The Vibrant Caribbean Pot Cookbook
Soup Season Cookbook
Get My Latest Cookbooks
On Sale Now

One Kitchen, Many Cultures

curry beef with potato

Showing: 1 - 4 of 4 Articles
curry beef with pigeon peas
Meat & Poultry

How to Make a Caribbean-Inspired Curry Beef with Pigeon Peas.

Leave a Comment on How to Make a Caribbean-Inspired Curry Beef with Pigeon Peas.

As a lil fella on the islands, I had a love hate relationship with pigeon peas. Allow me to explain, nothing beats a Chicken Pelau made with fresh shelled pigeon peas, so too a delicious offering of curry peas with hot Sada Roti. Frozen (shelled) or the stuff in the tin (can) simply cannot compare. However I HATED shelling (removing the peas from the pod) with an absolute passion.

You’ll Need…

3 tablespoon curry powder
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 tablespoon garam masala
3/4 tablespoon roasted geera (cumin)
3/4 tablespoon anchar masala
1 cup water (for curry slurry)
6 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (chopped)
1 medium onion (sliced)
2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2-3 tablespoon olive oil
2.5 lbs beef
3/4 tablespoon salt (adjust)
3 cups pigeon peas (from frozen)
8-10 cups water

Notes! Please use the video below to follow along as much more about the recipe is discussed there. I used a cheap cut of boneless beef, however I find that you get a deeper flavor by using beef with bones. Use as much Scotch Bonnet or whatever hot pepper you like or can source or you know you can handle.

In a bowl add the curry powder, black pepper, ground roasted geera, garam masala, anchar masala and 1 cup of water. Mix well to combine. Then add the onion, ginger, garlic, Caribbean Green Seasoning and scotch bonnet pepper to the bowl and mix again.

Heat the oil in a deep/large pot on a medium flame and add the curry slurry we created. Allow this to cook uncovered for about 5-7 minutes. The goal is to burn off the liquid, until your spoon can divide the curry on the bottom of the pot (as explained in the video). The curry slurry will go to a darker color sort of paste.

At this point add the beef pieces. In the video I explained that I washed the cubed beef with the juice of a lemon (a lime or 1/2 cup of plain white vinegar will also work) and cool water. After which I drained it dry. Stir well to coat the beef pieces with that lovely curry base we created. Cover the pot and cook on a medium/low flame for 10-15 minutes.

It will spring it’s own natural juices.

Remove the lid and turn up the heat to medium/high. The goal is to burn off all of that liquid until we can see the oil we started with (hopefully). This will further infuse the pieces of beef with that curry base.

Add the pigeon peas to the pot. They were frozen peas, so I had them thawing in cool water, which I also used to give them a wash. Rinse and drain.

Mix well to coat the peas with the curry as we did with the pieces of beef. Then top with water and bring to a boil. Don’t forget to add the salt.

You’ll need to have some patience moving forward now as we want both the beef and peas tender. I mean falling apart with the use of our fork. This means we’ll bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to a rolling boil/simmer and cook anywhere from 2 hours to 2.5 hours.

I had the lid on slightly ajar and you’ll need to keep an eye on the liquid level in the event you need to add more water.

The two sort of personalization with the recipe is.. taste and adjust salt at the end and determine if the gravy’s consistency (thickness) is to your liking. I recommend that you use your spoon to crush some of the pigeon peas to help thicken the gravy. However, do keep in mind that the residual heat in the pot will further cook this and as it cools, it will thicken further.

Recipe Card

curry beef with pigeon peas
Print Recipe

Curry Beef with Pigeon Peas

Cuisine: ,
Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 1 hr Total Time 1 hr 20 mins
Diet:
B Beef

Description

A rich and comforting Caribbean curry made with seasoned beef and hearty pigeon peas simmered low and slow in bold spices until tender and flavorful.

