Beef Madras Curry

PREP

15 mins

|

COOK

1 hr 30 mins

|

SERVES

6

|

DIFFICULTY

Medium

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Chef Jack Ovens
Qualified Chef · 1.63M Subscribers
Updated August 2026

Chuck steak is the right cut for a curry like this. It’s tough to start with, but given a proper sear and over an hour in the sauce, it breaks right down into something extremely tender.

The spices get toasted properly before the tomatoes go in, which blooms them in the oil and stops the curry tasting flat or dusty. It’s a small step that makes a real difference to the final flavour.

Serve it over cinnamon-scented steamed rice with fresh coriander and naan on the side. It takes a bit of time, but most of it is hands-off simmering.

Beef Madras Curry

BEEF · DINNER · MEDIUM

Why You'll Love This Beef Madras Curry

Slow-braised beef with real depth of spice

Searing the chuck steak properly before it goes into the sauce builds a base of flavour the long simmer alone can't replicate. It's worth taking your time with this step.

Toasting the ground spices for a full minute before the tomatoes go in blooms them in the oil, so the finished curry tastes rounded and rich rather than raw or dusty.

Give the chuck steak the full simmer time and it breaks down into something properly tender, soaking up all that spice along the way.

Beef Madras Curry

Print Recipe
4.82000 from 11 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Calories: 660kcal
Servings: 6 People
Metric - Imperial

Ingredients

Curry

  • 28 g Ghee
  • 1 kg Chuck Steak Diced
  • 2 g Cumin Seeds
  • 3 Bay Leaves Dried or Fresh
  • 1 Brown (Yellow) Onion Sliced
  • 3 Garlic Cloves Grated
  • 35 g Ginger Peeled & Grated
  • 6 g Ground Cumin
  • 4 g Ground Coriander
  • 10 g Garam Masala
  • 2.25 g Ground Turmeric
  • 2 g Kashmiri Chilli Powder
  • 10 Fresh Curry Leaves Optional
  • 400 g Diced Tomatoes Canned
  • Hot Water Enough to Cover
  • Salt & Pepper To Taste

Rice

  • 200 g Basmati Rice Washed
  • 400 ml Cold Water
  • 1 Cinnamon Stick
  • Salt To Taste

Garnish

  • Coriander (Cilantro)
  • Naan

Method

Curry

  • Place a large high-rimmed pot or pan over high heat. Once hot, add the ghee or canola oil and sear the chuck steak for 3-4 minutes, or until well browned all over. Do this in batches to get the best colour without steaming the meat. Remove and set aside.
  • Add the whole cumin seeds and bay leaves, and toast for 1½ minutes, or until fragrant and just starting to crackle. Add the onion and sauté for 4 minutes, or until golden and translucent. Add the garlic and ginger, and sauté for 1 minute, mixing the whole time.
  • Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, turmeric, and Kashmiri chilli powder. Mix well and toast for 1 minute. Add the curry leaves (if using), diced tomatoes, and seasoning to taste. Mix well and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, add the seared chuck steak along with any resting juices, and pour in enough hot water to just cover everything.
  • Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1¼ hours, or until the steak is extremely tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Remove from the heat.

Rice

  • 20 minutes before the curry is set to finish, place all of the rice ingredients into a medium-to-large saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and steam for 14 minutes, undisturbed. Turn off the heat, leave the lid on, and let it sit for 4 minutes to finish steaming — don't remove the lid. Once finished, remove the lid, discard the cinnamon stick, and fluff the rice with a fork or spatula.

Serving

  • Serve the beef madras over the steamed rice, with fresh coriander and naan bread. Dig in.
Chef's Tips
Sear the chuck steak in batches and don't rush it — a proper brown crust before it goes into the sauce builds a depth of flavour the long simmer alone won't replicate.
Toast the ground spices for the full minute before adding the tomatoes — this blooms them in the oil and stops the curry tasting raw or dusty.
Let the curry simmer the full 1 ¼ hours, or longer if needed — chuck steak needs that time to properly break down and become tender, and rushing it will leave the meat tough.
Storage & Reheating
This will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months, in an airtight container. Reheat gently in a pot over low-medium heat or in the microwave until piping hot throughout, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much in storage.
Serving 450gCalories 660kcalCarbohydrates 45.7gProtein 49.4gFat 32gSaturated Fat 13.3gPolyunsaturated Fat 1.67gMonounsaturated Fat 12.7gTrans Fat 1.3gCholesterol 143.6mgSodium 245mgPotassium 918.4mgFiber 2.8gSugar 2.7gVitamin A 343.2IUVitamin C 17.06mgCalcium 230.7mgIron 12.2mg
Common Questions
Can I use a different cut of beef?⌄
Chuck is ideal here because it has enough connective tissue to break down properly over the long simmer. Other slow-cooking cuts like brisket or beef cheek would also work, but avoid leaner, quicker-cooking cuts as they'll dry out and toughen rather than becoming tender.
Why does my curry taste raw or dusty?⌄
This usually comes down to not toasting the ground spices for long enough before adding the tomatoes. Give them the full minute in the oil to bloom properly — this is what unlocks their flavour rather than leaving it dull and dusty.
Can I make this in a slow cooker instead?⌄
Yes, sear the beef and cook the spices and aromatics on the stovetop first, then transfer everything to a slow cooker on low for around 6-7 hours, or until the beef is properly tender.
Can I freeze this curry?⌄
Yes, it keeps in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened up too much in storage.
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14 thoughts on “Beef Madras Curry”

    1. Jane Edwards

      5 stars
      This recipe was delicious, I added a bit more quantity of spices because I like to cook my beef for about two and half hours or more so I knew it would need a bit more liquid and didn’t want to lose any flavour…It was easy to follow the recipe and yes I would do it again and would like to do it with lamb next time..

      Reply
  2. Wendy Freeman

    5 stars
    Thank you Jack for THE most delicious Beef Madras Curry recipe. I made it last week and was blown away by the flavour. I’m lucky to buy my meat direct from the farm here in theYarra Valley Victoria, Australia. I have all ingredients out ready to make it again!! Yummmmmm!

    Reply
  3. Mark Andrst

    5 stars
    Hello from New York, USA. Great recipe. Very appreciative of the way you explain. Short and concise. Always a pleasure to watch your videos. Thank you.

    Reply
  4. Jan

    5 stars
    Hi Jack, this is an amazing curry, thank you so much for a great recipe and really easy-to-follow recipe and video. Jan

    Reply
  6. Jenny

    5 stars
    Made this recipe, I did add a red chilli, but my husband loved it, first time I have made a curry with beef

    Reply
4.82 from 11 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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