If you want to make a tasty stew to keep you warm this fall/winter, you’ve found it!
Indian Ground Beef Coconut Curry is a Keralite dish
In Kerala, they make a ton of stew, or as they call it: ishtu. Ishtu. It’s fun to say… and even more fun to eat. You can make all kinds of ishtu with chicken, lamb, beef, potatoes, eggs, etc. Because this is a mildly spiced stew, it’s usually eaten for breakfast, but in our house, we eat ishtu for lunch or dinner.
“I truly cannot believe this recipe does not have 700 likes and Five stars. I have made this recipe for years, shared it with friends, bought enough black mustard seeds to share with my neighborhood for 5 years, bought a curry plant that we NURTURE for this recipe ALONE and I get requests from it from my family ALL the time. Absolutely a hug in a bowl. The ONLY thing I do differently from the recipe (I rarely follow a recipe…this one is printed and pulled up OFTEN and followed to a tee) is I add peas JUST because we love peas. And to had color if I don’t have fresh herbs to tops it with. THANK you for this staple in my life.”
Amy H.
When making beef ishtu, I’ll usually use the leftover beef from my Indian Fried Beef recipe, but when I don’t have fried beef in the freezer, I’ll use ground beef instead.
I usually use one can of coconut milk when making this dish, but you can use two or add water/stock if you prefer a soupier stew. I make my stew nice and hearty – a lot of meat with every bite.
If you like a spicy stew, add more Serrano peppers. The recipe below is subtly spiced but still packs a lot of flavors.
Love this recipe? Give one of my other Keralite recipes a try!
Keralite Recipes to Try:
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 large red onion finely chopped
- 1 serrano pepper minced (I used a small one to make a mild curry. Add more if you like it spicy)
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced (~4 garlic cloves)
- 1- inch piece ginger minced
Spices
- 2 teaspoon homemade meat masala
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3 medium carrots chopped
- 1 potato chopped (optional)
- 1 can coconut milk canned and full fat (add more coconut milk or water if you like a thinner curry)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil in a pan over medium heat and add mustard seeds. Once seeds start to pop, add onions, serrano pepper and curry leaves.
- Once onions begin to brown, add garlic and ginger.
- Add the spices and let them bloom – then add ground beef.
- Cook the beef until it’s mostly browned, then add the carrots, potato and ¼ cup of water.
- Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add coconut milk and simmer until the potatoes are tender (approx. 15 minutes).
- Adjust salt and pepper and add water if you prefer a thinner curry.
Just for fun, here’s an old picture from 2013:
Melodi says
Just made this with Beyond Meat for a vegan version. I need to share it so I don’t eat too much. 🙂
Sheilar says
Can ground chicken/turkey be used as a replacement for a healthier option? Or even vegetarian meat crumbles/beyond meat?
Amy Hollands says
I truly cannot believe this recipe does not have 700 likes and Five stars. I have made this recipe for years, shared it with friends, bought enough black mustard seeds to share with my neighborhood for 5 years, bought a curry plant that we NURTURE for this recipe ALONE and I get requests from it from my family ALL the time. Absolutely a hug in a bowl. The ONLY thing I do differently from the recipe (I rarely follow a recipe…this one is printed and pulled up OFTEN and followed to a tee) is I add peas JUST because we love peas. And to had color if I don’t have fresh herbs to tops it with. THANK you for this staple in my life.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Amy, love this comment lol! I’m so happy to hear that you’ve shared this recipe with friends and family and that you love this so much! Thank you for this amazing comment/review, I really appreciate it!
Beck and Bulow says
Absolutely gorgeous. We’ve done it with lamb too and equally as nice. We add a little more chilli powder for a wee bit more of a kick. Will add fresh chilli next time
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how you like this!
Farha says
Hi Ashley, great recipe! Can’t wait to try. Can this be eaten with rice/paratha/roti or is better to be eaten as only soup?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Farha, you can serve this with rice or paratha but it’s good enough to eat on its own. If I’m making it as part of a meal for guests, I serve it with rice – but if I’m making it for the family I’ll serve it as soup. Traditionally though, it’s served with matta rice or a rice pancake called appam.
