BEEF, POTATO & BANANA CURRY WITH CASHEW RICE

Beef, potato & banana curry with cashew rice image

Banana and tamarind add a rich sweetness to this slow-cooked spice pot with nutty basmati and coconut sauce

Provided by Sarah Cook

Time 3h

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

2 tbsp sunflower oil
800g stewing beef , cut into chunks
2 onions , chopped
2 lemongrass stalks, bashed
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp tamarind paste
3 garlic cloves , crushed
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp medium curry powder
2 tsp brown sugar
400ml can coconut milk
500g bag new potato , halved
3 small or 2 large slightly underripe bananas , cut into 2cm-thick slices
2 tsp garam masala
small pack coriander , leaves only
squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
140g cashew , lightly bashed
300g basmati rice
4 tbsp crispy onion - make your own (see tip, below), or find them in tubs, alongside croutons, in supermarkets

Steps:

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and heat half the oil in a large frying pan. Brown the beef in batches, and transfer to a flameproof casserole dish. Add the remaining oil to the pan with the onions, and fry gently until softened. Stir in the lemongrass, ginger, tamarind, garlic, turmeric, curry powder and sugar, and fry for a few mins until fragrant. Add the coconut milk with 1 can of water, stir into the beef and bring to a simmer. Cover and bake for 1 hr. Meanwhile, toast the cashews in a dry frying pan until golden.
After 1 hr, stir in the new potatoes and cook for 1 hr more until the potatoes are tender, removing the lid halfway. The casserole can now be cooled and chilled, or frozen, if preparing ahead.
Put the casserole back onto the hob. Stir in the bananas and garam masala and simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins until the sauce has thickened.
Cook the rice following pack instructions, then mix with the cashews, crispy onions and some salt. Scatter the curry with coriander, season well, then taste - it may need a squeeze of lemon to finish it off.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1210 calories, Fat 55 grams fat, SaturatedFat 24 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 118 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 30 grams sugar, Fiber 7 grams fiber, Protein 57 grams protein, Sodium 0.3 milligram of sodium