Instant Pot Beef Curry Recipe with Coconut Milk

Instant Pot Beef Curry in white oval serving dish with cilantro and naan in the background - Paint the Kitchen Red.jpg

Instant Pot Beef Curry Recipe with Coconut Milk

4.85 from 26 votes

This delicious 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. This curry can also be served as a beef stew, which is how my family loves it.

Servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoon vegetable oil for searing
2 lbs beef stew meat (1 kg) cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup onion chopped
5 teaspoon garlic minced
1 tablespoon ginger chopped finely
1 serrano pepper (or jalapeno), seeded and chopped finely (See Note 1)
2 cups beef broth or chicken broth (See Note 2)
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper powder or to taste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoon A1 steak sauce optional
1 ½ cups potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
1 ½ cups carrots peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
13.5 oz. coconut milk (400 ml) unsweetened, regular fat (1 can)
½ cup cilantro chopped

Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions

Select the Saute function. Add 3 tablespoon vegetable oil to Instant Pot and working in batches, sear 2 lbs beef stew meat 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 1 cup onion, 5 teaspoon garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 serrano pepper 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 3 minutes. If the mixture sticks to the bottom, add a tablespoon or two of broth.
Add reserved beef, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 teaspoon A1 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 1 ½ cups potatoes and 1 ½ cups 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 13.5 oz. coconut milk to the beef 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 ½ cup cilantro and stir. Serve with crusty bread, naan or over rice.

Stovetop Instructions

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear cubed beef until browned on all sides, stirring frequently. Remove beef and set aside.
Add onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos, and cook until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze the pot with some broth as needed.
Add salt and pepper, turmeric, and A1 steak sauce, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the broth and reserved beef, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover the pot. Simmer until the beef is tender, about 1 hour. If the curry becomes too thick, add some extra broth as needed
Add carrots and potatoes and simmer until vegetables are cooked through,, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add coconut milk and heat through to thicken the sauce. Stir in chopped cilantro.

Video

Notes

Prep time does not include steps already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped onions, minced garlic, cubed beef, etc.
Note 1: Use jalapeno or serrano peppers with care; add them per your spice tolerance.
Note 2: This curry, as written, has a lot of gravy because that's how we like to eat it - as a stew. If you prefer a thicker curry, reduce the liquid at the end in Saute mode, or use 1 ½ cups broth instead of 2.
Adapted from Chef Asha Gomez in Bon Appetit.

Nutrition