Beef Madras

It's soooooooo cold out, but this curry will keep you warm from the inside. Spicy and aromatic, it doesn't take long to throw together but does need at least an hour of gently bubbling. If you have time, make in advance and then reheat to allow the flavours to really develop and mingle into the tender beef. This recipe is taken from the BBC Good Food site.

For 2-3 portions you need

Curry

1 kg braising steak cut into bite sized cubes

2tbsp tomato puree

300ml Beef Stock

2tbsp veg or sunflower oil

1 large onion, diced

Curry Paste

1/2tsp ground black pepper

1/2tsp chilli flakes

2 fresh birds eye chillies, slit up the length of the chilli, stalk left on

2tbsp ground coriander

2tbsp lemon juice

1tbsp ground cumin

1 heaped tsp turmeric

2tbsp of grated ginger

6 cloves of garlic, crushed

Begin by softening the onions in a large heavy based pan over a medium heat in the oil till cooked and golden. Stir often so they don't burn. Once they are cooked, remove with a slotted spoon to a plate whilst you seal the beef.

Place the beef in the hot pan (you may need to do this in more than one batch to avoid over crowding the pan). Seal it and remove from the pan and place with the onions.

Place all the curry paste ingredients in the pan and cook for a few mins. Add everything else to the pan, including the tomato puree and stock, and bring to the boil. Reduce to a slow simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for an hour, stirring every so often. Remove the lid for the last 10 mins to allow the sauce to thicken. Serve with rice and a nice cold beer or tall glass of sweet lassi. We also had some chickpea dhal alongside it as my son doesn't eat meat.