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
Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!
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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Stephanie
This was delicious and the whole family (kids 10 & 8 loved too)! We did not have A1 sauce so I left that out and the flavor was still so delicious!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Stephanie, this is a special recipe because it comes from Kerala, where I’m from. So I’m always thrilled when I hear that people like the recipe!
Abd
I wanted to try my Instant Pot which I got for Christmas and found this recipe online. It’s definitely a keeper! The whole family loved it! The only thing I would probably do the next time I make it is to slightly cut down the amount of broth. Thank you so much for such an amazing, delicious, & easy to follow recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I’m glad you had a good experience with your new Instant Pot!
Mark Formby
Quick tasty what’s not to like.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you, Mark!
Lauren C
Made this last night with some substitutions and it turned out amazing! I bet it would be even more so with the right ingredients! We purposely substituted the beef for venison (because we have plenty on hand and I wanted a new way of cooking it besides the typical country roast or steak smothered in gravy. We didn’t have ginger so i used half nutmeg and half allspice. We also didn’t have turmeric but had curry powder. Will definitely make again & share with friends!
Paint the Kitchen Red
That’s fantastic, Lauren. Curry powder is a good substitution because it does have turmeric and more Indian spices. The beauty of this recipe is that even with a few simple spices like turmeric and black pepper, the taste is so good! Thank you for taking a moment to comment – much appreciated!
John R Fernando
Most of your recipe’s are simple and easy to cook. Thank you. Thank you also for posting useful tips.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Aww, thank you so much John! I’m very happy to hear that because I always wonder about the amount of detail I put in the recipes 🙂
Jan
I made this tonight. I also added a tablespoon of guaram marsala. This was so tasty. Will definitely be making it again. Thank you so much for the recipe. Fyi, I usually do enjoy your recipes. I’ve made a few others, & they were delicious also.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Jan, thank you for your comment – I’m so glad you liked one of our favorite recipes 🙂
Jules Julian
Could I use baby yellow potatoes?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Jules, yes you absolutely can. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Randy POLACSEK
Thanks so much for the separation of the meat and veggies, new to me. Will let you know., i am Adding Garam Masala 2 tsp, 1 cup yogurt, 2 xtra tsp ginger Iuv it, and a can of diced tomatoes with the potatoes and carrots. Cross your fingers
Paint the Kitchen Red
Randy – hope it turned out well 🙂
Matthew
Hi Neena,
In step 1, when i try to brown the beef, a whole bunch of water got released. What would you recommend? Thanks!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Mathew, that can happen sometimes, especially if the meat has been previously frozen. In the future, you can saute in batches making sure not to overcrowd the pan. You can also do this in a frying pan on the stove. But in the case of the water already having been released, I would remove the beef using a slotted spoon and saute the liquid till it evaporates (should be quick), then add the beef back in and continue as usual. Hope you like the recipe – one of my faves!
Matthew
Came out great. Thanks, Neena!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Mathew, I’m so glad to hear it. Love this recipe especially in winter 🙂
Catherine
Thank you for sharing. My husband I really enjoyed this beef curry. Think I include the seeds from the jalapeno pepper to add some more spicy heat to the dish.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Catherine, glad to hear you like one of my favorite recipes. My husband also likes it spicy 🙂
TimeParadogs
Really good recipe. Everything was cooked perfectly and the flavor was quite nice, especially considering how simple it was. I ended up using a cup of broth which I reduced a bit and thickened with corn starch, and it went perfectly with rice. I’d recommend adding cayenne; the one jalapeno I used didn’t add nearly enough spiciness.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks so much for your comment. This is one of my family’s all-time favorite recipes! Here’s a tip: use serrano chiles. They’re so much more consistent in their heat content (in my experience). Cayenne works too 🙂
John
Not sure…it’s pretty standard but I forget the brand. But I’ll decrease the broth. Thanks!
KS
I used white turmeric because it is all that I had. I added some flour mixed in some cold water at the end and cooked for an extra minute to thicken it up. You have to do it in the saute mode because otherwise it will gunk up your lid.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you KS! I’m embarrassed to admit I don’t even know what white turmeric is! I needed to look it up 🙂
John
Do you recommend adding corn starch to thicken it a bit? I’m finding it not very thick even after reducing some of the liquid
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi John – what kind of coconut milk did you use? Some brands and also light coconut milk can be quite watery. Also, sometimes beef can give off liquid e.g. if it’s been frozen. Yes, you could thicken with some cornstarch if you needed to. Next time, I would decrease the quantity of broth to 1 1/2 cups.
Aaron
Hi, do you think this recipe will fit in a 3-quart Instant Pot?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Aaron, as long as you don’t go over the 2/3 full mark, you should be okay. I think it will fit. Hope you like the recipe – it’s one of my family’s favorites.
Mary
Wow! Great taste! I didn’t have jalapeño so used a chipotle in adobo sauce (just one!). Gave it great heat.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Mary, thanks for trying out the recipe. It’s one of our absolute favorites!
Roger senior
Very good
Emily
Delicious curry. The kids loved it.
Paint the Kitchen Red
It is such a comforting curry – I’m glad your family enjoyed it.
Joyce
A1 sauce! :O this must add another dimension of spices and flavours! This is so cool! Such a comforting dish, I love your step by steps! 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red
I said that the secret ingredient is coconut milk, but maybe it should be the A1. My mother-in-law gave me this trick!
Romain
What a fascination fusion of styles. I have never been able to meld Indian with any other cuisine but you have taken a traditional beef stew and put an Indian twist on it with the ginger, chili, turmeric and coconut milk. Bravo. Oh, and I would never skip the browning step personally. You would lose too much flavour. Maillard reaction rules!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks Romain! I hope you get to try it out.