With hearty beef and turmeric-spiced coconut milk, this flavor-packed Instant Pot Beef Curry recipe is classic comfort food with an Indian twist. Tender bites of beef and vegetables come together in an aromatic curry adapted from the South Indian state of Kerala.
Table of Contents
Introduction
This Instant Pot Beef Curry with Coconut Milk is adapted from a beef curry recipe that comes from the South Indian state of Kerala. This Kerala beef curry recipe is sometimes referred to as ‘ishtu’ (pronounced ‘ish-too’ and derived from ‘stew’). There are vegetable, mutton, and chicken versions of the recipe.
I’ve adapted this beef curry to the Instant Pot from a recipe by Asha Gomez, an Atlanta-based chef, who shared the recipe in Bon Appetit magazine. It’s a mildly spiced recipe that gets its heat from green chili peppers (jalapeno or serrano).
This easy Instant Pot Beef Curry recipe is one of my family’s favorite recipes and it’s one that’s requested very often. I also love how beautiful the beef curry is; it has such a pretty color.
Learn more about your Instant Pot…
- Natural vs Quick Release: What are the different types of steam release and when should you use them?
- Instant Pot Tips and FAQs: What are some of the most commonly asked questions about the Instant Pot?
- Instant Pot Not Sealing: Why is your Instant Pot not sealing and what can you do to fix it?
- Common Instant Pot Problems: What are the most common problems encountered by Instant Pot users and how to solve them.
- Instant Pot Sous Vide: If you have a Sous Vide button on your Instant Pot, learn how to use it for perfectly cooked foods.
You could easily make this a meal-in-one and serve this curry as a stew with fresh bread on the side. That’s how my family loves it. Make it more or less spicy by varying the quantity of green chili peppers.
I have a confession to make: I use an unusual ingredient in this recipe and was almost tempted to leave it out fearing I would be judged! But I ended up including it so you can make it just like I do!
Here are some other South Indian recipes you might like to try out!
– Instant Pot Chicken Curry
– Instant Pot Fish Curry
– Instant Pot Sambar
Tips and Substitutions
Spiciness
Because the curry isn’t heavy on spices, I like to add more chile peppers than I normally do in other dishes – it gives it that extra kick of spice which is balanced out by the coconut milk.
I find that jalapeno pepper spiciness can vary and it’s hard to get a consistent level of heat and so I like to use serrano peppers which I find are fairly consistent in their spiciness.
Beef
To save time, you could choose to skip the browning of the beef step, but the flavor won’t be the same.
I use stew meat but you can use any cut of meat that has some fat: beef chuck, bottom roast, bottom round…. Meats with higher fat content do very well in the Instant Pot pressure cooker, but make sure your trim the fat so it’s not excessive.
When you’re browning the beef, don’t crowd the inner pot. Do it in batches so you don’t end up boiling the meat! You can even do the browning of the beef in a large non-stick frying pan.
Carrots
I frequently use baby carrots rather than sliced carrots and keep the same pressure cooking time.
Flavor
The recipe has an unusual ingredient, which is A1 Steak Sauce. I make another family recipe from my mother-in-law and she adds it to the beef to give it that extra oomph, that umami. That’s why I incorporate A1 into this recipe. You can omit it and still have a super-tasty Instant Pot Beef Curry Stew.
Thickness
If you’d like a thicker curry with less liquid, feel free to increase the quantity of beef and vegetables and/or decrease the quantity of broth.
Broth
You can use either beef broth or chicken broth. I generally use chicken broth because that’s what I usually have on hand.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
- Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
Instant Pot Beef Curry Ingredients
- Broth
- Beef
- Carrots
- Ginger
- Turmeric
- Salt
- Potato
- Onions
- Garlic
- Jalapenos
- Steak sauce
- Pepper
- Cilantro
- Coconut milk
- Oil
How to Make Beef Curry in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Turn on Saute mode
- Saute beef cubes
- Saute onion mixture
- Deglaze and add spices
- Add broth and beef
- Pressure cook
- Quick release pressure
- Add vegetables
- Pressure cook
- Quick release pressure
- Add coconut milk
- Add cilantro
How to Turn on Saute Mode
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the Saute function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the Saute function and press Start.