Joe says
Hi! Can I replace the curry leaves with curry paste?
My Heart Beets says
Joe, unfortunately no – there’s no replacement for curry leaves. You can read this article I wrote about it to learn more if you’d like: https://myheartbeets.com/difference-between-curry-leaves-curry-powder/
Ben says
It looks like a good recipe, but it seems weird to talk about an “Indian ground beef” dish when Cows are sacred animals in Hindu majority India and aren’t eaten.
My Heart Beets says
Ben, I can understand that. As a north Indian myself, I had never heard of Indian beef until meeting my husband whose south Indian family is Catholic and from Kerala where beef is consumed. Let me know if you give it a try 🙂
Tina says
What a graceful reply! Sounds like Ben has never broken bread with any of the millions of Indian Christians around the world (almost 30 million in India alone). Even some Hindus in India eat beef (just ask my family). Great site; I’ve tried many of your recipes and hope to someday impress my own Christian Indian mother-in-law with this recipe!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks Tina! I appreciate the kind words 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of this if you give it a try!
Neethu says
Hi Ashley ,
I am glad that I stumbled upon this recipe . I usually make Keema with peas and carrots and was looking for a different one . It came out pretty good. Like we make stew in Kerala ii made 2 coconut milk of two consistency , 1st paal( thick one ) and 2nd paal which is the thinner version.instead of water Ii used the second paal and the end topped of the curry with second paal. I like a little sour taste so added vinegar too. It came out well ,thank you so much and I plan of making more of your recipes.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Neethu! I’m glad you found this recipe too! I hope you’ll let me know what you think of any more recipes that you try 🙂
Tarah says
Delicious. I added frozen peas, more potatoes, we all enjoyed it!
My Heart Beets says
Tarah, thanks for letting me know how much you liked it! 🙂
ALIcia says
Rutabagas are awesome replacement for potatoes
My Heart Beets says
Great to know!
Colleen says
Hi Ashley, I have questions about the curry leaves. I can’t get them easily, so the bunch I did get recently, I want to preserve. How would I best do that? I have a dehydrator and could dry them, but if I were to freeze them, how to do that? Also, for this recipe, are the sprigs to be removed before serving? Thanks 🙂
My Heart Beets says
Hi Colleen, I suggest freezing them! Just put them in a ziplock bag and then before you use them in a recipe, give them a quick rinse. I use just the leaves, not the twig part. Typically, food is served with curry leaves but you’re supposed to treat them like whole spices and push them to the side of the plate (you can eat them, but most do not). I’ve written a detailed blog post on curry leaves if you want to learn more – let me know if you have any more questions!
Sarah says
This curry looks delicious. About how many servings does this recipe produce?
My Heart Beets says
Thanks! It serves 3-4, but depending on what else you serve with it possibly more.
Julie says
Oh wow, hubby and I made this and naan bread, absolutely fantastic. Thank you Ashley ?
My Heart Beets says
Awesome! Glad to hear you both liked it 🙂
Sudeepta says
This is a Dream curry. Worked perfectly well. Just got back from a Kerala holiday and this cured the Big Nostalgia. Can’t wait to try other recipes.
My Heart Beets says
Awesome! I’m so glad you like the recipe 🙂 Please let me know what you think of anything else you try!
Maddy says
I’m doing a sugar/carb detox and this recipe was compatible (minus the potato). This is definitely going to be one of my go to recipes! My children (2 and 7 years) LOVED it! They were even stealing my food off my plate because they finished theirs so quickly. Thank you for the recipe!
My Heart Beets says
So happy you and your kids loved the recipe!! 🙂
M P says
I was looking for an Indian recipe that used ground beef and I stumbled on your blog. We made the Indian Ground Beef Coconut Curry. I substituted sweet potato for the carrot and threw in a bit of spinach. Huge dinner hit! We will definitely make this one again. As we are gluten-free and love Indian food, we are very excited to try more of your recipes.
Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Glad you found my blog! 🙂 Let me know how any other recipes of mine turn out for ya!!
