Nadan Beef Ularthiyathu

Ingredients

• 800 g beef chuck, cut into 2 cm cubes
• 350 g shallots, sliced
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 3 sprigs curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp fennel powder
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 60 ml water
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 80 g fresh coconut, sliced into thin chips

Before you cook

• Trim the beef and cut it into even 2 cm cubes.
• Slice the shallots and keep them in two piles, one for cooking the beef and one for roasting.
• Slice the fresh coconut into thin chips about the size of a fingernail.

Steps

1. Put the beef into a pressure cooker with half the shallots, the ginger, garlic, green chillies, one sprig of curry leaves, the turmeric, coriander, chilli powder, pepper, one teaspoon of the garam masala, the fennel powder, the salt and 60 ml of water.
2. Stir until every cube is coated in the dark spice mix.
3. Close the cooker and cook on medium heat for five whistles, then let the pressure fall on its own.
4. Open the cooker and, if there is loose gravy, boil it hard uncovered until the beef sits in a thick paste.
5. Heat the coconut oil in a wide heavy pan over medium heat and add the mustard seeds.
6. When they pop, add the coconut chips and fry for two minutes, until they turn the colour of pale honey.
7. Add the remaining shallots with two sprigs of curry leaves and fry for five minutes, until the shallots go soft and brown at the edges.
8. Tip in the cooked beef and fold it through the coconut and shallots.
9. Turn the heat low and roast the beef for fifteen minutes, scraping the base and turning the meat every couple of minutes.
10. Keep going until the pieces are dark, dry and lightly crusted and the oil separates around them.
11. Sprinkle over the last half teaspoon of garam masala and roast for two minutes more.
12. Serve hot with kappa, appam or rice.