meat won’t brown well.

Chop the onions fine. Dice the tomatoes a bit chunky. Mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and slit the green chilies. Keep everything ready on the counter. This saves time once you start cooking.

Cooking the Base

Put your pot on medium heat. Add the oil. When it’s hot, toss in the onions. Stir them around. Let them cook until they turn golden, but not too dark. This takes about 10 minutes.

Add garlic, ginger, and green chilies. Stir, and let them cook for a minute. You should smell them—garlicky, gingery, a little spicy. If they stick, lower the heat.

Browning the Beef

Now add the beef. Stir it into the onions. Let it cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat. The meat will lose its pink color and start to brown. This step is important. It gives flavor.

Add the chopped tomatoes, coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder, and salt. Mix everything well. The spices will coat the beef and onions. Cover the pot, lower the heat, and let it cook for 30 minutes.

This is called sweating the meat. It helps the spices soak in. Stir now and then so nothing sticks and burns. Add a splash of water if it gets too dry. The goal is to let the beef start to soften.

Adding Yogurt

After 30 minutes, the tomatoes will have broken down, and the beef will be on its way to tender. Add the yogurt. Stir it in—don’t worry if it’s lumpy at first, keep stirring until it’s mixed in evenly.

Cover the pot again, and let it cook for another 40 minutes. The yogurt slows down cooking and helps make the sauce creamy. Check every 10 minutes or so. Stir and add a little more water if it looks dry. You want the sauce to coat the meat, not disappear.

Finishing

When the meat is soft enough to eat—test it by poking a piece with a fork—sprinkle in the garam masala. Give it a good stir and cook for 5 minutes more. If you like, chop some fresh coriander leaves and toss them on top.

That’s it. You don’t need to do anything else.

What Goes With It

This curry works with rice or roti. Plain white rice soaks up the sauce. Roti lets you scoop up the chunks of beef. Sometimes, I make a quick raita—grated cucumber, yogurt, salt, and cumin—to go with it.

If you want more vegetables, you can add potatoes or peas near the end. I usually throw in a chopped potato after the yogurt step. It cooks in the sauce and soaks up the flavors. But the curry is good just as it is, too.

Tips and Notes

• Meat quality matters. Cheap cuts need longer cooking, but they’re more flavorful. Tender cuts are faster, but sometimes taste bland.
• Don’t rush the onion step. Golden onions mean deeper flavor.
• Use a heavy-bottomed pot. It prevents burning.
• Leftovers taste better. The beef takes on more flavor overnight. If you have time, make this ahead.
• Adjust spices as you go. Taste before adding more salt or chili powder.
• If you burn the bottom, don’t scrape it up. Move the top to a new pot and keep going.
• No fancy garnishes needed. Fresh coriander is enough.

Variations

You can make this with chicken or lamb instead of beef. For chicken, shorten the cooking times—it gets dry if you overcook it. Lamb is similar to beef, but some people like adding cardamom or bay leaves.

If you want gravy, add more water at the end and simmer for a bit. For a dryer curry, let the sauce cook down. Both ways work.

Why This Recipe Works

This curry is about patience, not shortcuts. The long, slow cooking turns tough beef into something tender. The spices have time to blend. The yogurt and tomatoes give a little tang and creaminess, but nothing overwhelms the beef.

It’s not restaurant food. It’s family dinner food. It’s made for a regular night, for people tired after work, for kids who want something filling. It’s honest cooking, nothing more.

Final Thoughts

Cooking beef curry is easy if you take your time. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect the first time. Adjust as you go. Make notes on what you like. That’s how you learn.

If you try this, let me know how it turns out. If you change something and it works, tell me. Food is sharing, not just following.

Beef Curry Recipe – Rich, Spicy

Course: Dinner, MainCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

20

minutes

Calories

450

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

35

minutes

This is real, family-style beef curry—nothing fancy, just tender chunks of beef simmered with potatoes, tomatoes, yogurt, and everyday spices until everything melts together. It’s best with rice or roti, better the next day, and makes the whole house smell good.

Ingredients

• 1 kg beef (chuck or stewing, cubed)

• 2 large onions, finely chopped

• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2-inch piece ginger, grated

• 2 green chilies, slit

• 2 tsp coriander powder

• 1 tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tsp red chili powder

• 1 tsp garam masala

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• Salt, to taste

• Fresh coriander leaves, chopped

• (Optional) 1 large potato, cubed

Directions

• Prep the ingredients: Chop the onions, tomatoes, garlic, and ginger. Slit the green chilies. Cube the beef and potato (if using). Set aside.
• Cook the onions: Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium. Add onions. Stir and cook until golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add aromatics: Put in the garlic, ginger, and green chilies. Stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
• Brown the beef: Add the beef. Stir and cook for 10 minutes, letting it brown a bit.
• Spice it: Add tomatoes, coriander, turmeric, red chili powder, and salt. Mix well, cover, and simmer on low for 30 minutes, stirring now and then. Add a splash of water if it sticks.
• Add yogurt: Stir in the yogurt until smooth. Add the potato now if you’re using it. Cover and cook for another 40 minutes, checking occasionally. Add water if it gets too dry.
• Finish: When the beef is tender, sprinkle in the garam masala and cook for 5 minutes more. Garnish with fresh coriander.
• Serve: Hot, with rice or roti.

Notes

• Notes
  Meat: Chuck or stewing beef works best. Don’t rush the browning step.
  Vegetables: Add potatoes or peas if you want. Toss them in after the yogurt.
  Leftovers: Flavors deepen overnight. Reheat gently with a splash of water.
  Adjust heat with more or fewer chilies.
  No fancy garnishes needed. Fresh coriander is enough.