Madras Beef Curry with Raita

Directions

1. Prepare ingredients as described in above ingredients list.

2. Combine half of the Madras Curry Masala and about 2 tablespoons of oil in a ceramic, glass or stainless steel bowl and toss with the beef. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hours, but ideally overnight.

3. Pour a splash of oil into a large, heavy based saucepan or casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add half the beef and sear until browned all over, remove from the pan and repeat with remaining beef.

4. Reduce heat and add a little more oil to the emptied pan. Add the remaining Masala spice mix, grated ginger and minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute to release the flavours. Return the beef to the pan, adding the passata and beef stock and bringing to the boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover with the lid and simmer for 1 ½ – 2 hours until the meat is very tender. Uncover and cook for a further 20 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened.

5. For the raita, peel and deseed the cucumber and very finely chop. Place in a sieve or colander and sprinkle with a little Kosher Salt. Toss so the salt coats the cucumber lightly and let drain for about 30 minutes. The salt will draw a little of the moisture out of the cucumber, meaning your raita will not be too thin. Combine in a bowl with the remaining ingredients.
   

To serve

1. Serve curry sprinkled with the curry leaves (fried gently for about 30 seconds in a little oil), with plenty of basmati rice and raita on the side.