Living in Southern California, you hardly see the seasons change and for the last few years, it seemed like we were going straight from summer to a mild winter with 80 degrees F temperatures on Thanksgiving Day. With the weather being as it is, we hardly get a chance to complement our fall season with hearty warm dishes and stews.
It has finally started to cool a bit and we are getting some relief from the heat, at last I can start to feature my stew like dishes for the rest of this month. Today I have something a little more eclectic with an Asian style curry that slow cooks for hours like your typical stew. I hope you like this Coconut Beef Curry Recipe with Cherry Tomatoes. I paired it with Cilantro Lime Rice for a wonderful combination of flavors that is absolutely yum!
Coconut Beef Curry with Cherry Tomatoes & Cilantro Lime Rice
Coconut Beef Curry with Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1.5 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 2″ pieces
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, cut into wedges
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
13.5 ounces canned coconut milk
1 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped in chunks (may substitute red or orange bell pepper)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Optional, fresh cilantro for garnish, chopped
Method
Preheat oven to 275°F
Add oil to a Dutch oven or oven safe pot and warm over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper beef and brown on all sides. Work in batches if necessary. Remove from pan, set aside, covered.
Sauté onions in the pan for about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium and add garlic to cook for 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, garlic, ginger, curry powder and cayenne and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
Add coconut milk and brown sugar and stir until combined well.
Taste and adjust seasonings to taste. (You may need more salt)
Add browned beef back to pan, stir to combine all together well. Cover and cook at 275°F for at least 3 hours (4-5 hours is even more tender beef).
Add bell pepper and tomatoes for final 15 minutes of cooking.
Serve over jasmine rice or Cilantro Lime Rice.
Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro if desired.
Note, that this dish reheats well and can be prepared days ahead of time.
Adapted from AllYou.com.
Cilantro Lime Rice
Ingredients
1 cup extra-long grain rice or basmati rice
1/2 lime, juice
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
3 tsp vegetable oil
Method
In a small heavy pot, add rice, water, 1 tsp oil and salt. Boil on high until most of the water evaporates. When the water just skims the top of the rice, reduce to low and cover about 15 minutes. Shut off flame and keep covered an additional 5 minute.
In a bowl, combine chopped cilantro, lime juice and oil. Pour the mixture into your pot of rice and toss until completely mixed.