This perfectly spiced and creamy curry is a real crowd-pleaser. The caramelised onions with roasted cashew nuts are the crowning glory and you need lots of warm naan bread when serving.
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
Paste
1/3 cup raw cashew nuts
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons peeled and chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon each ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala and ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chilli powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup chopped tomatoes (tinned or fresh)
Curry
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 brown onions, sliced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1.2 kilograms beef cheeks, cut into 6cm pieces
3 whole cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup beef stock
½ cup cream
2 teaspoons sea salt
Topping
3 tablespoons olive oil
good knob of butter
4 large brown onions, sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ cup roasted cashew nuts, roughly chopped
sea salt
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160°C regular bake.
Paste: Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz to a smooth paste.
Curry: Heat the oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish and cook the onions and salt for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the paste and cook for 5 minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently. Add the beef and stir to coat in the spice paste. Stir in all the remaining ingredients.
Bring to the boil then cover with a piece of baking paper and a tight-fitting lid or foil. Place in the oven and cook for 2½ hours, stirring once. Uncover and cook for a further 30 minutes until the beef is very tender and the sauce is reduced.
Topping: Heat the oil and butter in a large sauté pan and cook the onions with a good pinch of salt for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle over the sugar and cook for another 10 minutes, or until deeply golden. Stir in the cashew nuts then spoon over the curry to serve
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We start by sharing what’s on the dish team’s radar, what we’re watching, listening to and reading. Harry Butterfield puts a twist on his Nonna’s agnolotti, Malissa Fedele reminds us of the importance of fibre, and Phoebe Holden fulfils a long-held dream, sitting down with Yotam Ottolenghi. Autumn is an abundant time, we make the most with pumpkin, kūmara, cabbage, cauliflower, feijoas, apples and pears. We’re dishing up dinners for two, including a Chicken Dumpling Lasagne, alongside easy weeknight meals. We honour our mums, revisit timeless classics, and add a little baking challenge. This issue, we encourage you to slow down, to enjoy writing your shopping list, and spending time in the kitchen. Because even when life feels relentless, there’s always space to share something delicious.