Beef Madras

This is a lovely mild curry and if you can get fresh coconut it is even better but I like to use the moist coconut flakes soaked in water.
I use blade steak for this recipe but any cut of stewing steak will be good.  It needs to be a cut that has a bit of fat and connective tissue so that when it is cooked low and slow they melt and keep the meat soft and juicy.

Blade steak comes from the top of the shoulder of a cow.  It is a muscle that does a lot of work and has a lot of connective tissues and collagen that melt out during cooking but it needs to be cooked long and slow to ensure the meat ends up tender.  

A whole blade

The blade sliced so you can see the connective tissue through the muscle.

Beef Madras

1 Cup of Grated Coconut
400 gm Dice tomatoes (tinned or fresh)
4 Tbs Fresh Ginger finely Diced
2 Tsp Blacked Mustard Seeds
2 Tbs Tamarind Concentrate
2 x 2 Tbs Oil
2 Large Onions, sliced
6 Cloves of Garlic, crushed
1 Tbs Ground Cumin
1 Tsp Ground Turmeric
2 Tsp Ground Coriander
1 Tsp Chilli Powder
2 Tsp Sweet Paprika
10 Curry Leaves
1 Kg of Chuck Steak
1/2 Cup of Water
3 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Sugar

If you are using dried/semi dried coconut soak it in 1 cup of boiling water for 1 hour then blend it (including the water) in the food processor with the tomatoes, ginger, mustard seeds and tamarind until it is a puree.
Heat the first measure of oil in a heavy based pan and brown the meat in batches removing after each batch.  Once all the meat is browned add the second measure of oil and cook the onion and a pinch of salt over a medium heat stirring regularly until the onion is soft and lightly browned.  Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute before adding all of the spices and stir for a further minute before adding the coconut mixture, curry leaves, beef and water.  Cover and simmer for 1.5 - 2 hours or until beef is tender.