Nadan Beef Curry Kerala Style

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Slow cooked Nadan Beef Curry Kerala Style – chunks of tender beef in a spicy, aromatic Kerala sauce.

Bursting with authentic Kerala flavours of curry leaves, black pepper, fennel seeds and tamarind.

Create the unique and complex flavours of a Kerala curry. All you need is ten minutes prep, fresh curry leaves, Indian spices and a few basic ingredients.

Slow cook in the oven, on the stovetop or in a crock pot and you’ll have beautifully tender beef which melts in your mouth.

Beef Madras and Chicken Balti are popular curries here at the Kitchen Shed, both rated highly by family and readers. But, more and more people are telling us how much they just love the flavours of our Kerala Chicken Curry.

On the back of the Kerala Chicken, I wanted to make a beef curry with South Indian flavours too. I chose to omit coconut milk, letting the flavour come from coconut oil used for gently frying spices and onions.

So after several recipe tests and a few further tweaks, my take on Beef Kerala was on the menu. Taste tasted by family and friends during development, the final recipe got the thumbs up from all my tasters.

So why not spice up your dinner table with this aromatic and flavourful Kerala Style Beef Curry ? Serve with homemade naan bread and rice or maybe add some easy Bombay Potatoes.

Whichever way you serve it, you’re able to forget all about Indian takeaway menus and supermarket ready meals.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Here’s why this is the best Nadan Beef Curry recipe.

• Authentic Kerala flavours – we’re not talking any old generic beef curry. Each mouthful excites your tastebuds as the layers of authentic Kerala spices unfold. Aromatic curry leaves combine with tamarind to give that umami flavour of a special dish.
• Easy to make – with clear instructions and step by step photographs.
• It’s adaptable – add a bit more heat or tone it down with more or less green chilli.
• Easy cooking – choose from simmering on the hob, cooking in the oven or set and forget in your slow cooker.

What equipment do I need ?

• Deep casserole pan or Dutch Oven or a 4 to 6 person slow cooker. I use either an enamelled cast iron casserole or my 4.7 litre Crock Pot.

What ingredients do I need ?

• Coconut oil – gives the curry its coconut flavour but you can substitute with vegetable oil.
• Black mustard seeds – these tiny black mustard seeds are peppery and add a warming heat to the Nadan Beef Curry.
• Fennel seeds – an essential Kerala spice.
• Curry leaves – I used fresh curry leaves. Don’t be tempted to use dried curry leaves, they simply don’t deliver on flavour.
• Onion – I used sliced red onions.
• Salt – I used sea salt.
• Garlic, tomato paste, green chillies and fresh ginger form the body for the spicy tomato based sauce.
• Black pepper – it’s best to grind your black pepper for a fresher flavour.
• Turmeric – known for its earthy flavour.
• Kashmiri chilli powder – gives the Kerala curry its characteristic red colour. Alternatively, substitute with paprika.
• Ground coriander – full of nutty, citrus flavours and an essential Indian curry spice.
• Garam masala – this Indian spice blend is an aromatic mixture of spices including cardamom and cinnamon, essential in a Kerala curry.
• Tamarind – gives a Kerala curry its classic tart, almost tangy note. I used tamarind paste as it’s easier to find in the supermarket. If you can’t find Tamarind paste where you live you can use lemon juice instead.
• Beef – I used chuck steak but any beef labelled as suitable for stewing such as braising steak or brisket.
• Tomatoes – I used a tin of good quality plum tomatoes, alternatively use fresh tomatoes.

How to make Nadan Beef Curry Kerala Style

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for full details.

• With your pan over a medium heat, add the coconut oil. When it’s nice and hot, add the mustard seeds, fennel seeds and curry leaves.
• When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the diced onion and salt. Cook until the onion has softened.

• Add the green chilli, garlic, ginger, ground spices and tamarind. Cook out for a couple of minutes.
• Add the chuck steak pieces and coat with the spicy onion mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Add the tomatoes and water and cook until your beef is nice and tender. That’s either over a low heat on the stovetop or on low in an oven.
• Serve with basmati rice and naan bread or roti.

How to make Slow Cooker Nadan Beef Curry Kerala Style

Follow the instructions for the stove top until you have beef and onions coated in oil and spices.
Transfer the spicy beef and onion mixture to the slow cooker.
Add the tomatoes and water and cook for 4 hours on high.

Recipe FAQs

More Indian Style Curry Recipes

• Kerala Chicken Curry
• Beef Madras
• Chicken Balti Curry
• Slow Cooker Chicken Jalfrezi

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Nadan Beef Curry Kerala Style

Slow cooked Nadan Beef Curry Kerala Style – chunks of tender beef in a spicy, aromatic Kerala sauce.

Bursting with authentic Kerala flavours of curry leaves, black pepper, fennel seeds and tamarind.

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5 from 44 votes

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Course: Main

Cuisine: South Indian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 440kcal

Author: Sarah James

Equipment

• Enamelled cast iron casserole or Dutch Oven or 4 to 6 person slow cooker

Ingredients

• 2 tbs coconut oil
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 10 curry leaves
• 2 red onions – sliced
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 green chillies – chopped
• 4 garlic cloves – crushed
• 3 tsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbs tamarind paste
• 1 kg chuck steak or stewing beef cut into large chunks
• 1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes or 3 large ripe tomatoes chopped
• 250 ml water or if using the slow cooker method 125 ml

MetricUS Customary

1x2x3x

Instructions

Stove Top or Oven Method

• Preheat oven to 160°C / 140°C fan / 325 °F / Gas Mark 3.
• With your pan over a medium heat, add the coconut oil. When it’s nice and hot, add the mustard seeds, fennel seeds and curry leaves.
• As the mustard seeds start to pop, add the diced onion and salt. Cook until the onion has softened – about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add the green chilli, garlic, ginger, the ground spices and tamarind. Cook through for a couple of minutes.
• Add the chuck steak pieces and coat with the spicy onion mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the tomatoes and 250 ml water and stir.
• Simmer on low a heat on the stove top or cook in the oven for 3 to 3 ½ hours until your beef is nice and tender.
• Remove the lid for the last 20 minutes of cooking to reduce the curry sauce if required.

Slow Cooker Method

• Grease the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray.
• Follow instructions for stove top method from 2 to 5
• Transfer to the slow cooker.
• Add tomatoes and 125 ml water and stir.
• Cook on low setting for 8 hours or on high setting for 4 hours. If you want a thicker consistency of curry, cook on high for 30 minutes with the lid off at the end of cooking.

Notes

• Cooking time is for stovetop or oven, slow cooker times are 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
• For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
• Serve with basmati rice and naan bread or roti.
• To store: Cool the Kerala Style Beef completely and then portion into airtight food safe containers. It can be kept for up to 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
• To Reheat: Defrost overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a pan on the stovetop over a medium to low heat for about 10 minutes. Check the beef is piping hot all the way through before serving.
• Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 555mg | Potassium: 699mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 421IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 4mg