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ginger-cumin-beef-curry
Instant Pot

Ginger-Cumin Beef Curry

4-6 Servings

FAST: 1¾ hours
Slow: 8¾ to 9¾ hours 40 minutes active

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Bhuna is a type of South Asian curry that’s especially intense and flavorful because the aromatics and a generous amount of spices are fried in oil and only a little liquid is added to simmer the meat. In addition, over the course of cooking, the liquid is allowed to reduce, resulting in deep, bold, concentrated flavors and a thick, rich sauce. According to some sources, the term bhuna refers to the cooking technique employed to make the dish. The Instant Pot is well-suited to making bhuna-style beef curry: the pressure cooker function cooks the meat without any added liquid at all and the slow cooker function simmers it gently and steadily with only a small amount of added moisture. We suggest serving the curry garnished with thinly sliced red onion and with basmati rice on the side.

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4-6

Servings

Tip

Don’t forget to add ⅓ cup water if slow-cooking. The liquid, added just before the pot is sealed, helps the beef mixture come to temperature more quickly, for a slightly shorter overall cooking time. The water is not needed if using the pressure-cooker function.

FAST: 1¾ hours
Slow: 8¾ to 9¾ hours

40 minutes active

Ingredients

  • 3

    tablespoons ghee or neutral oil

  • 2

    medium yellow onions, finely chopped

Directions

  1. 01
    On a 6-quart Instant Pot, select More/High Sauté. Heat the ghee until shimmering, then add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, cardamon, cumin, coriander, cloves, peppercorns and bay, then cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chilies and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the tomatoes begin to release their liquid, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beef and distribute in an even layer.

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Reviews
Darcy R.
January 24, 2024
Amazing recipe! This will be my new go to curry!
I followed the spice ingredients without substitutions but I did add more of each to equal 1.5 times the amount. I used the Instapot-Dutch oven (my new favorite kitchen device), substituted 1/2 the beef for 1/2 elk roast, added some beef broth and cooked on manual mode 2 @ 235 degrees for 90 minutes. I removed the meat from juices and used an immersion blender to thicken. I did add some coconut milk at the end. My family really enjoyed this!
Kari C.
February 23, 2024
Tender spicy goodness
Was a hit and the meat came out very tender! Made in my crockpot, followed the instructions with all the ingredients up until the meat, and just sauteed everything in a skillet before putting everything with the meat and third cup of water in the crock pot on low for 8 hours. Then removed the meat, let the sauce simmer on high for 10-15 min while the rice cooked, and put it back in, and added the lime. Definitely has a kick.
Stacey D.

I sometimes have a problem with pressure cooker recipes. I sometimes burn and then the machine shuts off. This is one of those recipes. Because I thought it might happen with this recipe, I did not brown the onions, I’ve found that if I do, then the recipe will burn. So in this recipe, I cooked the onions until soft and then added the spices, then the tomatoes and peppers. Before I added the beef, I checked carefully to make sure there was no food burned on the bottom of the cooker. Then I added the beef in an even layer, and locked the lid. In less than 10 minutes, my burn note shut down the cooker. I opened up the cooker and dumped the food into a Dutch oven. I looked in the pan and the food wasn’t really burned, just browned on the bottom of the pan. It very easily came off the pan, so it wasn’t truly burned.
What am I doing wrong?

Lynn C.

Hi Stacey -

We aren't sure why this might be happening for some folks and not others and with some recipes and not others. We tested these Fast & Slow recipes multiple times in Instant Pot brand pressure cookers and did not have burn warnings when we did. I would recommend adding a little water to the mixture before locking the lid in place as Jared mentioned below. For more answers we would contact the manufacturer of your pressure cooker.

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Jared Evans & J.

I’d recommend adding in the 1/3 cup water in the fast version too. Without the extra liquid, the fast version led to several “burn” errors and meat that was not as tender as other recipes on MS. Perhaps it was the butcher’s fault in this case, but the additional moisture added at the start shouldn’t have an impact on flyover given the concentration step at the end.

Nadine T.

For those of us without Instant Pots, how can we use either our Dutch oven or slow cooker?

Lynn C.

Hi Nadine -

n the recipe in Step 2 there are two tabs - one labeled "Fast" and the other labeled "Slow." You can make the recipe in a slow cooker following the "Slow" instructions.

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Diana L.

I made this recipe last night. It was good. I only used 1 large onion. When it was done, there was not much liquid to reduce (about a cup left). I was thinking that maybe because I did not add another onion or my meat did not have enough juices (fat/liquid). Because of little liquid left I did not add a lot of lime juice. My family commented that it had a strong cardamom taste. I thought it was fine. I would make this again but at the end I will add carrots, broccoli, and bok choy. It needed some veggies in it.

Laura C.

Hi. This recipe caught my eye, but, I don't have an instapot or a pressure cooker. I do have a regular slow cooker though. I would love to be able to make this. How would you make this in a slow cooker?

Lynn C.

Hi Laura -

In the recipe in Step 2 there are two tabs - one labeled "Fast" and the other labeled "Slow." You can make the recipe in a slow cooker following the "Slow" instructions.

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Cheryl P.

Did not need extra water in IP. Doubled spices.

Jennifer B.

Delicious, even better the second day. I fried up the onions, spices and tomatoes in a saute pan and then threw them in a slow cooker with the meat. Eight hours later on slow and it was perfect.

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