Sauteed Beef with Spinach Curry Sauce
Many people in India do not eat beef, so this recipe is more inspired by Indian cuisine than taken from it. This recipe is an interpretation of a similar recipe called Saag Gosht, which is made identically, except that the meat is goat and not beef. In India, the Hindu religion honors cows as a sacred animal.
Usually we offer substitutions for our recipes, as in, if you don’t enjoy this, swap it out for this and everything will be fine. Mostly, we do this with milks or other dairy products. For this recipe, it is crucial that you use whole fat yogurt and not any lower fat yogurts as they will separate in cooking and ruin the whole thing. Our chef realized this the hard way when he made everything with a low-fat yogurt and then had to go out and buy whole fat yogurt just to start over again. Also, be sure to use sirloin steak. It will stay tender through the sautéing process, which is exactly what you want. If you use any other cuts of beef, they may get too tough for this recipe.
When you stir your yogurt in, be sure that the pot is simmering, but not boiling, because that amount of heat will cause the yogurt to separate, no matter what kind of yogurt it is.
- 1 pound sirloin steak, cut into 1" cubes
- 10 ounces fresh spinach
- 1 medium onion, cut into quarters
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Flakes
- 1 cup plain yogurt (do not use non-fat or low-fat yogurt, as it will separate)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon Tikka Masala or your choice of curry powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- In a food processor, combine onion, ginger, and garlic and pulse until it’s a paste.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add paste and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove mixture from pan and add beef and sauté until browned.
- Place mixture back into pan with beef and add water.
- Add curry powder.
- When the mixture comes to a light boil, add spinach and peas.
- Cover and simmer 5 minutes.
- Turn heat to warm, stir in yogurt 1 Tablespoon at a time. High heat will cause yogurt to separate.
- Add Garam Marsala.
- Serve with rice and naan.
