This Kerala beef fry recipe makes tender, flavorful beef ularthiyathu with crispy edges and deep flavor. It’s one of Kerala’s most popular dishes: dry-roasted beef cooked with coconut, curry leaves, and aromatic spices until every piece is perfectly browned.
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➡ If you’re new to Kerala cooking, start with my Kerala Cooking Basics guide for ingredient tips, shopping advice, and more authentic recipes.
What is Kerala Beef Fry?
Kerala beef fry is called erachi ularthiyathu in Malayalam. It’s pronounced err-a-chee oo-lar-thi-ya-thu (the final ‘thu’ sounds like “the” in “mother”) and means ‘sauteed meat.’ It’s also known as erachi varattiyathu.
This South Indian dish is commonly made in Syrian Christian Kerala households. It’s also commonly found at roadside stalls all over Kerala. This dish is also made with pork (panni ularthiyathu).
The key to good beef ularthiyathu is getting the beef tender first. Then you dry out all the liquid until the meat gets those crispy, caramelized edges. A properly cooked beef fry is dark brown, almost black when it’s done cooking!
Kerala-style beef fry takes a little time to prepare. This makes it a great Sunday lunch option. 80% of the hands-on cooking time involves reducing the liquid and letting the dish dry up.
It’s so important not to rush this process. If you do, you’ll end up with tough, chewy beef. But when you do it right, each piece of beef is soft inside with a slightly crispy outside.
This recipe uses pressure-cooked beef, fresh coconut, curry leaves, and a flavorful spice mix. It leaves the whole house smelling amazing for hours.
You’ll find variations of this dish all over Kerala and some other regions of India. My husband’s family is from Goa. They make a similar dish called beef chili fry.
My version uses plenty of fresh coconut and lots of curry leaves. It has that perfect balance of spices that makes each bite flavorful without being too spicy.
Beef ularthiyathu pairs perfectly with rice, appam, or naan.
➡ If you’re looking for more Kerala recipes, try my Kerala vegetable stew, egg curry, chicken curry, sambar, or coconut chicken korma or check out all the Kerala recipes!
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients for Dry Beef Curry Kerala Style
💡 Ingredient and Recipe Tips
🥩 Beef: Choose beef chuck or beef shoulder for best results. These cuts have enough fat and connective tissue to stay tender during the longer cooking process. Don’t cut the beef into too small pieces because they’ll break apart during cooking – 2-inch pieces work well. Remove excess fat.
🍶 Coconut Oil: Use good-quality coconut oil for the best flavor. It’s traditional and adds that authentic Kerala taste. Regular cooking oil works fine too.
🥥 Coconut Slices: Fresh coconut is best. The dried stuff won’t give you the same flavor. Look for frozen coconut slices at Indian grocery stores, or slice your own from a whole coconut. You want thin slices that will roast evenly.
🌶️ Spice: Use Kashmiri chili powder for the best color and mild heat. If using regular cayenne pepper, add a lesser quantity and use some paprika for color. If you want to tone down the spice, use paprika and omit the green chilis.
🥣 Garam Masala: Get a fresh batch of garam masala if yours has been sitting in a cabinet for a while or use my recipe to make fresh garam masala.
🧅 Shallots vs Red Onions: Traditional recipes use small shallots (cheriya ulli), but red onions work perfectly if that’s what you have. I use both larger shallots (because that’s all I can find) and red onions in my recipe.
🥄 Fennel Powder: Grind whole fennel seeds fresh if possible. Pre-ground fennel loses its flavor quickly. If using store-bought, make sure it’s not too old. I use a coffee grinder that I keep just for grinding spices.
🌿 Curry Leaves: Fresh curry leaves are a must for authentic flavor. Find them at Indian grocery stores and store extras in the freezer. Don’t substitute with anything else – curry leaves have a unique taste that can’t be replicated. If you can’t get them, just omit.
❓ FAQS
The key is choosing a cut that has marbling. This is not the dish to make with a lean cut of beef. Beef chuck or beef shoulder actually gets better the longer it cooks. Beef short ribs should also work, but they are much more expensive!
– If the beef isn’t cooked long enough in the pressure cooker, it can be tough.
– If you used lean cuts, you’ll find them to be chewy using this method.
– Cutting the pieces too small can cause them to break apart and get overcooked. Keep them around 2 inches.
– During the frying stage, don’t try to speed things up by using high heat because this can cause the meat to be tough. The frying stage should be on medium or medium-high heat. This tenderizes the meat.
The final result should look like each piece of beef is shimmering in a thick mixture of spices – not swimming in sauce, but not too dry either. You should be able to stir the beef without hearing any liquid sizzling, and the bottom of the pan should be mostly dry.
