Tamarind Beef

You have to understand: I was vegetarian for 16 years.

A few nights ago a friend came over to lend kitchen expertise, moral support and a bottle of wine, and talked me through a turkey chili recipe. But now I'm on my own, with about a pound of beef chuck. Yikes.

I turned to one of my favorite cookbooks, Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries, and found a recipe for Tamarind Beef. Okay. I can do that.

Tamarind Beef with Shallots and Mango
(Moppalah Gosht Rootan)


2 T ginger paste
1T garlic paste
1/2 t turmeric
1 lb stew meat in 1" cubes
2T coconut oil
1 t mustard seeds
1 cup thinly sliced shallots (I had 3 shallots on hand, so that's what I used)
4 dried chiles
2 T ground coriander
1.5 t salt
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 t tamarind paste
1 unripe mango, rock firm, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
12-15 fresh curry leaves
2T chopped fresh cilantro for garnish


Mix together the garlic paste, ginger paste and turmeric. (To make garlic or ginger paste, just puree with a little bit of water or oil. You can also buy jars of the stuff for a song at Asian grocery stores, but fresh is always better.) Coat the beef with this mixture and let marinate for at least a few hours. I let it sit overnight.

It didn't look very appetizing the next day, but I tried to think positive thoughts.

Melt oil in a pan on medium high. Throw in the mustard seeds and let them pop. Have a lid handy in case the seeds are feeling extra energetic. You need to keep an eye on them anyway, as they can burn fairly easily.

Add the shallots and chiles and fry about 3 or 4 minutes. The shallots should be brown on the edges.

Add the beef, coriander and salt. Cook 10-15 minutes, until the beef is seared and light brown.

Meanwhile, mix together the tamarind paste and coconut milk. Add to the seared beef and deglaze. Toss in the mango and curry leaves. (Curry leaves make a subtle impression - if you can't get any, don't let that stop you.) Reduce heat and cover. Let it simmer, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender.

The verdict: This was pretty good. I didn't love it, but I liked it. I was expecting the green mango to be tart, but it was more earthy. I would have liked the tamarind flavor to be more pronounced. Next time I will definitely use more tamarind paste, and maybe a ripe mango.