Name: Slow Cooked Beef Curry
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 15 min
Cuisine: Indian / English
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1.2kg chuck beef cut into 3-4cm chunks; 2 onions, sliced; 50g unsalted butter; 2 tsp mild chili powder; 1 tbsp ground coriander; 1 tbsp ground tumeric; 2 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp ground cardamom; 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground; 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon; 5 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated; 400ml coconut milk; 400g canned whole tomatoes; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 100ml beef stock; 2 tbsp sour cream

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This is my take on a slow-cooked Indian-style beef curry. It’s a cracking family dinner, loaded with spices, tender, pull-apart beef chunks, and a creamy, full-of-bold flavors sauce. I think you’re going to love it!

A bowl of slow cooked beef curry on a bench. A grey cloth sits beside along with some fresh coriander. A serving fork and spoon sit on the side of the bowl.

We’re curry people in this house. I first fell in love with Indian-style curries when I met my Irishman in London. A couple of dates at a local Indian restaurant and I was hooked! (with the Irishman also 😉 ) Cook me an onion baji, follow it up with a good curry and I’m in love!

Dream about curry as much as I do? This chicken kebab salad is one of my Summer go-to recipes.

Here’s why you are going to love this recipe

Don’t you just love a slow-cooked dinner? With under 45 minutes of prep time, the Dutch oven does all the heavy lifting with this one. All that slow cooking just breaks down all the connective tissue with those cheaper cuts of meat like chuck, giving you a melt-in-your-mouth beef. Minimal effort and a cracking curry!

It’s one the whole family will love. Cooking for kids? You’ll find that the sour cream not only enhances the depth of the curry sauce, it also cools down the heat from the chili a bit.

Ingredients you’ll need to get started

Pantry staples – olive oil, canned whole tomatoes, coconut milk, beef stock, tomato paste
Chuck roast beef cut into 3–4cm chunks. While a whole chuck roast is my preferred cut (it makes it easy to cut into big, even chunks) try substituting it with chuck steak or another slow-cook cut of beef.
Brown onions, sliced. Medium in size
Unsalted butter. Alternatively, you could also use ghee.
Ground Spices – mild chili powder, coriander, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon. The only source of heat in this curry comes from the mild chili powder. Feel free to substitute for a more intense chili or even reduce the amount of mild chili powder depending on who you are cooking for.
Fresh garlic cloves, crushed
Fresh ginger, grated
Sour cream. Why sour cream? It adds so much extra flavor and richness to a curry. Adding sour cream is also a great way to reduce the heat if you’ve gone a little overboard with the chili powder!

All the ingredients you need to make a slow cooked beef curry.

Equipment

I slow-cook this Dutch oven curry in my old, and very well-loved 24cm enamel cast iron casserole. It would work in a 22cm Dutch oven as well.

You’ll also need a chopping board, a 20cm cook’s knife, measuring tools, a fine grater, and a garlic press.

The Nitty Gritty

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius.
In a large Dutch oven add 2 tbsp olive oil. Warm up your pan for a few minutes on low heat.
Brown the diced beef on all sides in small batches, being sure not to overcrowd the pan. Once all the beef has been browned, pop aside.
Add the sliced onions to the pot and saute on low heat for 5 minutes being sure to lift all those brown bits on the bottom of the pot. You’ll find that most of the remaining oil gets absorbed in the cooking process with the onions.
Add the butter and melt.
Add the spices to the buttered onions. Mix through and cook off the spices for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the garlic and ginger, and again mix through and cook off for one minute.
Return the browned beef back into the pot along with all their resting juices and coat the meat in the curried onion mix.
Add the coconut milk, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef stock. Give it a good stir and bring it to a simmer on top of the stove for a couple of minutes.
Pop on the lid and pop into the preheated oven for 2.5 hours.
Remove the curry from the oven. Check that the meat is cooked (we’re looking for fall-apart beef here) and stir through 2 tablespoons of sour cream.
Serve with steamed rice, naan bread, and a smattering of freshly chopped coriander.

Browned chunks of beef in a cream enamel cast iron Dutch oven.

Here is how I serve up my Indian beef curry recipe

Simply with steamed basmati or jasmine rice, pilau rice, or even cauliflower rice and a smattering of finely chopped coriander.

Got nuts with all the condiments. Add a drizzle of Greek yoghurt, a dollop of mango chutney, or spice it up with a little tomato kassundi.

Don’t forget the fresh nann bread on the side – it’s essential!

Want to add vegetables? Some steamed greens like broccoli, green beans, and peas are all great options.

Have leftovers? We reheat the leftovers the next day and mix with leftover rice. It makes a great wrap filling along with a chopped salad and mint yogurt!

Cook’s notes

I find that 2 tbsp sour cream is the perfect amount for what I’m trying to create. You can always omit completely or add more depending on taste.

When buying meat to slow cook, I tend to buy a whole chuck roast or chuck steak and cut it up myself. It gives you greater control over the size of your beef chunks and gives you a more consistent dish. If you do buy your meat already cut up, you may need to keep an eye on the cooking time. Smaller pieces will require less time in the oven so adjust accordingly.

Tips On Cooking in Cast Iron

Wondering how you brown your beef in an enamel Dutch oven without cooking on high heat? On the stovetop, warm up your pot with a little oil covering the base on low heat for a couple of minutes. When it’s ready to brown your meat, you’ll be able to flick a little flour in it and it will sizzle.

If you are cooking in seasoned cast iron instead of enamel, you can cook on a higher heat, however, olive oil may reach its smoke point so a different high-heat cooking oil like grapeseed, avocado, or ghee, may be a better browning oil for you.

Storage

Store this slow-cooked beef curry in an airtight container for up to three days. If you have the time, cook this curry the day before you plan to eat it. Curry (like a good, hearty stew) always tastes better the next day so prep ahead!

When you are reheating feel free to add a little water to the pot while it is warming up. The cooling process can really soak up the liquid in the sauce, so by adding a little water, it will return to its desired consistency.

You can also freeze for up to six weeks – again in an airtight container.

Slow Cooked Beef Curry