What is it about a curry?, that captivating aroma that wafts through every room in the house.  Even though it reached 31 here today with humidity somewhere ^^up there, I had already thawed the casserole beef so decided to whack the air-con on and proceed with tonights yummy Beef and Spinach Coconut Curry.  It's a recipe that I have adapted so much from a basic pie filling, to a beautiful rich (but light) curry. It's not a hot curry, I am not a fan of hot, but it has a nice warming taste and suitable for all the family.

I have also made this successfully with Veal T-bones and some pork loin that I had rattling around in the freezer, I think I actually prefer the pork and veal mix!

photo taken by my son Aidan :D

Beef and Spinach Coconut Curry

750g chuck steak (or casserole steak)

1 tblsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

2 large brown onions, sliced

1 clove of garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons of Curry powder

410g can of crushed tomatoes

1 cup chicken stock (I use homemade)

2 tblsp plain flour

1/3 cup light coconut milk

1 tbslp tomato paste

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp yellow mustard seeds

Handful sultanas

Salt and pepper

150g baby spinach leaves

Cut steak into 3cm cubes.  Heat oil in pan and cook steak in batches until browned. Remove from pan and place in slow cooker.  Add onions, garlic, curry powder, cumin, turmeric and mustard seeds to same pan, cook, stirring, until onions are soft and spice are aromatic.  Add tomato paste and stir through, add undrained tomatoes and stock, stir through and bring to simmer.  Season with salt and pepper.   Pour mixture over steak in slow cooker, stir through and cook on low for 4-5 hours.  Half an hour before serving,  add flour to coconut milk and make a pourable paste, add to slow cooker and stir through mixture. 10 mins before serving,  add spinach and stir through.  Serve once wilted.  Serve with rice and  Naan bread.  Cucumber Raita is also nice, I have a basic recipe for that too.

The verdict was, clean plates by my big boys, hey I'll take the compliment, I like how this is not a heavy overly creamy or oily curry, lots of nice fresh flavours. The best thing about these sorts of meals is they are set and forget.  I managed to whip this up in 30 mins this arvo before I went to collect Miss 4 from Pre-Prep and came home to a big bang of delicious smells when I walked through the door.