Easy Bean and Beef Curry

After such a long winter last year, we were all craving some summer sun and heat by mid-spring...but it wasn't to be. It's been a summer of cloud and rain with some warm, sunny days here and there in between.

It has been warm enough though for some of the veggie patch to prosper. The zucchini plants went completely berserk, the jalapenos produced, the amaranth popped up everywhere and the European beans have provided in a big way.

I love these beans. I find them so much more substantial and flavourful than the plain green beans. Don't get me wrong, any bean is loved by us to the point I struggle to have enough to cook as we all munch on them raw as soon as they're washed and on the bench! However, the fragrance alone of these flatter, larger beans get me every time!

The solution here is to pop them in plenty of dishes where they add some lovely green and crunch, such as this delectable curry. Teamed with pieces of flank steak, slowly roasted in a super yum combination of spices, everyone in our family is more than happy to divvy out every morsel and enjoy the meal again as lunch the next day!

Although there are quite a few ingredients, trust me it is super easy to put together and the oven does most of the hard work. I hope you give it a try, and if you do please be sure to tag @mummascountrykitchen in your socials so I can see your creations!

Take care, stay safe, happy cooking!

H xx

Serves: 6 - 8
Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 30 minutes marinating time
Cooking time: 2½ - 3 hours

Ingredients:
8 bone-in blade steaks
½ cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons turmeric
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 onions, chopped
1 chilli, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely grated
5cm piece of ginger, finely grated (or about 2 teaspoons ground ginger)
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
1 cup beef stock
6 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
400mL tin coconut milk (you can use the light version if you like)
6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
3 star anise
2 large potatoes
500g European beans, tops and tails cut, halved if longer than 15cm
1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves, chopped, to garnish
½ cup Greek yoghurt, to serve (if desired)
Plain rice, to serve (if desired)

Instructions:

1. Place the steaks in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and pour over ¼ cup coconut oil.
2. Place all the spices in a small bowl and stir to combine. Place half of the spice mixture into the large bowl and massage onto the steaks. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate for at least half an hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 150C.
4. Heat one tablespoon of the remainder of the coconut oil in a large pan and saute the steaks (in batches if necessary) over a medium-high heat until browned all over. Keep adding a tablespoon of oil each time you add a new batch of steaks to the pan. Place the browned meat in a separate large baking dish and set aside.
5. In the same pan you browned the beef, place the remainder of the coconut oil and add the onion and chilli. Cook over a medium-high heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, remaining half of the spice mixture and salt and cook for two minutes stirring constantly until lovely and fragrant.
6. Add the stock, tomatoes, coconut milk, thyme and stir anise to the pan. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
7. In the meantime, cut the potatoes into wedges and place in the baking dish along with the beef. Pour over the liquid mixture, cover the whole dish well with foil and place in the oven to cook for 2 hours or until the meat is meltingly tender. After that time, carefully remove the foil and add the cut beans to the baking dish. Lightly push the beans into the salsa and then re-cover the dish with foil and cook for a further 30 minutes or until the beans have softened a little (if you like your veggies completely cooked, you will need to roast them for about 45 minutes).
8. To serve, remove the star anise from the dish, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot alongside rice and yoghurt (if desired).

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