When looking upon the top sirloin that we had defrosted for dinner, I just didn't feel like having it as a steak. For some reason it called to me as beef korma. While there are several recipes on AllRecipes for Korma, I decided to make my own.
Korma is a mild-curry dish that is prepared typically with yogurt and nuts. However, I don't care for nuts in savory food (usually) and we only had either flavored (vanilla) or expensive (Fage) yogurt around, I had to improvise.
Ingredients (approx.)
- 8oz Beef Steak (Lamb or Chicken could be used instead)
- 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 cup Yellow Onion, roughly diced
- 5 cloves Garlic, diced
- 1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tsp. Turmeric
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- 1 tsp. Garam Masala
- 1 tsp. Ground Ginger
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1/4 cup Half and Half (or heavy cream or yogurt)
- 1/4 cup Frozen Peas
After cutting the steak in half, it was about 8oz; I seasoned it with kosher salt and then grilled it to barely rare.
While the steak was cooking, I heated a tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and a table spoon of unsalted butter in a saute pan over medium-low heat. I then added half of a large, yellow onion, roughly diced and seasoned with a pinch of kosher salt and a teaspoon of red pepper flakes (jalapeño slices would be good too). As the onions softened, I slowly added the key flavors of Korma, about one teaspoon each of: cayenne pepper, turmeric, cumin, garam masala, ground ginger, and a bay leaf; you could also add some coriander if you have it on hand, I didn't. Then I tossed in five garlic cloves, sliced. You need to keep the heat low and the ingredients moving in the pan to avoid burning.
After the steak rested for a minute or two, and the sauce had been going for about eight minutes, I diced the steak into about one inch by half inch by half inch pieces. They were absolutely under-cooked inside, that's what you want. I tossed these into the sauce along with about 1/4 cup of half and half and 1/4 cup of frozen peas, coating everything evenly.Immediately after adding the peas, which will drop the temperature slightly, taste the sauce for seasoning. I decided mine needed more salt and black pepper. I cooked it for another minute, to bring the meat to medium (although medium rare would be nice too) and then plated along with seasoned rice: I used cilantro, ginger, and garlic in my rice.
The dish is mild and delicious. The red pepper flakes really added some pop to this normally simple dish, and it is was simple and fast to make. Enjoy!
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