Do you like beef dishes with flavour? Then you’re in for a treat! Today, we’re exploring not one, but two pocket treats: beef tikka, juicy, spiced Beef Tandoori Tikka without the aid of an oven, and Beef Tikka Masala, a comforting, fragrant curry that’s a familiar replacement for its chicken twin. So, we have you covered if you are in the mood for a simple pan-fried snack or something more substantial like a curry!
Beef Tandoori Tikka On Stovetop | Easy & Quick Recipe
Sounds fabulous, but don’t have a tandoor or an oven? This stovetop beef tandoori tikka recipe from Banu’s Tasty Hub is so simple to make and tastes just as delicious as the baked kind!
What is Beef Tandoori Tikka? Tender bits of beef are soaked in a zingy monopoly of spices, then pan-cooked to tenderness. It’s a terrific starter or side and surprisingly easy to make at home.
Key Steps:
- Beef Preparation: Cut half a kilo of beef into small pieces. Along with salt (to taste), one teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, a quarter teaspoon turmeric powder, and one glass of water, and cook until tender in a pressure cooker. This means taking up to one whistle, then turning down the heat, cooking for a further 20 minutes, and releasing the pressure.
- To make the Marinade: After cooking the beef, we create a delicious marinade by mixing two tbsp of yogurt, one tbsp of red chilli powder, one tsp of turmeric powder, half a teaspoon of cumin powder, half a teaspoon of garam masala, salt (as per taste), two tbsp of roasted gram flour (besan), one lemon, and optional for a bags of eye-red food colour in two pinches for its appearance. It has half a teaspoon of chilli flakes, too.
- Marination of the Beef: The marinated masala is thoroughly mixed with the cooked meat pieces by hand so that all pieces are coated well. The marinated beef is then rested for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Skewering and Pan-Frying: To amp up the flavour and better cook the marinated beef, the meat is threaded onto (soaked, beforehand) skewers. A pan is brought to heat with sufficient oil to shallow-fry, and the marinated, skewered beef is cooked for 5 to 7 minutes per side until browned and cooked through.
This Beef Tandoori Tikka recipe makes an excellent quick, spicy, modern beef snack/appetizer, perfect if you don’t own specialized equipment. Make sure you try it and tell Balti Indian Restaurant what you think of it in the comments!
Tikka Masala And Beef: A Satisfying Curry
This curry is a great departure from the average bright red chicken tikka masala and gives a heartier, spicier experience with tender morsels of beef in a savoury gravy.
What is Beef Tikka Masala? So this Beef Tikka Masala is made entirely from scratch — unlike some curry house versions that are made with a base sauce. The word “tikka” translates to “pieces” in Urdu and Hindi, while masala denotes a “mixture” of spices. This dish is made with pieces of beef cooked with a distinctive set of spices and fresh ingredients, making a curry that is usually spicier than chicken tikka masala but a similar comforting texture.
Key Ingredients & Steps:
- Selecting Your Beef: For optimal flavour in this slow-cooked curry, look for less expensive cuts: chuck, which you’ll often see labelled as chuck-eye, and topside, which is a cut on the back of the cow that’s also called top round. These cuts grow unbelievably tender as they poke and impart their wonderful flavour to the sauce. More expensive cuts, such as ribeye and sirloin, may work for faster cooking but probably won’t produce quite the same depth of flavour. Marrow bones (if you can get them) also add substantial flavour.
- Preparing the Base: About two medium roughly chopped onions; 2 to 5 roughly chopped green bird’s eye chillies; blend to a paste, adding a little water or stock as needed.
- Heat ghee (or rapeseed/canola oil) (70ml or 1/4 cup) in a pan over medium-high heat; infuse 8 black peppercorns, 1 x 2.5cm (1 inch) sticks of cinnamon, two lightly bruised green cardamom pods for about 30 seconds while taking care not to burn.
- Brown the Beef: 800g (28 oz) beef, diced into bite-sized pieces, is added to the pan and browned on all sides. This may have to be done in groups.
- Now, to build the flavour, stir in 2 tbsp garlic + ginger paste into the browned beef, followed by drying spices: 1 tbsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp ground coriander, 1 tbsp tandoori masala, 1 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp ground turmeric and 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (adjust as needed). Add the blended onion and chilli paste, then 400g (1 1/2 cups) chopped tomatoes or unseasoned passata, and 1 tbsp mango chutney, and cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Simmer to Tenderness: 125ml (1/2 cup) beef or chicken stock or water is added and the pan is covered, simmering it over medium heat until the beef is tender, which will take 30 to 40 minutes.
- Making the Creamy Sauce: When the meat is tender, the lid is lifted, and the sauce is simmered until it’s the right consistency. Then, 125g (½ cup) of plain natural yogurt is whisked in, one tbsp at a time, then 3 tbsp of single cream (optional).
- Finishing Touches: Add salt to taste and 1 tbsp of kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves), which you rub between your fingers. Juice from 1 to 2 limes gives it a final zing.
- Serving: Serve hot, garnished with 3 tbsp of finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) & with rice. And it tastes great, wrapped up in a chapatti.
Beef Tikka Masala Tips for Success:
Don’t skimp on simmering; the less expensive cuts of beef need plenty of time to become truly tender. You can use more (or less) chilli to taste. Food always tastes better the next day when the flavours marinate, right? Keep them in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. This curry freezes well, particularly before you add yogurt and cream.
Beef Tandoori Tikka: Whether you opt for pan-fried, quick-cooking Beef Tandoori Tikka or the truly rich and satisfying Beef Tikka Masala, you’re in for a delightful culinary experience. The recipes are both delicious and bring their own unique flavours and textures that any beef lover is bound to enjoy. So try both and find out which is your favourite way to eat beef tikka.