Slow Cooker Indian Beef Curry (Printable)
Rich, aromatic beef with yogurt marinade, warm spices, coconut milk. Slow-simmered for maximum tenderness.
# What You'll Need:
→ Beef
01 - 2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
→ Marinade
02 - 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
03 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
04 - 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
05 - 1 tsp salt
06 - 1 tsp ground turmeric
07 - 1 tsp ground coriander
08 - 1 tsp chili powder
→ Vegetables
09 - 2 large onions, finely sliced
10 - 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
11 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
12 - 2 green chilies, slit
→ Spices
13 - 2 tbsp curry powder or garam masala
14 - 1 tsp ground cumin
15 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
16 - 2 bay leaves
17 - 1 cinnamon stick
18 - 4 whole cloves
19 - 4 green cardamom pods
→ Liquids
20 - 1 cup beef broth
21 - 1 cup coconut milk
→ Finishing
22 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
23 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# How To Make:
01 - In a large bowl, combine the beef with yogurt, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, salt, turmeric, coriander, and chili powder. Toss well to coat. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes (up to overnight in the fridge for best flavor).
02 - Add the onions, tomatoes, potatoes, and green chilies to the bottom of the slow cooker.
03 - Place the marinated beef on top of the vegetables.
04 - Sprinkle curry powder (or garam masala), cumin, paprika, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom pods over the beef.
05 - Pour in the beef broth and coconut milk. Stir gently to combine.
06 - Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours, until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened.
07 - Remove bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom pods before serving.
08 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice or naan.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The slow cooker does all the heavy lifting while you go about your day
- The yogurt marinade makes the beef impossibly tender without any fancy techniques
- Leftovers taste even better after the flavors have had time to really settle in
02 -
- Do not skip the yogurt marinade even if you are short on time, it makes a massive difference in tenderness
- The sauce will look thin at first but thickens beautifully as the potatoes release their starch
- Whole spices can be tricky to fish out later, so you can tie them in cheesecloth if you want to avoid hunting for bay leaves
03 -
- Browning the beef in a hot pan before marinating adds a depth of flavor that mimics slow cooked restaurant quality curry
- Toast your curry powder in a dry pan for 30 seconds before adding it to wake up the spices