Ingredients

Instructions

Video

  1. In a bowl, mix curry powder, black pepper, garam masala, roasted geera, anchar masala, and 1 cup water to form a slurry. Add onion, ginger, garlic, green seasoning, and scotch bonnet pepper. Stir well.

  2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the slurry and cook uncovered for 5–7 minutes until thickened and fragrant.

  3. Add washed beef cubes and stir to coat in curry mixture. Cover and cook over medium-low for 10–15 minutes.

  4. Remove lid and raise heat to medium-high. Cook until liquid evaporates and oil is visible again.

  5. Stir in rinsed pigeon peas. Add enough water to cover ingredients. Season with salt.Stir in rinsed pigeon peas. Add enough water to cover ingredients. Season with salt.

  6. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook partially covered for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

  7. Mash some peas to help thicken the curry. Simmer until gravy reaches desired consistency.

  8. Taste and adjust salt before serving. 

  9. Let rest 5–10 minutes before serving.

Note

Please use the video below to follow along as much more about the recipe is discussed there. I used a cheap cut of boneless beef, however I find that you get a deeper flavor by using beef with bones. Use as much Scotch Bonnet or whatever hot pepper you like or can source or you know you can handle.

Tell us what you think
Meat & Poultry

Incredible Curry Beef With Potato.

2 Comments on Incredible Curry Beef With Potato.

Curry Beef With Potato! Can Caribbean food get any better? Fork tender pieces of beef, potatoes falling apart to form a rich and thick gravy, the overall flavors of curry, herbs and the gentle kick of Caribbean Sunshine (scotch bonnet). Need I say more?

You’ll Need…

3 lbs stewing beef (cubed)
1/2 lemon (juice)
3/4 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1 tomato (diced)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Amchar Massala
1 tablespoon olive oil (for seasoning the beef)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced thin)
2 tablespoon veg or olive oil
1 medium onion (diced)
6-8 cloves garlic (diced)
2 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 cup water
6 medium potatoes (cut into 1/4’s)
3 cups water
1-2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

NOTE! I used boneless beef, but pieces with bones will give you a better flavor to the dish. With that in mind I added some oil to the beef when I seasoned it, to compensate for the lack of fat. Additionally (important) If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the complete list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use as some may contain flour as a filler. Use as much (or none) Scotch Bonnet as you like.

Cut the beef into 1-1.5 inch pieces and wash with lemon juice and cool water. Drain dry and season with the salt, black pepper, Caribbean Green Seasoning, scotch bonnet, olive oil (1 tablespoon), tomato and Amchar Masala. Stir well and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour. If you can’t source Amchar Masala, use roasted ground cumin.

Heat your pot (something heavy works best IMHO) on a medium flame, go in with the 2 tablespoon veg (or olive) oil, turn the heat down to low and add the onion and garlic. Cook on low for 2-3 minutes. As it cooks, add the curry powder to the 1/4 cup of water and stir to form a slurry (set aside).

Add the curry slurry to the pot (heat on medium now) and stir. Cook for about 3-4 minutes to cook off the rawness of the curry and to bloom the spices which makes up a good curry powder. It will go dark and start to clump.

Turn the heat to medium / high now and start adding the seasoned beef to the pot. Stir to coat and pick up the curry base we created. Yes, you can add the marinade to the pot too. In the same bowl you marinated the beef, add the water and stir (set aside for later).

Place a lid on the pot (once it comes to a boil), heat down to low and cook for about 10-12 minutes.

Remove the lid, crank the heat up to high to burn off all the liquid it would have sprouted naturally. It may take up to 5 -7 minutes to get back to the oil we started off with (at the bottom of the pan).

Add the potatoes and stir to coat. Then add the water we had reserved in the bowl. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, lid on and simmer for 45-50 minutes or until the beef is tender.

Taste for salt and adjust and get the gravy to the consistency you like (cook longer if it’s too thin). If the beef is not tender, you may need to cook on low for 30 minutes more. Add more water if necessary. Toss in the cilantro as you turn off the heat.