Saute Beef Cubes
- Once the Instant Pot has pre-heated, add oil and allow it to heat up.
- Working in batches, sear beef until browned on all sides, stirring frequently. Remove beef and set aside.
- Press Cancel to turn Instant Pot off, to keep the onions from burning in the next step.
Saute Onion mixture
- Add onions, garlic, ginger, jalapenos and stir well.
Deglaze and add spices
- Select Saute again. Add a tablespoon or two of broth and deglaze the inner pot. Saute till onion mixture is golden brown, stirring often. This will take about 3 to 5 minutes. Deglaze as needed if the onions start browning too much or sticking to the bottom.
- Add the salt, pepper, turmeric, and A1 steak sauce.
- Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. *
* If the Instant Pot becomes too hot and the ingredients are burning, turn it off to cool it down and turn back on once cooled. You don’t want to burn the spices! Again, if the mixture sticks to the bottom, deglaze by adding a tablespoon of broth and stirring to remove the browned bits.
Add broth and beef
- Stir in the remaining broth and make sure there are no brown bits stuck to the bottom of the inner pot.
- Stir in reserved beef.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 15 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and + or – until the display reads ‘15′ (15 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 15 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 15 minutes (00:15).
- Press Start.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display ‘L0:00’ or ’00 00′ and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the DUO
- Move the steam release handle to Venting. Steam will come out of the steam release handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the ULTRA
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and steam begins to come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
[Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
Add vegetables
- Stir in the carrots and potatoes.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 3 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in Sealing position
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and + or – until the display reads 3 (3 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 3 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 3 minutes (00:03).
Press Start.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display L0:00 or 00 00 and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the DUO
- Move the steam release handle to Venting. Steam will come out of the steam release handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the ULTRA
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and steam begins to come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
[Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
Add coconut milk
- Stir in coconut milk.
Add cilantro
- Heat through on Saute mode.
- Stir in chopped cilantro.
- Serve as a soup or stew with bread or as a curry with Instant Pot basmati rice or jasmine rice or naan.
Instant Pot Beef Curry with Coconut Milk | Kerala Beef Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil for searing
- 2 lbs beef stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 5 tsp garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp ginger chopped finely
- 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper or to taste, seeded and chopped finely *
- 2 cups beef broth or chicken broth **
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper powder or to taste
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp A1 steak sauce optional
- 1 1/2 cups carrots peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
- 14 oz. coconut milk unsweetened, regular fat (1 can)
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Select the Saute function. Add oil to Instant Pot and working in batches, sear beef until browned on all sides, stirring frequently. Be careful not to burn. Turn off Instant Pot if it gets too hot. Remove beef with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Turn Instant Pot off and add onions, garlic, ginger, jalapenos and stir well.
- Select Saute again and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of broth to deglaze Instant Pot, scraping up all the brown bits.
- Saute onion mixture till golden brown, stirring often. This will take about 5 minutes. If the mixture sticks to the bottom, add a tablespoon or two of broth.
- Add reserved beef, salt, black pepper, turmeric, A-1 steak sauce and saute briefly to coat the beef with spices.
- Add broth and stir.
- Close Instant Pot Lid and pressure cook on HIgh Pressure for 15 minutes.
- Do a quick release of pressure (QR) and open the lid. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Add potatoes and carrots to Instant Pot and close the lid again.
- Pressure cook for 3 minutes on high pressure and do a quick release of pressure (QR).
- Add coconut milk to the Instant Pot beef curry and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt to taste.
- Select Saute mode and heat through.
- Turn off Instant Pot, sprinkle beef curry with cilantro and stir. Serve with crusty bread, naan or over rice.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped onions, minced garlic, cubed beef, etc.
