Name: Beef, potato & banana curry with cashew rice
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 4
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 potatoes 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 cashews lightly bashed; 300g basmati rice; 4 tbsp crispy onions – make your own (see tip, below), or find them in tubs, alongside croutons, in supermarkets

Beef, potato & banana curry with cashew rice

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 potatoes
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)

For the rice

140g cashews
lightly bashed
300g basmati rice
4 tbsp crispy onions
– make your own (see tip, below), or find them in tubs, alongside croutons, in supermarkets

Method

step 1
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, sugar and 2 tsp salt, 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.
step 2
After 1 hr, stir in the new potatoes and cook for 1 hr more until the potatoes are tender, removing the lid halfway. Can be cooled and chilled, or frozen, if preparing ahead.
step 3
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.
step 4
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.