This is another in my 30 minute curry series that ticks all the boxes in next to no time. My 30 Minute Beef Madras is not only quick to make but tastes just as good as the takeaway if not better. Following I'm going to show you how it's done and also give you a few tips on how you can make your beef Madras even better.
About This 30 Minute Beef Madras Recipe
This 30 Minute Beef Madras curry is quite similar to the Madras curries you find at the restaurants. It is, however slightly different as I use coconut milk in the sauce. Curry house style Beef Madras doesn't usually have coconut milk in it but as the original was based on South Indian cooking, I wanted to give it a go.
If you are a real stickler to keeping things as they are at your favourite restaurant, you can skip the coconut milk and just add a little more stock. I do hope you try the coconut version though.
How do you serve this 30 Minute Beef Madras Curry?
As with most curry house style curries, you want a good amount of sauce/gravy. You'll get that with this recipe, making it the perfect curry to serve with any of the following.
Fresh naan – If you like to scoop up your curry with bread like I do, try these Chili Cheese Naans, Cheese Naans, Easy Naan recipe and Keema Naan!
Basmati rice – simple and classic... Good, perfectly cooked rice is really all you need. Here's my no-fail recipe for Basmati rice.
Ingredients
Using the freshest ingredients in this Beef Madras recipe makes all the difference. Below, you will see the ingredients laid out along with.a list. Exact measurements and quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page. Make sure to have everything ready and prepared before you start cooking for best results.
See recipe card for quantities.
- Onions
- Rapeseed (canola) oil or ghee
- Tender beef
- Kashmiri chilli powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Juice of one lime
- Dried Kashmiri chilies
- Green cardamom pods
- Garlic and ginger paste
- Green finger chilies
- Passata
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- Ground turmeric
- Garam masala or Madras curry powder
- Chicken stock or water
- Lime pickle or smooth mango chutney
- Thick coconut milk (optional)
- Kasoori methi
- Salt to taste
- Fresh cilantro (coriander)
- Limes
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
I have included the following step by step photos so that you can see just how easy it is to make this 30 Minute Beef Madras.
- Step 1: Place the diced beef in a bowl and add the lime juice, one teaspoon Kashmiri chillies powder, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Let marinate for 30 minutes to 4 hours or if in a rush, you can go straight to cooking.
- Step 2: Blend the onions until you have a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Step 3: Add two tablespoons of oil or ghee to a pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the beef for 4 minutes on one side and then turn to cook for another 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. It might not be completely cooked through at this stage.
- Step 4: Returning to your pan, heat two more tablespoons oil or ghee over a medium-high heat and let the spices flavour the oil for about 30 seconds, stirring regularly.
- Step 5: Pour in the blended onions and fry for about 7 minutes or until they are turning a light, golden brown. Then stir in the garlic and ginger paste and the chopped chillies. Stir and fry for another minute or so.
- Step 6: Add the remaining spices and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Step 7: Pour in the Passata and stock and bring to a simmer.
- Step 8: Return the beef to the pan and stir it in. Cover the pan and let it simmer over a medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- Step 9: There you have it. Serve with rice, naans and/or chapatis. Garnish with the chopped coriander and don’t forget the lime wedges which can be squeezed over the curry to taste at the table.
Hint: Use tender beef to make it a 30 minute recipe! Sirloin or ribeye will work best for this recipe, or use a cheaper cut of meat and cook for 20 minutes longer.
Which cut of beef should I use?
For this recipe, use tender beef like sirloin or ribeye for a quick 30-minute cook. This makes it a very luxurious curry but still makes it cheaper and quicker than a takeaway! Cheaper cuts work too, but will need an extra 20 minutes simmering in the sauce to become tender and flavorful.
Variations
Dial up the heat: Add some naga pickle or a pinch of ghost chilli powder if you like it really hot. Beef Madras is not normally the spiciest curry out there but there's no reason why it can't be.
Swap the protein: Try my 30 Minute Chicken Madras here! This works brilliantly with prawns, lamb, paneer or tofu. Adjust cooking times accordingly. Lamb might take a bit longer to cook, but if you cut the meat small as I do in this 30 minute rogan josh, you should still be able to cook the meat deliciously tender in 30 minutes.
Equipment
You don't need any special equipment to make this 30 minute beef madras curry. I used a large frying pan to show you can cook a great curry with whatever you have. That said, the best pans for hot curries and high-heat frying are a carbon steel wok, heavy-based frying pan, or a cast iron skillet — all hold heat well and give you that proper sizzle and flavour.
