Here is a slow cooker beef curry that will blow your mind. A coconutty-peanut base it lends itself more to the south East Asian style curry that go so well with melt in the mouth beef. Made even easier by cheating and using a pre-made spice paste (I like to use Pataks madras paste) the rest is up to the slow cooker. There is something so good about walking in to a house smelling of a slow cooker meal and this will not disappoint.
Prep time 20mins
Cooking time 6-7hrs
400g beef shin or braising steak (try to get whole steaks rather then already diced, that way you can cut it in to extra big chunks, although diced is fine if that's all that's available)
2tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
70g Madras curry paste, I use Pataks
1 x 400g tin of coconut milk
2tbsp smooth peanut butter
500g new potatoes
2 or 3 red Birdseye chillis, split or pierced (add according to depending on personal spice tolerance)
20g (or a small bunch) fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Juice of half a lime
Large handful of spinach
Steamed basmati rice
1. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.
2. In a frying pan add the oil and on a high heat add the beef shin and brown on all sides, remove and put in to your slow cooker.
3. In the same pan, turn the heat down to medium and add a drizzle more olive oil or water if the pan is too dry and add the sliced onion. Cook gently for 10mins until soft and translucent, don't let them burn.
4. Now add the curry paste and 100ml of water in to the pan with the onions, cook this gently until the paste is fragrant and most of the water has disappeared.
5. Next up add the coconut milk and peanut butter to the pan, stir well until it's all combined. Cook for a minute and then add to the slow cooker.
6. Now add the new potatoes, red chillis and 2/3rds or your chopped coriander.
7. Give everything a good stir and then put the lid on and cook on high for 5-6 hours until the meat is soft and the potatoes are cooked. If you don't have a high setting then cook on low for 7-8hours.
(or set your pressure cooker to cook for 45mins)
8. After the cooking time is up and the meat is nice and soft add the lime juice and stir. Now have a taste, I find mine needs a pinch more salt but you can decide for yourself. Stir through the spinach, it will wilt in a matter of minutes. If your sauce is a bit thin take the lid off and cook on high for around 30mins.
9. Remove the chillis and serve with steamed basmati rice sprinkling the remaining chopped coriander on top.