Use about 1 to 1½ cups of the cooking liquid, added gradually. Don’t add it all at once – add about ¼ cup at a time, let it reduce completely on medium heat, then add more.
The goal is to build up layers of flavor by adding the liquid bit by bit. Go by how the beef looks and tastes.
You can cook the beef in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours. Or you can cook it in a pot. Bring to a boil with enough water to cover the beef, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Check every 30 minutes and add more water to prevent scorching.
♨️ How to Make Beef Fry Kerala Style
- Add beef, chili powder, coriander powder, fennel powder, garam masala, pepper, and salt to the Instant Pot.
- Add curry leaves, shallots, ginger, and garlic.
- Add water and stir all the ingredients together, close the Instant Pot, and pressure cook the beef for 15 minutes with a natural release. [See note below].
- Open the lid and use a slotted spoon to separate the beef from the liquid. Set aside the beef and cooking liquid.
✏️ NOTE ABOUT PRESSURE COOKING LIQUID
I don’t add any liquid to the beef because the beef releases its own liquid, which is enough to bring the Instant Pot to pressure. However, I know it makes most people very nervous, so I suggest ½ cup of water. If you’re brave, try it without water, and if you get a burn message, add water.
- Heat coconut oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Briefly saute coconut slices for about a minute. Add the turmeric and salt and saute for another couple of minutes, stirring constantly till lightly browned.
- Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and green chilies, and saute until the onions are golden brown.
- Add the beef and curry leaves. Sauté for about 3 minutes or until the beef starts to stick to the bottom.
- Add ¼ cup of the reserved liquid, scrape up all the brown bits, and cook over medium heat until the liquid has mostly evaporated.
- Add another ¼ cup of liquid and repeat this process until you’ve used up about all the liquid (or 1 to 1 ½ cups). Taste as you go!
- The sauce will thicken up to coat the beef pieces. There should not be any sauce in the pan, but the meat should not be too dry. It should be shiny and very dark.
✏️ NOTE ABOUT SAUTEING THE BEEF
This cooking method of sauteing the beef and reducing the liquid tenderizes the meat. It also builds up layers of flavor by adding the liquid a little at a time. You don’t need to use up all the liquid. Taste as you go and stop when you feel the beef tastes tender and flavorful.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Kerala Beef Fry Ularthiyathu
Ingredients
For Pressure Cooking Beef
- 2 lbs beef stew meat or beef chuck, cut into 2 inch pieces – 1 kg [See Note 1]
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder or to taste. [See Note 2]
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon fennel powder preferably freshly ground
- 1½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 teaspoon garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon ginger minced
- ½ cup shallots sliced
- 12 curry leaves [See Note 3]
- ½ cup water [See Note 4]
For Sauteing Beef
- ¼ cup coconut oil [See Note 5]
- ½ cup coconut slices fresh or frozen [See Note 6]
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups red onions sliced, about 2 medium
- 2 serrano pepper or to taste [See Note 7]
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 10 curry leaves
- ¼ teaspoon fennel powder
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
Instructions
Pressure Cook Beef
- Add 2 lbs beef stew meat, 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder, 2 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon fennel powder, 1½ teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon black pepper powder, 1½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon garlic, 2 teaspoon ginger, ½ cup shallots, 12 curry leaves, and ½ cup water to the Instant Pot [See Note 4].
- Close the lid and pressure cook for 15 minutes at High Pressure.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR), press Cancel and open the lid. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods.]
- Transfer the beef to a large bowl using a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve the beef and the cooking liquid.
Saute the Beef
- In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the ¼ cup coconut oil over medium-high heat. Briefly saute ½ cup coconut slices for about a minute. Add the ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ¼ teaspoon salt and saute for another couple of minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Add the 2 cups red onions, 2 serrano pepper, 1 tablespoon ginger, and 1 tablespoon garlic and saute until the onions are golden brown.
- Add the reserved beef and 10 curry leaves. Sauté for about 3 minutes or until the beef starts to stick to the bottom. Add ¼ cup of the reserved liquid, scrape up all the brown bits, and saute over medium-high heat until the liquid has mostly evaporated.
- Add another ¼ cup of liquid and repeat this process until you’ve used up about all the liquid (or 1 to 1 ½ cups). Taste as you go! [See Note 8]
- The sauce will thicken up to coat the beef pieces. There should not be any sauce in the pan, but the meat should not be too dry. It should be shiny and very dark. During the last few minutes of cooking, add ¼ teaspoon fennel powder, ¼ teaspoon garam masala, and ½ teaspoon black pepper powder to finish.
Notes
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.
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Anita says
Thank you for doing this recipe. I had tried this dish on my travels to the south and wanted to try and replicate it. It came out very nice, even though I didn’t have curry leaves.
Neena Panicker says
Hi Anita, thank you for taking the time to comment and I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the beef fry recipe!