This curry beef with potato is an excellent way to put cheaper cuts of beef to use. Adding the potatoes is a means of stretching this dish to feed more people… something mom would do when we were kids and she had to feed the entire family.

Meat & Poultry

Curry Beef With Chickpeas And Potato.

3 Comments on Curry Beef With Chickpeas And Potato.

curry beef chickpeas (11)

We’ve done channa and aloo (chickpeas and potato) fully vegetarian, with added flavor by adding chicken to the mix and in this recipe we’ll follow the same technique for cooking this tasty curry dish, but we’ll add another unique flavor and texture by starting with a curry beef base. As we’ve discussed in previous posts using chickpeas / garbanzo beans are commonly known as channa in the Southern Caribbean, where there’s a stronger East Indian influence.

You’ll Need…

3/4 lbs stewing beef (cubed)
1 tomato
2 cups water
1 can chickpeas (rinsed/drained)
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 heaping tablespoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ketchup
1 shallot
2 scallions (green onions – green part)
2 large potatoes
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon garam masalla
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (to your liking)

Notes: you can use a small onion and 4 cloves of garlic if you don’t have the shallot. And finish up with shado beni or cilantro instead of the scallions as I did.

curry beef chickpeas (1)

Start by seasoning the beef with the salt, black pepper, tomato, Scotch bonnet (no seeds or white membrane surrounding the seeds as that’s where the real fire is), green seasoning, garam masalla (optional) and ketchup. Yes, KETCHUP.. the acidity and sweetness works well in  the marinade. Mix and allow to marinate for a couple hours in the fridge.

curry beef chickpeas (2)

Heat the veg oil on a medium flame and add the shallot.. turn the heat down to low and cook gently for 3-4 minutes. Then add the curry powder (your fav – I used a Madras blend out of the Caribbean). heat still on low.. toast the curry to release all the flavors of the spices which make up the curry mix.

curry beef chickpeas (3)

It will go darker, grainy and your kitchen should have that lovely aroma of curry. This step allows for the curry to cook of any ‘raw’ taste and create a wonderful flavor base for the dish. After 4-5 five mins on low, turn the heat up to high and start adding the marinated pieces of beef. Yes, it’s fine if the marinade goes into the pot as well. In the same bowl you marinated the beef, pour in the water and move it around to pick up all the goodness left behind – hang on to this.

curry beef chickpeas (4)

curry beef chickpeas (5)

After you’ve mixed it well and deglaze the bottom of the pan with the seasoned beef, place the lid on the pot and bring to a boil. It will release it’s own juices. Then reduce to a simmer (lid slightly ajar) and cook for 12-15 minutes.

curry beef chickpeas (7)

It’s now time to intensify the ‘curry’ flavor by infusing it into the beef. So turn up the heat and burn off all the liquid (lid off). You should be able to see the veg oil you started with at the bottom of the pan.

curry beef chickpeas (8)

Now add the cubed potato (fairly large pieces), the drained and rinsed canned chickpeas and stir well. Heat still on high, now add the water we had in the bowl we marinated the beef in. Bring to a boil.

curry beef chickpeas (9)

curry beef chickpeas (10)

Stir well, place the lid on the pot and reduce to a simmer (when it comes to a boil) and let it cook until the pieces of beef are fork tender – about 1 hour. Then remove the lid, crank up the heat so you can get the gravy to the desired thickness you like. To help thicken things you can crush some of the chickpeas and potato with the back of your spoon. Remember to taste for salt and adjust according and do keep in mind that as it cools it will thicken naturally a bit.

curry beef chickpeas (12)

Garnish with chopped scallion.. cilantro or shado beni (culantro) is much better for garnishing, but I was completely out of it. This is awesome served with hot roti, rice or any of your fav flat breads and/or rice.

Gluten Free Meat & Poultry

Curry Beef or Beef Curry?

