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Kerala Beef Fry | How To Make Beef Fry | Beef Ularthiyathu


kerala beef fry

Kerala style beef fry, learn how to make Kerala beef fry or beef ularthiyathu with step by step pictures.

Slow Roasted Beef Fry or Beef ularthiyathu or Spicy Kerala Beef Roast is a The Dish which has been tingling my taste-buds ever since my childhood.

 It is a special dish of  Knanaya Christians of Kottayam, usually made as a Sunday Special or for festive occasions. I have been requested by many to make a step by step presentation on how to make beef fry....this easy recipe has been passed down from my grandmother.

kerala beef fry 1

My grandmother used to make with shallots instead of onions....and I do use it depending on my mood...I usually stick to onions....do check out my beef curry with a difference where I used only shallots.
Another thing that should not be omitted is coconut pieces thinly cut and ofcourse cook in coconut oil to get that authentic taste.
kerala beef fry 2

Nowadays this is the most sought after dish in Kerala along with Kerala porotta ....it goes with almost everything;  rice, roti, pallappam, kallappam, or even bread.
I used homemade garam masala, freshly roasted and grounded coriander seeds, and Kashmiri chilly; which has been finely powdered at the local flour mill.
The secret to the dark colour is ofcourse slow roasting it for around 1 hour.... my grandma (ammachi) used claypot for the roasting and I used heavy bottomed kadai and pressure cooker for cooking the meat whilst my grandma used a claypot and slow cooked the meat on traditional "adupu" ... later she moved on to gas stove with her claypot....and eventually sticked to pressure cooker.

So lets get cooking!


Kerala style beef fry, learn how to make Kerala beef fry or beef ularthiyathu with step by step pictures.
1. Start with 3 onions, 2 pod garlic, 1 fat piece ginger, 3 or 4 green chillies, and curry leaves.

2. Slice the onions thinly, slit green chillies, grind ginger garlic coarsely. (I rarely peel the garlic, just trim the sides and pop them in the grinder.)

3. In a pan put 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilly powder, 2 tbsp coriander powder, 1 tsp pepper powder, and 1 tsp garam masala powder

4. Mix and switch on the gas...

5. Lightly roast the masala on slow flame.....careful here....putting on high flame can get the masalas burnt.

6. Now in a pressure cooker put in the cleaned beef (I had put the beef in a colander to strain the excess water). Mix salt in the beef.

7.  add the sliced onions, ginger garlic, green chillies, vinegar, salt, and curry leaves. If you are adding tomatoes can add now. I used only vinegar here.

7. Add the slightly roasted masalas into this and  give it a mix with a sturdy spoon....close the pressure cooker lid and after the 1st whistle put it on simmer for about 15 to 20 min.

8.  After 20 min when you open the cooker check whether the beef is nicely cooked and if there is water left....switch on the fire again and let the remaining water dry up. Meanwhile take half coconut and slice thinly.

9. Take a heavy bottom kadai....or a big iron skillet...or nonstick pan.....or aluminum pan....or if u have a big clay pot...go ahead and use it. Pour coconut oil into the pan and add the sliced and chopped coconut pieces and when it starts to brown slightly add whole red chillies and  curry leaves.....oops this click does not have curry leaves....pls add them it gives out a unique flavor.

10. Transfer the pressure cooked beef into this hot oil. Mix well and let it simmer away.....stir occasionally but let the fire on slow heat only....patience people...patience.

11. This is about 15 to 20 min later....more patience.

12. About 45 min to 1 hour later. At this stage you can add 1 tsp of coarsely grounded fresh pepper powder for added taste and flavor.....and plenty of fresh curry leaves.

