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Sri Lankan beef curry.

Instapot Sri Lankan Beef Curry

Same flavors and slow-cooked taste, made easier in an Instapot.
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Prep Time:1 day 40 minutes
Cook Time:30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings as a main

Equipment

  • 1 Instant Pot (6 Quart size, if your size is different cooking time may vary slightly)

Ingredients

  • 2 lb beef chuck roast or similar cut of meat
  • 2 medium onions
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch piece ginger
  • 1 small tomato
  • 2 tsp tamarind concentrate (2 small tomatoes diced are a good substitute)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 tsp chilli powder
  • 3 tsp Sri Lankan curry powder (1:1 ratio of ground-cumin:ground-coriander)
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 5 seeds fenugreek (optional)
  • 1 sprig curry leaves (optional)
  • 5 cloves (optional)
  • 3 cadamon pods (optional)

Instructions

  • Dice the onions. Finely chop the garlic and ginger.
  • Cut up the beef into 3/4 inch or 1 inch cubes roughly. Add most of the salt (reserving some for frying onions) and the chili powder, curry powder and turmeric. Mix until pieces are mostly coated in spices.
  • You can add the cloves, cardamon and fenugreek whole like it's traditionally done. I prefer to smash them up into a powder in a mortar and pestle so you don't taste pesky pieces of spices in your curry.
  • Turn on your Instapot to the Sauté setting.
  • Add coconut oil. Sauté onions with the remaining salt for a couple minutes. Then garlic and ginger and curry leaves sauté until the onion is softened. Then add the tomato and fry another couple minutes.
  • Add the meat and keep stirring till the meat looks mostly cooked on the outside. This is a quick way of searing it. Once it looks seared add 1/2 cup of coconut milk. Add about 1/2 cup water until the meat is about 3/4 covered in liquid. The meat will release liquid as it cooks and unlike a regular pan nothing evaporates in an Instapot - so don't add too much.
  • Press Cancel on your Instapot. Close the lid. Switch to the Meat/Stew setting and set it for 10 minutes.
  • It cooks pretty fast since it was already heated with all the sautéing. Let it natural release at least 20 minutes.
  • Check that the meat is soft enough for your liking and that the curry has enough salt. (If you prefer a thicker gravy switch it to sauté and let some of the liquid evaporate.)