Serves: 6 – 8

This thumper of a beef curry was cooked by Nat as part of a Bangladeshi lunch.

Calling it a thumper is unfair on one hand because it is so complex and aromatic. But boy, it isn’t mucking around either.

Nat skipped the addition of the final fresh chillies because she felt it was already where she wanted to be, spice-wise. You’re call.

Otherwise, let this number marinate overnight, cook it low and slow and you’re in for a real autumn warmer. Beautiful. (Red wine is not really optional either.)

Ingredients

1.4kg beef shoulder on the bone, cut into 4cm pieces*
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1/3 tsp ground nutmeg
1/3 tsp ground mace
1/2 c mustard oil or rapeseed oil**
2 medium onions, finely sliced
3 c cold water
2 bay leaves
4 – 5 whole green chillies

Dry Spice Mix

2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp Bengali five-spice or 1/2 tsp (wild) celery seeds
2 green cardamom pods
5cm piece of cassia bark or cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds

Wet Spice Paste

1 tbsp water
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
5cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled
1 1/2 tsp salt

Method

1. Place the beef chunks in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle over the salt. Set aside.
2. To make the dry spice mix, lightly toast all the whole spices except the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium-heat and stir for 2 minutes, or until the spices are aromatic. Transfer to a dish to cool slightly, then tip into a spice grinder, along with the fennel seeds. Grind until very fine, then pour into the bowl with the meat.
3. To make the wet spice paste, blend all the ingredients in a blender until you have a smooth paste. Transfer this to the bowl with the meat. Add the turmeric, both chilli powders, nutmeg and max and mix thoroughly. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 – 2 hours or preferably, overnight.
4. When you’re ready to cook, heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over a high heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté for a few minutes until golden, then add the marinated meat, followed by 1 1/4 c of the water and the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 – 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low-medium, cover with a lid and cook for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Add the remaining 1 1/2 c water. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 45 minutes, or until tender and the gravy is reduced and no longer watery.
5. For the final 10 minutes of cooking, add the whole green chillies. Stir through a simmer. When ready, serve immediately with boiled basmati rice.

* Nat substituted 900gm of chuck roast, taking into account the weight of the bone
** If using rapeseed oil, add 2 tbsp mustard powder to the marinade.