Serving Size (Serves 4)
This recipe is written to serve 4. Most of the time, we cook for 2 and enjoy the leftovers the next day - it makes the effort of cooking something fresh and delicious even more worthwhile. If you’re feeding 5 or 6, you can easily double the recipe, or sometimes it’s as simple as adding an extra piece of protein and adjusting the sides. Make it yours, enjoy the process, and don’t stress about being exact.
Note: Nutritional information provided in the recipe card below is a rough guide only. Values can vary depending on the exact ingredients and quantities you use.
Storage
You can store any leftover beef madras in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. In fact, as it rests in the fridge, the flavours will develop and it will get even better. You can reheat it in your microwave or pour it all back into a pan and heat it over a medium heat until hot.
Top Tip
Work Ahead - As nice as it is to make a beef madras fast that also happens to taste amazing, you can work ahead for even better results. Make your 30 minute beef madras a day ahead of serving. The flavors will develop and it will taste even better.
FAQ
Absolutely. Like most curries, this one tastes even better after a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to bring it back to life.
You can also freeze it. Just let it cool, portion it up, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly and reheat until piping hot.
More 30 Minute Curries...
Rice and Naan
More categories for you to explore...
Recipe
30 Minute Beef Madras
This is another in my 30 minute curry series that ticks all the boxes in next to no time. My 30 Minute Beef Madras is not only quick to make but tastes just as good as the takeaway if not better.
Ingredients
- 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
- 4 tablespoon rapeseed (canola) oil or ghee
- 1lb 3oz (600g) tender beef cut into bite sized pieces (see notes)
- 1 to 2 tablespoon Kashmiri chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Juice of one lime
- 3 dried Kashmiri chilies
- 3 green cardamom pods, lightly bruised
- 1.5 inch cinnamon stick
- 3 tablespoon garlic and ginger paste
- 3 green finger chilies, finely chopped
- 1 cup (250ml) passata
- 2 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoon garam masala or Madras curry powder
- 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock or water
- 1 tablespoon lime pickle or smooth mango chutney
- 5 tablespoon thick coconut milk (optional)
- 1 tablespoon kasoori methi
- Salt to taste
- 3 tablespoon fresh cilantro (coriander), finely chopped
- 2 limes, quartered
Instructions
- Place the roughly chopped onions in a blender and blend to a smooth paste. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, mix the beef with one teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder, the salt, pepper and lime juice. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. If you're in a rush, you can go straight to cooking.
- When ready to cook, add one tablespoon oil or ghee to a pan over a medium-high heat. When sizzling hot, add the beef and cook it until browned all over (about 10 minutes). Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside. The beef may not be completely cooked through at this stage.
- Now add another 2 to 3 tablespoons oil or ghee to your pan over a medium-high heat and let the dried chillies, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick flavour the oil for about 30 seconds, stirring regularly then pour in the blended onions. Fry for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring regularly until the onions are turning a golden brown.
- Add the chopped chillies and garlic and ginger paste and fry for another minute before adding the ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala and remaining Kashmiri chilli powder. If you are at all concerned about the spice level, add only a small amount of chilli powder. You can always add more later.
- Stir in the passata and stock or water and bring to a simmer. Then return the meat to the pan and stir it in so that it is completely coated with the sauce.
- Cover the pan and simmer over a medium heat for about 10 minutes. If the sauce is looking too dry, you can add a drop more stock or water.
- After 10 minutes of gently simmering, remove the lid and stir in the lime pickle or mango chutney. Add mango chutney if you like a sweeter flavour.
- If adding the coconut milk, you can swirl that in now. Season with salt to taste. Add the Kasoori methi by rubbing it between your fingers over the sauce.
- Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve with the lime wedges, rice and/or naans.
Notes
For this recipe, use tender beef like sirloin or ribeye for a quick 30-minute cook. Cheaper cuts work too, but will need an extra 20 minutes simmering in the sauce to become tender and flavorful.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 892Total Fat: 58gSaturated Fat: 16gUnsaturated Fat: 42gCholesterol: 167mgSodium: 1991mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 58g
Have you tried this recipe?
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Richard McDonald says
How many medium onions please?
Joe says
Hi, It is 2 onions. I have correct3ed this on the recipe card now. Apologies this was not there.