Serve warm.
beef fry

Kerala Beef Stew
Kerala Chicken Curry
Kerala Fish Curry
Meen Pollichathu

Kerala Beef Fry | How To Make Beef Fry | Beef Ularthiyathu


PREP TIME: 10 mins    |  COOK TIME: 45 mins    |  AUTHOR::
  kerala beef fry  

  INGREDIENTS

  • TO BE COOKED WITH MEAT:
  • Beef: 1 kg, cut into cubes
  • Onions: 3, thinly sliced or 1 cup sliced shallots
  • Vinegar: 1 tbsp (or you can add 2 chopped tomatoes)
  • Ginger: 1 fat piece
  • Garlic: 2 pods
  • Green chilly: 3 or 4
  • MASALAS TO BE LIGHTLY ROASTED:
  • Kashmiri chilly powder: 1 tbsp
  • Freshly ground coriander powder: 2 tbsp
  • Homemade garam masala: 1 tsp, can also use store brought garam masala
  • Freshly ground pepper powder: 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
  • FOR TEMPERING:
  • Coconut: 1/2, cut into thin slice
  • Whole Red chilly: 3-4, broken
  • Coconut oil: 1/4 cup or 3-4 tbsp
  • Curry leaves and salt
  • 1 TSP PEPPER POWDER TO ADD LAST


  METHOD:

  1. Start with 3 onions, 2 pod garlic, 1 fat piece ginger, 3 or 4 green chillies, and curry leaves.
  2. Slice the onions thinly, slit green chillies, grind ginger garlic coarsely. (I rarely peel the garlic, just trim the sides and pop them in the grinder.
  3. In a pan put 1 tbsp Kashmiri chilly powder, 2 tbsp coriander powder, 1 tsp pepper powder, and 1 tsp garam masala powder.
  4. Mix and switch on the gas.
  5. Lightly roast the masala on slow flame, careful here....putting on high flame can get the masalas burnt.
  6. Now in a pressure cooker put in the cleaned beef (I had put the beef in a colander to strain the excess water). Mix salt in the beef.
  7. Add the sliced onions, ginger garlic, green chillies, vinegar, salt, and curry leaves. If you are adding tomatoes can add now. I used only vinegar here
  8. Add the slightly roasted masalas into this and give it a mix with a sturdy spoon....close the pressure cooker lid and after the 1st whistle put it on simmer for about 15 to 20 min.
  9. After 20 min when you open the cooker check whether the beef is nicely cooked and if there is water left....switch on the fire again and let the remaining water dry up. Meanwhile take half coconut and slice thinly.
  10. Take a heavy bottom kadai....or a big iron skillet...or nonstick pan.....or aluminum pan....or if u have a big clay pot...go ahead and use it. Pour coconut oil into the pan and add the sliced and chopped coconut pieces and when it starts to brown slightly add whole red chillies and curry leaves.....oops this click does not have curry leaves....pls add them it gives out a unique flavor.
  11. Transfer the pressure cooked beef into this hot oil. Mix well and let it simmer away.....stir occasionally but let the fire on slow heat only....patience people...patience.
  12. About 45 min to 1 hour later. At this stage you can add 1 tsp of coarsely grounded fresh pepper powder for added taste and flavor.....and plenty of fresh curry leaves. Serve warm

NOTES

  • The more you roast on low flame, the more dark color beef fry gets.
  • Beef fry should be made with coconut oil.
  • There is no tomatoes in this recipe; for sourness vinegar is used and for these reason this beef fry stays good for 2 days at room temperature, but make sure you warm the beef fry two or three times a day.

©Copyright Reserved, nisahomey.com

Comments

  1. Omg, mouthwatering dish, eventhough i dont eat beef..

    ReplyDelete
  2. My all time fav dish...Iyoooo kothivarunne...

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  3. Oh..i love love this dish!!! Used to love beef back at home and devilled beef(that's what we call it)is a must on Weekends..Thanks for sharing and bringing back the memories..

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  4. Looks awesome I would like to substitute beef with mutton. Nice clicks.

    Deepa
    Hamaree Rasoi

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh my! I totally love LOVE this. An all time favorite classic and so tempting! My favorite combo is beef with Kerala porotta, yum.

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  6. wow...looks so spicy and flavorful!!! loved the recipe....perfect with some paratha
    why dnt u send it to the event
    kerala kitchen

    ReplyDelete
  7. the platter looks so yum n makes me hungry...love it !!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow - that sounds absolutely delicious! I appreciate the step-by-step photos...it makes it much easier to understand! I can see why this is a dish you love. Thank you for sharing!

