By Jehan Yusoof  |  Updated September 13, 2026  | 2 comments

Indian beef curry recipe with garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric, chilli powder, ginger, garlic, and bay leaves.
All these spices and a few more condiments are used in making this delicious, spicy beef curry.

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Why This Indian Beef Curry Needs No Coconut Milk

The beef cooks twice in the same pan.
First it simmers with ginger, garlic, onion and ground spices, so the flavour goes right into the meat.
Then the pan is used for a tempering: mustard seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, and a second round of spice powders cooked into a semi-wet paste, and the beef goes back in to absorb it.
The gravy thickens from the onion and spice paste reduced with the beef’s own cooking water, so there’s no need for coconut milk or yoghurt.

Ingredients for the Indian beef curry

You’ll find exact quantities in the recipe card below.

• Beef: cut into cubes a little larger than 1 inch. Choose a good cut of beef like chuck beef, stewing beef, or beef shank.
• Onion, minced ginger and garlic: to cook the beef
• Spice powders: turmeric powder, coriander powder (make your own with my recipe), garam masala
• Red chilli powder or Kashmiri chilli powder: to be used in the cooking stage and tempering stage.
• Salt to season.
• Water as needed to cook the beef.
• Tempering ingredients: coconut oil, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, and mustard seeds.
• Fresh coriander leaves (cilantro): stirred in at the end.

What you will need in the kitchen

• Chopping board and knife
• Medium-sized cooking pan
• Large cooking pan

How to make Indian beef curry

PHOTO TUTORIAL

Cook the beef

Clean and cut the beef cubes as per your requirement.
Place them in a medium-sized pan.
Add ginger, garlic, onion, turmeric powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, and coriander powder.
Season with salt and mix well with a wooden spoon.
Add about 3 cups of water, or adequate water to cover the beef cubes.
Season with salt and cook over medium heat.
For the meat to get tender, cook for an hour over medium heat.
Once the meat is halfway tender and the water has reduced.
Remove the pan from the stove, transfer the beef into a bowl, and set it aside.

Temper the Spices and Finish the Curry

Place the same pan you cooked the beef in back on the stove.
Maintain medium heat and pour in the oil.
Add sliced onion, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and mustard seed. Cook for a minute, letting the mustard splutter.
Move the ingredients around frequently.
Add the spice powders (turmeric, garam masala, coriander powder, and red chilli powder).
Reduce the heat to low and cook the tempering ingredients until you have a semi-wet spice paste.
Stir frequently to avoid spices sticking to the pan or burning.
Add the beef to the pan and combine with the spice mix.
Add water, about 1 cup; taste and season with salt, and let the beef curry simmer until the gravy thickens.
Just before removing the beef curry from the stove, add the chopped coriander leaves.
Let it rest for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.

• Questions.
  • What are the best beef cuts to use for the Indian beef curry?
    • Chuck beef, stewing beef, beef shank.
  • Can I add beef bone to this beef curry?
    • Yes, you can add beef with bone.

What to serve with Indian beef curry

Once you make the beef curry, pair it up with milder curry dishes to balance out the heat.
You can use any of the dishes given below to complement the beef curry.

• Rice
  • White rice cooked on a stovetop
  • Yellow rice
  • Coconut rice
  • Ghee rice(nei choru)

• Breads, chapati, or roti
  • Sri Lankan roast paan (bread recipe)
  • Stovetop Naan bread
  • Garlic Naan recipe without yeast
  • Sri Lankan paratha (godamba)roti
  • Sri Lankan egg roti/paratha
• Vegetable sides
  • Pressure cooker dal tadka (Indian dhal fry)
  • Sri Lankan Dhal curry (parippu, dal, daal)
  • Mushroom peas masala curry (Indian recipe)
  • Bombay potatoes(curried potatoes)
  • Potato korma(aloo kurma).

More Indian beef curry recipes

Beef korma curry
Slow-cooked Indian beef and potato curry (aloo gosht)
Aloo keema recipe(ground beef and potato curry)
Beef vindaloo (Goan beef curry)

Watch more recipes on my YouTube channel

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Indian beef curry

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 42 minutes

Indian beef curry recipe with garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric, chilli powder, ginger garlic, and bay leaves.

All these spices and a few more condiments are used in making this delicious, spicy beef curry.

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Ingredients

• 500g of beef cut into a little more than a 1″ cube(chuck steak, topside)
• 1 large onion sliced or chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 1 tablespoon of minced ginger (about 1 and 1/2″ of ginger)
• 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon of coriander powder(make your own coriander powder)
• 2 teaspoons of garam masala
• 2 teaspoons of red chilli powder(can be reduced to a teaspoon)
• Salt to season
• 3 cups of water

Tempering ingredients for the beef curry recipe.

Toggle ingredient group

• 3 to 4 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 1″ cinnamon piece
• 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons of coriander powder
• 1/2 a teaspoon of garam masala (add an extra teaspoon for a more intense flavour)
• 1 teaspoon of red chilli powder (can be reduced or increased)
• 1 cup of water
• Coriander leaves to garnish

Instructions

Cook the beef

1. Clean and cut the beef cubes as per your requirement.
2. Place them in a medium-sized pan.
3. Add ginger, garlic, onion, turmeric powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, and coriander powder.
4. Season with salt and mix well with a wooden spoon.
5. Add about 3 cups of water or enough water to cover the beef cubes.
6. Season with salt and cook over medium heat.
7. For the meat to get tender, cook for an hour over medium heat.
8. Once the meat is halfway tender and the water has reduced.
9. Remove the pan from the stove and transfer the beef into a bowl. Set it aside.

Tempering and finishing the beef curry

1. Place the same pan you cooked the beef in back on the stove.
2. Maintain low-medium heat and pour in the oil.
3. Add sliced onion, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and mustard seeds. Cook for a minute, letting the mustard splutter.
4. Move the ingredients around frequently.
5. Add the spice powders (turmeric, garam masala, coriander powder, and red chilli powder).
6. Reduce heat to low and cook the tempering ingredients until you have a semi-wet spice paste.
7. Stir frequently to avoid spices sticking to the pan or burning.
8. Add the beef to the pan and combine with the spice mix.
9. Add water, about 1 cup; taste and season with salt, and let the beef curry slow simmer until the gravy thickens.
10. Just before removing the beef curry from the stove, add the chopped coriander leaves.
11. Let it rest for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.

Made this Indian beef curry?

I'd love to know how it turned out.

Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and a comment; I read every one. It helps other visitors trust the recipe and helps them find me too.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 520Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 19gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 112mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 9gSugar: 1gProtein: 36g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JEHAN
Recipe creator. Food Blogger. Video creator
I’ve been cooking and sharing Sri Lankan recipes, along with other dishes I love making at home on Island Smile since 2015. I’ve tested every recipe on this site more than once in my own kitchen before it goes on the blog.
I grew up eating this food, and I still cook it the way my family taught me, just written down clearly enough for you to follow.
If a recipe doesn’t work the way I say it will, tell me in the comments; I read every one, and I’ll help you fix it.