Bowl of Beef Mince Curry
(click to enlarge)

Beef Mince Curry


Tanzania   -   Mchuzi wa Keema

Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  
3-1/2 #
***
1-3/4 hrs
Yes
This delicious Beef Curry, with short cooking time, is from Tanzania on the east coast of Africa. It reheats very well, but see Comments

10
7
1-3/4
4
11
1/2
4
1/3
1/3
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2
3
3
4
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2
1
1
1/2
1/2
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3
1/2
1/2
1/2
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ar
-------
ar

oz
oz
#
oz
oz
c
cl
in
c
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in



---
t
t
T
t
t
---
T
c
T
T
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Beef, ground (1)
Onions
Tomatoes, ripe
Tomato Sauce (2)
Potatoes (3)
Peas, Frozen
Garlic
Ginger Root
Cilantro
-- Spices #1
Cinnamon
Cloves
Cardamom pod
Peppercorns blk
-- Spices #2
Cumin Seed
Coriander Seed
Curry Powder (4)  
Turmeric
Chili Powder (5)
----------------
Oil
Water
Salt
Lime Juice
-- Garnish
Cilantro
-- Serve with
Steamed Rice

Prep   -   (1 hr)
  1. Chop GROUND BEEF well to make sure it isn't stringy.
  2. Quarter ONIONS lengthwise and slice thin crosswise.
  3. Scald TOMATOES one minute in boiling water. Quench in cold water and peel. Chop fine.
  4. Mix Tomato Sauce with Tomatoes.
  5. Peel POTATOES and cut into 3/4 inch cubes. Place in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. This is to keep acid in the Tomatoes from hardening the potato cubes.
  6. Thaw PEAS.
  7. Crush GARLIC and chop fine, Slice GINGER very thin. cut the slices into threads and chop threads fine. Mix.
  8. Chop CILANTRO coarse. Measure out 1/4 cup for the recipe and set the rest aside for Garnish. Measure is after chopping and moderately packed.
  9. Squeeze Lime Juice.
  10. Mix all Spices #1 items.
  11. Mix all Spices #2 items.
Run   -   (40 min)
  1. In a spacious sauté pan (3-1/2 qt) or similar, heat Oil and fry Spices #1 mix for about a minute, but don't burn.
  2. Add Onions to the pan and fry stirring until just starting to brown.
  3. Stir in Garlic mix until garlic is fragrant.
  4. Stir in Tomato mix and stir well, then stir in Spices #2 mix. and 1/4 cup Cilantro. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for about 4 minutes.
  5. Stir in Beef, Potatoes, Water and Salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
  6. Check liquid and seasoning. Adjust if needed.
  7. Stir in Frozen Peas and simmer about 3 minutes
  8. Stir in Lime Juice and turn off the heat.
  9. Serve hot, garnished with Cilantro, and with plenty of Steamed Jasmine Rice.
NOTES:
  1. Beef, Ground:

      [Minced Beef (UK]   For best flavor use 73% lean, but certainly not above 83% lean. Don't worry, the Low Fat Diet has been completely discredited as a fraud from the get-go.
  2. Tomato Sauce:

      Rather than using 1 T tomato paste called for the in recipes, I like to add a larger amount of a very simple tomato sauce, which helps make up for deficient tomatoes. My favorite is Faraon Spanish Style, but other simple sauces will also work, even Goya Spanish Style, if you aren't still boycotting them for enthusiastically endorsing Trump on TV.
  3. Potatoes:

      White Rose or similar work well in recipes of this sort. Avoid Klondike Gold type potatoes - they turn to mush if cooked a little more than the minimum. For details see our Potatoes page.
  4. Curry Powder:

      Our Zanzibar Curry Powder would be appropriate, but, Tanzania was under British rule long enough you could be excused for using Madras Curry Powder.
  5. Chili Powder:

      Here is where you control hotness. Peri-peri is African, but extremely hot. I usually use Indian Khandela or Reshampatti, which are more moderate. Korean or Aleppo would be less hot. For details see our Chili Powders & Flake page.
  6. Comments:

      This stew is just as delicious reheated, but the Green Peas will not be bright green. If making ahead for buffet, hold the peas until reheating for serving.
  7. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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