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  9. Hi Nisa,
    What a wonderful Tutorial for us to learn how to make this great recipe. Oh my goodness I can almost smell all those spices roasting in the pan. This is a great post! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a wonderful week and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lots of spices and looks delicious. I'll be happy with a bowl of steamed rice!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Nami- Thanks a bunch for stopping by and for the lovely thought.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Perfect guide for bachelors like us who depend solely on online recipes. Thanks a ton and cheers :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dadu-Hey nice meeting u here. Ya some of the recipes I post here are also for bachelors like you...I have quite a few bachelor cousins :)...thanks a bunch for the lovely thought.

    ReplyDelete
  14. hi.. today I tried this..:)

    thanks for the share... expecting more nadan items ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. rakin-thanks a bunch for stopping by, I am glad it came out yummy for you...

      Delete
  15. Hi,Nisha ..I have tried This ..Amazing dish

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  16. Dear Nisa,

    Thank you so much for posting this!! I have a question. In my area I do not have access to the individual spices needed. I do however have Garam Masala, which contains all of the required spices. Can I use the plain Garam Masala instead? If so, about how much should I use to replace the individual items?

    -Azhakatha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a bunch for stopping by- about your query, coriander powder and chilly powder is as important as garam masala; since garam masala contains a mix of all the spices it is used as an enhanced spice taste maker and if you add it more than the required amount, it spoils the curry. I am afraid you will have to add at least coriander and chilly powder...along with the garam masala. I hope this helps you...have a wonderful day...

      Delete
    2. Thank you so much for your reply!!

      Are you a malayali?

      -Azhakatha

      Delete
    3. Anonymous-Yes I am a Malayali...catch me on nisahomey@gmail.com.

      Delete
  17. hi nisha its been a long time, i tried this recipe , its toooooooooo goooddddddd and i was literaly cooking star infront of my mom....... btw i lost ur number , pls do call me

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  18. Tried it. superb! Thank for your initiative in posting these recipes. Really appreciate it.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thank you Nisa for the nice recipe.

    From
    Australia.
    sheeja.kumar@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. i have made it today really tasty:) my husband really loved it yummmy

    ReplyDelete
  21. thank you Nisa for this great recepie yummmy my husband really loved it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rashmi-Thank u dear for the visit and for the feedback...it is an inspiration...so very glad that you both enjoyed it....keep visiting.

      Delete
  22. yummy..........i wl try it soon

    ReplyDelete
  23. Dear Lisa,

    I hope you will reply this real fast. You have an impressive blog here!! Can you give me your homemade garam masala recipe as this is the key to that unique aroma of Kerala dishes or is this a secret!! :). I am not Malayali, but love Kerala food. I want to make this dish for a friend's party, so would really like your response real soon. Thanks so much.

    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Anon-Thanks for the visit, about your query, you can use store bought garam masala if you are in a hurry. I am sure you will get it in Asian stores, I personally prefer Eastern Garam Masala. If you want the recipe of my garam masala, you can send a mail at contactnisahomey@gmail.com. I will be happy to share the recipe with you....hope this helps.

      Delete
  24. Lovely pics and detailed recipes. I just love ur blog and God bless u for sharing these awesome recipes. I just tried this one and came out good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Anon for the feedback and for the inspiration :)

      Delete
  25. Hi ,
    Thanx for all the lovely recipes. I tried this dish and it turned out a bit dry. Any tips how to get it moist as in ur pic?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Anon- the fat in the meat makes it moist after it is roasted...or you can add little more coconut oil towards the end...hope this helps.

      Delete
  26. Tried it, tastes good..

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi Nisa, I made this today, exactly as you said, but used tomatoes instead of vinegar. It came out so well, superb!!! I am in the UK now, I used to be in Kochi in the early 90s, used to go to thattukadas after a late night 2nd show, and used to have poratta and beef fry. The taste used to be so awesome, and I have been searching for a recipe, never found one as good as this. Today this made me feel like I was back in Kochi!! Thanks so much!!

    ReplyDelete
  28. nisa,
    Thanx so much , your recipes are winner!

    ReplyDelete
  29. your recipe is a winner , Thanx for making me a cook

    ReplyDelete

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