There’s no need to order a takeaway – plan ahead and cook this easy spiced beef casserole recipe instead.
- 2 tbsp medium curry powder
- 1 tbsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp ground mace
- 1.2kg British beef shin (from good butchers), off the bone, cut into large chunks
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 1-2 scotch bonnet chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3cm fresh ginger, grated
- 2 x 400g cans coconut milk
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 12 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves stripped, plus extra to serve
- 6 medium (about 300g) waxy potatoes, such as charlotte, cut into chunks
Mix the curry powder with the allspice and mace in a large bowl. Add the beef, season well and toss to coat. Heat a good layer of oil (about 3 tbsp) in a big frying pan and brown the beef all over in batches, adding more oil as necessary. Transfer the beef to a casserole after each batch.
Heat a little more oil in the pan if needed, then fry the onions and chillies for 10 minutes until they start to brown. Add the garlic and ginger and any leftover spices from coating the beef, cook for a minute more, then add to the casserole.
Add the coconut milk, tomatoes, thyme and enough water just to cover the meat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, partially covered, for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is very tender. Add a splash or two of water if needed.
When the meat is tender, add the potatoes, taste and adjust the seasoning, then cook for another 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Take off the heat, skim any fat from the surface, then serve with rice and extra thyme sprinkled over.