48 Comments on Curry Beef or Beef Curry?

curry beef
I do apologize for being an absent chef the past couple weeks. As mentioned in my last post we were off to Trinidad and Tobago for my sister’s wedding and for a short vacation. And though I had all intention to cook and blog while we were there, there was so much to see and do that I got side tracked. Plus, the MAC computer I had access to, didn’t allow for me to upload my pics via a card reader and I totally forgot to pack my firewire to connect the camera directly.

Curry beef is not something we grew up on, actually the first time I ever tasted curry beef was when I lived with my aunt after first moving to Canada. To date I can probably count the number of times I’ve had curry beef. Not as if I don’t like it, it’s just that I grew up with a taste for stew beef. Looks like I may have to cook this more often as both Indy and Tehya both enjoyed dinner tonight.

You’ll Need…

1 1/2 lbs cubed beef
3/4 teaspoon salt
dash of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon roasted Geera (powder)
2 table spoon curry powder (madras)
1 onion separated (1/2s) – diced
2-3 cloves of garlic – crushed/chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
2 cups water
1 tomato diced
1 tablespoon green seasoning
2 leaves of shado beni (shandon beni)
1 teaspoon ketchup
1/4 hot pepper (I use habanero) Don’t include seeds if you’re afraid of some heat.
1 lime or lemon (juice) to wash the cubed beef before seasoning

Tip: If you don’t have the green seasoning, simply use 1 scallion chopped, a pimento pepper if you have access to one, 1 table spoon thyme, 1 table spoon celery chopped fine, 2 tablespoons cilantro. NOTE: If doing this recipe gluten free, be sure to read the label of the curry powder you plan on using to ensure it meets with your specific gluten free diet. Some curry powder contains flour as a filler.

Start by cutting the beef into 1 inch cubes and then pour the lime or lemon juice over it and rinse with running water. Squeeze off all excess water then season with the… tomato, salt, black pepper, green seasoning, 1/2 of the onion, ketchup, shando beni and roasted geera. Stir well and allow to marinate for about 1 hour.

cubed beef for curry

trini beef curry

curry beef

In a heavy pot, heat the oil on medium to high heat (in the pic I’m using the new iron pot I purchased on my trip.. notice how shiny it is?), then add the remaining onion, garlic and pieces of hot pepper. Allow this to cook for a couple minutes. In the meantime, in a small bowl put the curry powder and add 2 table spoons of  water. Stir to form a paste. Then add this paste to the semi cooked onion / garlic and allow this to cook for a few minutes.

guyana beef curry

how to curry beef

caribbean curry recipe

trini curry beef

Now that the curry is cooked a bit, start adding the seasoned pieces of beef and give it a good stir. Bring it to a boil, then cover and turn down the heat to low. You will notice that a lot of natural liquid will form. That’s ok, we’ll use those wonderful juices in the first step of cooking. After you’ve emptied the bowl with the seasoned beef, pour in the 2 cups of water into it and try to pick up all the remaining bits of seasoning… we’ll use this later on.

spicy curry beef recipe

beef curry

Allow this to cook for about 25 minutes covered, then remove the cover and turn the heat back up to high. we want to burn off all the liquid that was released. Stir so it doesn’t burn and when you can see the pot’s bottom dry, add the 2 cups of water we prepared earlier in the bowl that had the seasoned beef. Stir, bring to a boil and reduce the heat back to low. I like my curry beef very tender, so I usually allow it to cook for about another 40 minutes or so.

trinidad curry beef

beef curry sauce

After the 40 minutes or so feel free to check for salt (you may need to add more if you like a lot of salt) and bring the gravy to a thickness you like. if you find that it’s still a bit runny, turn up the heat to allow it to thicken. TIP. If you’d like you can add a couple cubed potatoes the final 25 minutes, but you may need to add a little more salt. Makes for a great curry potato and beef, the kind you’d find when you purchase a beef roti.

caribbean curry beef recipe

curry beef with rice

There you go, a simple and tasty curry beef that’s great on rice or as a side for roti… or to enjoyed as you please. Remember to leave me your comments below.