Beef Vindaloo

Here is the Kochi Style Vindaloo - to be frank I'm not familiar with any other Kerala cusines like Kuttanad, Malabar, Trivandrum etc.  As far as I can trace my family roots, all my Grannys and their Great Great Grannys are from Cochin and so is my better half's. A bit unlucky that way, not to have had a peek into the multitude of Kerala cusines. But now thanks to blogging, I'm getting to know many new ways!!!

I have a craving for extremely spicy dishes and Vindaloo, which needs loads of chilli, goes hand in hand with this obsession. Got the recipe from my Aunt, she makes the best vindaloo in our family!  According to her, Vindaloo has dominant garlic and mustard flavours with a red tint. Hence the red chillies are de-seeded and used - this allows employing more of them to enhance the red tint and de-seeding keeps the spice level under check.

You will need...

Beef - 1 kg diced

Mustard seeds - 1 1/2 tbsp

Whole Red Chillies - 12 - 15 deseeded

Vinegar(Distilled Malt Vinegar) - 3-4  tbsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp

Onion - 1 sliced

Curry leaves - few

Oil

Grind together:

Green Chillies - 3-4

Onions - 2

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Garlic - 1 1/2 pod

Grind all these together into a coarse paste.

Directions:

Grind mustard seeds and keep aside. Deseed chillies, grind it into a smooth paste with vinegar and keep aside.  In a thick bottomed vessel or pressure cooker heat oil, saute the sliced onions until golden.  Add the ground onion mixture and saute until oil seperates. This might take some time, so be patient. Add the garam masala powder, turmeric powder, ground chilli paste, mustard powder, curry leaves and saute for further 3-4 minutes. Add meat, salt, 1 tbsp vinegar and pressure cook as much you normally do for beef(cooking time varies depending on pressure cooker).  Once done open and saute in high flame until gravy thickens. Serve hot with rice/roti.

Note: 

-The recipe calls for beef fillets or meduim slices. I used diced beef and did'nt find much of a difference.

-To deseed the chillies, slit the chillies lengthwise and tap off the seeds.  If you do not have whole chillies you can use chilli powder instead.  Soak it in vinegar.

-You can adjust the vinegar and chilli amount to suit your liking. 
-Can substitute beef with any meat of your choice.


And now Award time again. Fathima of Thattukada has shared three lovely Awards with me!!! Wow!!! Three at one go!!! Thanks a ton Fathima!!!

I would like to share these three Awards with all my blogger friends. All of you my wonderful, inspiring, creative blogger friends please accept your Awards...

Beef Biriyani/Layer Biriyani

On making biriyani I wonder whose invention this is, with a pang of envy, wishing it was me who had done that with all it's grandeur. Me being a biriyani lover, once it is made and occupies my fridge, find myself eyeing greedily at it, listing all the excuses to justify my about to happen hogging. Making a vow of extra gym hours and boring oats porridge for the next few days, I thereby surrender to "Biriyani the mightiness"!!!

You will need...

For Korma...
Diced Beef - 3/4 kg

Big Onions - 2-3 chopped

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Garlic - 1 pod (10-15 cloves)

Green chillies - 5

Coriander leaves - few stems

Mint leaves - few stems

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Tomattoes - 2-3 chopped

Yoghurt - 1/2 cup

Lime juice - 1/2 lime

Yellow color/Saffron

Ghee

Oil

Salt

Grind together...

Poppy seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp chopped

Grated/Desicated coconut - 2 tbsp

Water - 1/4 cup

For garnishing while layering...

Big onions - 2 sliced thin

Sultanas/Raisins - 10-15

Cashew nuts - 10-15
Coriander leaves - few chopped
Mint leaves - few chopped

Fry onions until golden brown. Keep aside. Fry cashews and sultanas seperatly and keep aside.

For Rice...

Basmati rice - 1/2 kg

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Whole garam masala - few

(Cardomoms, Cloves, Cinnamon sticks)

Salt

Directions:

Korma...

Pressure cook beef with 1/4 cup of water, salt and few chopped green chillies. Keep aside. Grind together onions, green chillies, ginger, garlic, mint leaves and coriander leaves to a smooth paste. Add ghee and oil in a cooking vessel and saute the onion paste until oil seperates. Add the turmeric, coriander, chilli and garam masala powders and tomattoes. Saute till oil seperates. You may add oil in between if needed. Add beef and the stock obtained while presure cooking beef. Wait till all the water dissappears and add youghurt and lime. When it thickens add the ground cashew, poppy seeds and coconut paste. Mix well and cook for five more minutes. Keep aside.

Rice...

Boil enough water to cook the rice with the whole masalas, salt and ghee. Add rice upon boiling and drain when half cooked.

Layering....

In an oven proof deep dish add 1/3 of the rice. Put half of the korma on top. Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and fried onions. Add rice and layer again finishing with rice on top. Make holes in between rice, inserting skewer sticks till it touches bottom and drip ghee into these holes. Mix color in very little water and pour down on the sides and the center. Cover with a damp cotton cloth and bake in a preheated oven to 180 degree/gas mark 6 for half an hour. Remove the cloth, garnish with cashews and raisins and serve hot with onion raita, dates chutney and pappadoms.

Note:
-The cloth used should be pure cotton with the nylon tags(if any) removed to prevent it melting while baking.
-Take care to set the bowl in such a way that the cotton cloth is not coming in contact with the sides of the oven or flame. Fold the extra lengths in, covering only the top of the bowl.