like a version: easy beef curry

I'm going to do a recipe every now and then with the title "Like a Version". It will be a homage in spirit, but perhaps not in detail to its original version. Because I like to cut corners. And I don't have time to be zesting, reducing and braising when I could be drinking coffee, reading a home magazine or watching Mad Men.

Easy Beef Curry



The original recipe comes from "How a Pressure Cooker Saved My Life" by Juanita Phillips. You can use a pressure cooker if you have one, but you could just as easily cook it on your stove top or oven, casserole style.

Cube chuck steak, banana and apple....stay with me friends, it DOES work.

You'll need these, above. You're finding out all my dirty secrets now...minced garlic in a jar! powdered stock! curry powder! Quelle horreur!

Soften a large onion and garlic in the olive oil, then add curry powder or paste.

Next add the banana, apple and chutney.

Add stock, diced tomato and beef and bring to a simmer.

If using a pressure cooker, sit the tomato paste on top {tomato paste will burn to the bottom if you mix it in}

Pop the lid on and follow directions as listed below.

Once cooking time is completed, stir in the can of coconut milk and serve with rice and/or greens.

The banana and apple make it slightly sweet which takes the bite out of the curry, this suits the Goofballs really well. If you like it spicier, I guess you could just add extra curry paste...but don't leave out the banana and apple, it's amazing.

Using the pressure cooker, this meal from start to finish takes 30 mins to make. Yipee!

The original recipe didn't include the diced tomato and it also asked that the beef be seared in a different dish and then added. We know I'm far too lazy for that, so I just chucked it in raw and it was still beautifully flavoursome and tender. I heard Jamie Oliver say once that it doesn't make any difference whether it's seared or not and I'm keen to believe him.

Here's the recipe:

Easy Beef Curry

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 teaspoons crushed garlic (= 2 cloves)

2 teaspoons curry powder or curry paste

1 cup beef stock

2 tablespoons fruit chutney

1 apple, chopped, skin on

1 banana, chopped.

1 kg diced beef (blade or chuck)

1 can diced tomato

2 tablespoons tomato paste

200ml light coconut milk

NB: If using pressure cooker, once you've reached "pressure" and the red button pops, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes and allow natural release i.e. don't vent the steam in advance.

Meredy xo.