serves
6
prep
15 minutes
cook
3:10 hours
difficulty
Easy
serves
6
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
3:10
hours
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 cm x 2 cm piece ginger, peeled
- 2 brown onions
- 2 tbsp (40 ml) vegetable oil
- 6 cardamom pods
- ½ tsp cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 20 fresh curry leaves, plus 20 extra to serve
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 3 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 6 beef cheeks
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vegetable stock powder
- 2 each red or green bird’s eye chillies
- ½ tsp chilli powder (optional)
- 3 tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp sugar
- 400 ml coconut cream
- 2 limes, juiced
For the coriander and ginger gremolata
(see Notes for other gremolata recipes)
- ½ cup finely shredded coriander
- 2 tsp finely chopped ginger
- 2 limes, finely zested
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160˚C. Combine the garlic, ginger and onion in a small mini chopper and blitz to a fine purée.
- Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add the vegetable oil, cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon stick. Fry for about 1 minute, then add 20 curry leaves. Add the garlic, ginger and onion purée and fry for about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, pepper and turmeric to the pan and stir well to combine.
- Add the beef cheeks, salt, stock powder, chillies, chilli powder (if using), tomatoes, sugar and about 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer, then transfer to the oven and bake for 3 hours.
- Meanwhile, make the gremolata by combining ingredients in a small bowl.
- Heat a drizzle of vegetable oil in a small saucepan and fry the extra curry leaves to serve, until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set the fried curry leaves and gremolata aside until ready to serve.
- Once the beef cheeks are tender, remove from the oven. Stir through the coconut cream and return the pan to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, then stir through the lime juice.
- Spoon the coconut curry beef cheeks into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the fried curry leaves and gremolata.
Note
For some alternative variations on gremolata, try combining the below in a small bowl:
Classic gremolata
- ½ cup finely shredded parsley
- 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
- 1 lemon, finely zested
Orange and mint gremolata
- ¼ cup finely shredded parsley
- ¼ cup finely shredded mint
- 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
- 1 orange, finely zested
Photography by Jiwon Kim.
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Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
