Thattukada-Style Beef Curry

There is something very satisfying about a good thattukada curry. Nothing fancy, just beef, onions, spices and enough coconut oil to make everything behave properly. The spices are ground together rather than added separately, which gives the curry a deep, rounded flavour as they cook down with the onions and beef. The final result is thick, spicy and gloriously messy, exactly what you want alongside a flaky parotta or a pile of puttu.

Ingredients

For the beef

• 500 g beef, preferably Kerala cut, bone-in

• Salt, to taste

• 1 cup hot water

For the masala

• 1 tbsp ginger, roughly chopped

• 10 cloves garlic

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½ tbsp chilli powder, or more if you want it really spicy

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds

• ¼ tsp turmeric powder

• ½ tsp fennel seeds

• 2 green cardamom pods

• 1 star anise

• 2-inch piece cinnamon

• 2 cloves

For cooking

• 2 large onions, finely sliced

• 1-inch piece ginger, finely chopped

• 2 green chillies, slit

• 1 sprig curry leaves

• 2–3 tbsp coconut oil

• Salt, to taste

Method

Prepare the masala
Add the ginger, garlic, black pepper, chilli powder, coriander seeds, turmeric, fennel seeds, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon and cloves to a blender or mortar.
Grind into a coarse paste, adding a splash of water only if absolutely necessary. Keep aside.

Build the curry
Heat the coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed kadhai over medium heat.
Add the sliced onions, chopped ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Season lightly with salt.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and deeply golden brown. Don't rush this step. The onions are doing a lot of the work when it comes to the colour and sweetness of the curry.
Add the ground masala and fry over medium heat until the raw smell disappears and the oil begins to separate from the masala.

Cook the beef
Add the beef and mix thoroughly, making sure every piece is coated in the masala.
Add 1 cup of hot water and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat, cover and cook until the beef is completely tender. Depending on the cut, this can take anywhere from 1 hour to 2½ hours. Stir occasionally and add a little more hot water if the curry starts drying out before the beef is cooked.
Once the beef is tender, remove the lid and continue cooking until the excess liquid evaporates and the gravy becomes thick and coats the meat.
Taste and adjust the salt.
Serve hot with Kerala parotta, puttu or rice.