Curried Stew

Six ingredients and a skillet. This curry stew strips things down to the essentials: seared beef cubes, fresh tomatoes that break down into the sauce, and a good sweet curry powder that does all the heavy seasoning work.

The tomatoes are the liquid here. No stock, no coconut milk. You cook them over high heat until they burst and release their juices, which mixes with the fond from searing the meat. That combination becomes a concentrated, tomatoey sauce that clings to the beef as it simmers tender.

Red pepper flakes get passed at the table so everyone can dial up the heat to their own level. Smart move for feeding a crowd with different spice tolerances.

Chef Tips

• Sear the beef cubes in batches so they brown instead of steam. Crowding the pan drops the temperature and you get gray, boiled meat.
• Use a sweet curry powder, not a hot one. The pepper flakes at the table handle the heat.
• Don’t add water unless you absolutely must. The stew is meant to be thick and saucy, not soupy. Only splash in water if it’s starting to catch on the bottom.
• Peanut oil handles high heat better than most cooking oils, which is why it’s called for here. Vegetable oil works in a pinch.

Variations

• Swap beef for lamb shoulder cubes for a richer, fattier stew.
• Stir in a can of chickpeas during the last 15 minutes for extra protein and body.
• Serve over basmati rice or with warm naan to soak up the sauce.