With 500g of Stewing Steak to cook for tonight’s dinner, something different was called for. On occasion, some forty five years ago, Mother would present a Tomato-rich, Spicy Beef Dish – Devilled Beef – she called it. It was not Curry, but back then there was the strange notion that one could not eat Curry every day.
With information on everything a click away, so a recipe for this apparently Sri Lankan Dish was found. Sri Lankan? And no Coconut, yay!
The found recipe looked almost appropriate for my needs, I have added a few twists of my own, Olives were leftover in the fridge, because this Dish is NOT Curry, I even added some finely chopped Capsicum.
It was Dr. Stan who sold me on the need to purchase a Pressure Cooker, the Beef was sufficiently cooked inside fifteen minutes. The Onion was then added and cooked slowly, lid off to create the Mash. Once the liquid reduced to my preferred level of – Dry – the Tomatoes and Chilli Sauce were added and cooked through for another ten minutes. Not Curry, but a pleasant change.
The full instructions for Devilled Beef.
Meanwhile, a Stunning Potato Dish I encountered at a Buffet Lunch at the Patan Mahal, Patan, Rajahstan has been waiting for the moment. Aloo Taare Ko is a Nepalese Dish so The Sources say. Nepalese, a Dry Dish, we live and learn.
With only a tablespoon each of Oil and Ghee present, and no Water (unless absolutely required), how this quantity of Potatoes and Onion could possibly cook did puzzle. When I make Bratkartoffeln (Pan Fried Potatoes), it is set aside Boiled Potatoes that are the starting point. To cook from raw, unexpected.
I have never cooked Aloo Jeera, however, when the Potatoes were added to the fried Cumin and Fenugreek Seeds, it looked as if I was on my way.
The Potatoes and Onion were thoroughly cooked in about twenty minutes with the pot lid on. I gave them another ten to replicate the Beautiful Dryness experienced in Patan.
The result was Splendid apart from a lack of Salt which I have taken off in the Recipe.
Marg was well impressed with the new string to Hector’s bow. Sweet and Sour – was how she described the Devilled Beef, that’s what happens when one uses Bottled Chilli Sauce. The Aloo Taare Ko is a very fine compliment to the Devilled Beef.
Boiled Beef and Potatoes, it will never catch on.