- * Use jalapeno or serrano peppers with care: add them per your spice tolerance. To make this a thicker curry, reduce the liquid at the end in Saute‘mode, or use 1 1/2 cups broth instead of 2.
- ** This curry, as written, has a lot of gravy because that’s the way we like to eat it – as a stew. If you prefer a thicker curry, reduce the quantity of broth.
- Adapted from Chef Asha Gomez in Bon Appetit.
- Please read the blog post for some useful tips.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
If you loved this recipe, please give it a five ⭐ rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!
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Joleen Hevner
Added 1 1/2 tsp garam masala to this and it had more of an Indian flavor and was amazing.
I’m one of those weirdos that can’t tolerate cilantro (but I wish I could because it’s in so many things), so I had to leave that out.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Joleen, thank you for sharing. I’m glad you like the recipe, sorry about the cilantro 🙂
Sheena
I just made this and about to try it…but one question, wheres the curry? Is it just adding the turmeric? Um gonna add curry paste to the coconut milk before adding it. And also the broth seems really greasy is that normal?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Sheena, the word “curry” in Indian cooking refers to a dish with gravy, not the spice called curry powder. You can definitely add a curry paste but this recipe is a simple South Indian curry without heavy spices. The spice comes from the jalapenos. The grease is probably from the beef. If the beef was fatty, there will be grease. You can skim the fat off. I always trim the extra fat before cooking. Hope that helps.
Janet
I was happy to learn that I can cook veggies apart from meat. I have not had my Instant Pot for very long, but I have figured out that it is quicker to saute everything on the stovetop. (I wash that extra pan while the Instant Pot finishes up the cooking.) This was a simple to make, delicious dish, and I look forward to trying some of your others. Thanks
Paint the Kitchen Red
Janet, that’s wonderful to hear! Thank you for trying the recipe – one of my faves!
Jessica
I just have to rate this recipe because my family has been loving it since I found it, so thank you!! My 2 year old really enjoys it, I do leave out the spicy pepper because of her. Using coconut cream enhances the flavour of the stew, and makes it a bit thicker.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Jessica, that’s so kind of you to take the time to comment and rate the recipe. I appreciate it!
Sarah Pont
Why do you separate cooking the meat and the veggies? Is that just so that the veggies don’t get overcooked?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Sarah, exactly. You could cook them together, but it would be very soft. I know some people cook beef stew with the veggies and like it that way.
Beck and Bulow
We don’t like chilli heat but like spice, so I didn’t add chilli and it was very subtle, so I added 3 tsp curry powder. Didn’t think it needed sugar. Absolutely delicious. Definitely doing this one again.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you for your comment. Glad you liked the recipe.
Mary
Thank you for this great curry recipe that reminds me of my father’s curry growing up. It is mild, but the flavors were spot on, as I have been searching for years for a recipe that reminds me of my childhood. Your secret ingredient must have been my father’s as well:)
Paint the Kitchen Red
What a wonderful comment – thank you for sharing. I’m thrilled that you liked the recipe!
Arie
Thank you Neena. This recipe is delicious! I did use flour and water as a thickener and sauted at the end for a bit longer. I’m new to Instant Pot and am already finding Paint the Kitchen Red is becoming my go to recipe site. Love the deep East Indian flavours and don’t need too many specialty spices.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks, Arie! I’m so happy to have you follow my recipes!
Bill G
Respectfully this recipe is so bland. Zero flavor. Will not make again.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Sorry to hear you were disappointed with the recipe. It is a family favorite South Indian recipe which is milder than restaurant-style curries. The spice mostly comes from the green chili.
Holly Hooper
I made this tonight almost exactly as the new directions say. In fact just perfect. I love soup. Will be a family favorite.
Nancy
Very good. I’m looking forward to trying some of your other recipes. Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks, Nancy! I hope you get to try other recipes out – would love to hear back from you 🙂