Goan Beef Curry

The only area of India you will find beef is in Goa.

The Goan cuisine was influenced by the Portuguese who went there for the spice trade.

The curries from the area are noted for the use of garlic and vinegar common to Portuguese cuisine.

This is quite a hot curry -

If you don't like it too hot use the lesser quantities shown for

green chillies and dried red chilli flakes.

Ingredients:
5 garlic cloves
45-60ml vegetable oil for frying
2 red onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 large tomatoes or 4 small tomatoes, finely chopped
4 green chillies (use 2 for less heat), finely chopped
30ml finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
12-15 peppercorns
30ml vinegar
15ml (use 5ml for less heat) dried red chilli flakes
1 inch piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
2-3ml cumin seeds
2-3ml turmeric
1kg stewing beef cit into 1 inch cubes
250ml water
salt to taste

Method:
Vigorously boil the garlic cloves in about a half a cup of water for 4-5 minutes, then remove and drain on absorbent paper. When cool, remove the skins - they should just pop off.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan and stir-fry the garlic (I leave the cloves whole, but you can chop them or make them into a paste if you prefer), onions, tomatoes, green chillies and coriander leaves for 5 minutes.
Pound the peppercorns in a pestle and mortar with about half of the vinegar until the pepper is finely ground.
Add to the pan the peppercorns and vinegar mixture, dried red chilli flakes, ginger, cumin seeds and turmeric and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until the fragrance starts to come from the spices.
Add the meat and stir until it is coated with the curry mixture and browned. then add the water and mix well.
Cook on a slow simmer until the meat is tender, seasoning with salt to taste in the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Serve with rice,

sliced bananas - these will help to reduce the heat -

desiccated coconut, cucumber and mint raita and -

my favourite with a hot curry - apricot jam.

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