Ruth says
Ashley, I’ve been making your recipes with great success for a while, but I never bothered to thank you. Sorry! Thank you, thank you, thank you! My family enjoys your recipes immensely and it is so lovely to have things like empanadas and samosas back on the menu!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Ruth!! I really appreciate the kind words!! It means so much to hear that you and your family like my recipes 🙂
Brandy says
I stumbled upon your site while looking at Paleo Grubs and can i just say i fell in love with wanting to make this recipe. I made it this evening and it will be a repeat in my kitchen. The flavors were so good, even my 7 year old daughter who helped make it enjoyed it! I will be checking out your site regularly for new recipes to try 🙂 Thank you again for posting this and sharing this amazing creation!
My Heart Beets says
Brandy, I’m so glad you and your daughter liked this curry! It’s one of our favorites 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out – hope you’ll let me know if you try anything else on the blog!
Megan says
This was amazing! We omitted the onions, carrots and potatoes (didn’t have any) and added spinach. We doubled the recipe but not the coconut milk. We served it over cauliflower rice. Highly recommend this recipe.
My Heart Beets says
Megan, so glad you liked it!! 🙂
EarthMomma says
Thanks for this idea about the cauliflower rice. Have some in my freezer right now, and I think I will make this recipe for supper tonight! Thank you My Heart Beets also!
Merc y says
Hi Ashley, what can I use as sub for curry leaves? I can’t get them where I live. Thanks
My Heart Beets says
Mercy, unfortunately there really isn’t a sub out there for curry leaves – it has a really unique flavor. Have you considered ordering fresh curry leaves off amazon? You can store the extra leaves in your freezer: http://amzn.to/181aMNU
Salina says
I have made this twice and absolutely love it. I had to make some minor substitutions for items I did not have on hand but pretty much generally followed it. I used ground beef once and then ground lamb. Both were wonderful. Thanks so much for posting this! Found your site while searching for a ground beef curry recipe.
My Heart Beets says
Salina, thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂 So glad you like the recipe!!
CHS says
So excited I have stumbled onto your site! I am cooking for my one-year-old so sadly cannot have much spice (heat)… what do I need to omit/exchange in this recipe? Would a red pepper work for the serrano? Do I need to omit anything from the meat masala? Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Glad you found my site too! You can leave the serrano pepper out altogether – the dish will still have plenty of flavor. As for the meat masala – you’ll have taste it to make sure it’s not too spicy (from the black peppercorns). Coconut milk tends to balance out spices, but I’d err on the side of caution. After all, you can always add some crushed red pepper into your bowl of curry if you think it’s too bland! I hope that helps!
Laleh says
Can this recipe be made with other ground meats, such as turkey?
My Heart Beets says
Laleh, yup! 🙂
Doughty says
So delicious!! Your recipe has that wonderful richly spiced taste that I always hope the curries that I make at home will have, but often don’t. After such success, we had your cashew and cardamom smoothie this morning and it was delicious as well. I’m adding your blog to our favorites. Thanks so much for sharing!
My Heart Beets says
happy to hear that I’m on your favorites list 🙂 hope you’ll let me know how any other recipes you try turn out!
Grace says
Hi Ashley!
I just found your blog while looking for a recipe that combined coconut milk and ground beef! I’m excited to try this recipe and many more.
Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Grace! That’s awesome – thanks for letting me know how ya found me! This is one of my favorite recipes – I hope you love it 🙂
Beth says
Hi Ashley,
I just stumbled upon your website today via a shared post from Delicious Obsessions (FB) and I’m very interested in following more of a Paleo diet. Very cool recipes posted. Thanks for sharing so many. I do have a question for you and that is – is the coconut milk used to thicken the liquids? I’m going to try a few recipes and I’ll let you know how I get them to turn out. Thanks again.
Beth
My Heart Beets says
Hi Beth! I use coconut milk a lot – it can serve a different purpose in different recipes. This particular recipe is a Keralite dish and in Kerala they make a lot of coconut curries because it adds to the flavor. Sometimes though I’ll use it to add a creamy texture or in place of yogurt when using a marinade. When I do that, I try to mask the coconut flavor with different spices (i.e. my butter chicken and tandoori chicken recipes). I hope this helps? Please let me know what you try!
Carlee says
Super informative writing; keep it up.