Beef tikka masala recipe

This delicious beef tikka masala curry recipe is over 90 years old but it's really stood the test of time.

We've swapped the curry powder for a paste, which gives it a fresher, more vibrant flavour - but you can use powder if that's what you have to hand. Pre-prepared curry pastes were not widely available at the time. We've also added in some green beans. They're a nice addition because they bulk out the recipe more without adding too much to the cost. 

Ingredients

• 30g butter or 2 tbsp olive oil
• 250g rump steak, fat trimmed, cut into chunks
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 eating apple, cored and finely chopped
• 2-3 tbsp tikka masala paste (or 2 tsp curry powder)
• 1 level tbsp flour
• 165ml can coconut milk (or beef stock)
• 100g frozen green beans
• 1 tbsp mango chutney
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Method

1. Heat the fat in a pan, add the meat and brown it for a few mins. Take out and put it on a plate. 
2. Add the onion and apple to the pan, and cook for a few mins. Stir in the curry paste or powder, cook for a minute and then add the flour.
3. When well mixed, stir in the coconut milk, or stock, and a coconut-canful of hot water, and bring to the boil. Add the meat and simmer gently for 20-30 mins, until the meat is tender. 
4. Stir in the green beans. Heat through for 5 mins, then add the chutney and lemon juice. 
5. Serve with basmati rice, or with naan bread. If using cold cooked meat, cook the sauce and add the meat, then warm it through.

Top tip for making beef tikka masala

You can use lamb, chicken or turkey instead of the beef. You can also use leftover meat from a weekend roast (reduce the cooking times accordingly). If you don't have quite enough, bulk it up with roughly chopped mushrooms.

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