Beef Curry in a Hurry

The prep for this curry is super quick and easy – but it does need some love in the form of time, to infuse it’s flavours and make the beef fall apart. So is best done in a slow cooker, pressure cooker, or on the stovetop low and slow.


You Need

700g – 1kg beef stewing steak
2 onions
2-4 cloves garlic
1 thumb ginger
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1.5 tsp salt
3 tsp coriander (dried or fresh)
1.5 cup almond milk (or cashew milk, broth or stock) or coconut milk

If not using coconut milk and nuts are safe – measure out half cup cashew or macadamia nuts (we can’t have cashews so use macadamia) and cover in boiled water and leave to sit min 30 mins, max 4 hours.

Optional – fresh chilli and / or 1 tsp chilli powder or flakes – add with the spoices. We don’t add chilli because our kids don’t like spicy, instead we add chilli flakes to adult plates once served.

What to do

Chop the meat – or if you are lazy like me, chuck the whole slab into the slow cooker (or pressure cooker). Finely dice the onion, garlic and ginger and add to pot with all the other ingredients.

Slow cooker: for 8 hours low or 4-5 hours on high, or until the meat is falling apart, if I haven’t cut the meat, I use two forks to pull it apart.

Pressure cooker: for 45 minutes, and rest for 20 mins (same as slow cooker, cut or use forks to pull apart once rested)

Stove top: I’d recommend dicing the meat for this option, then simmer on low, lid on, stirring every 20 minutes to make sure it’s not sticking. Until meat is falling apart. You may need to add more liquid.

If coconut free and using the nuts, blend with half a cup of water in a high powered blender, until it turns into a cream. Add to your curry after cooking, and stir through.

That easy, it’s done!

Serve with rice, salt and pepper and chilli to taste.

Thai chicken curry in a bowl with carrots, broccoli, garnished with fresh coriander, red chilli, next to a grey plate with a dome of white rice and chopsticks

Thai Chicken Curry – Quicker Than Take-Aways

This Thai curry is sooooo quick and easy, it’s faster to make than it is to order take out. A bonus is that it’s free from dairy, soy, wheat, gluten, eggs, nuts and tomato.

Serves 5, probably with leftovers.

Ingredients

Packet of Thai red (or green) curry paste (become a label reading detective – I’ve found the very best ones with no vegetable oils (often means soy) come from Asian grocers or fruit and vege shops.

500g chicken or fish
2 cans coconut cream + 1 extra can if you have kids who don’t like spicy food (yep, Ashton, I’m looking at you)
500 – 700 g of frozen veggies of your choice, Or chopped fresh veggies like carrot, capsicum, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower and pumpkin
Splash of oil

What to do

Put your splash of oil in a large wok or pot / pan that’s going to be roomy enough for a great big curry.

Follow the instructions on the packet of curry paste as to how much to use. Sometimes the super authentic ones don’t have instructions – in which case I use two scant tablespoons, but could start with one and add more later. It’s easier to add spice than to take it away!

Heat your oil and curry paste over a low – med heat until fragrant. Chop the meat into thin slices. Add the meat*, veggies and one can coconut cream to the paste. Simmer gently for ten mins until everything is cooked through. Add the other can coconut cream and heat through.

*If using fresh veggies, add these first, after the paste, cook gently with the lid on for 10 minutes before adding the coconut cream, and then the meat.

Wallah, done!

Serve with rice and garnish with coriander if your feelin fancy.

For the boys, who don’t like a really spicy curry, I laddle out a couple spoons of chicken and veggies and mix with half a tin of coconut cream for them in a separate bowl. So they have meat, veggies and coconut cream with a hint of red curry.

If you find you’d like more spice or flavour in a small pan you can sauté more curry paste with oil, then add it to the main curry. It’s important to cook it first to help release the flavours.

Some curry paste instructions recommend you add some sugar and soy sauce or fish sauce to your curry near the end. I usually use 2 t coconut sugar and either 1 T fish sauce or coconut aminos for soy free.