chilli beef

There has been no recipes, no stories, no cooking for the last couple of weeks. I won’t lie. I was not sick nor was I super busy. I did cook food to feed my eternally hungry tummy. I was plain lazy. I sat on my bed with the laptop and planned and planned what to write for all the occasions and the festivities. Errr, they are still in the pipeline, I guess. The only thing I did on my weekends was sleep. I love to sleep and will never compromise on the same. My Nani used to keep on asking me when I will sit down with my books during my boards because I slept for more than 7 hours where as all my cousins according to their parents slept for like less than 5 hours and studied to ace the exams. A lot of days I remember just waking up to study after all the planning but never managed to keep my eyes open. I came up with innovative ways to sleep and not be caught. Anyway I didn’t do a bad job. I passed will pretty good marks.

If we were to be paid for being lazy, I would earn a six digit package a month any day hands down. In order to not compromise on my sleep and to eat some good food I have come up with my own cheat version of a lot of one pot meals. A little preparation and you can go back to being lazy but end up enjoying a good meal at the end of the day.

Beef chilli

INGREDIENTS

1 kg beef (I asked my butcher to cut it in thin strips)

3 onions (cut 2 of them into quarters and grate the remaining one)

3 bunches of spring onions (dice the onion part into cubes and finely chop the green part)

2 capsicums (diced into cubes)

8-9 fat cloves of garlic (I normally smash the garlic with the blunt end of the knife and then mince it)

½ inch ginger grated

A handful of green chillies finely chopped and soaked in vinegar

4 teaspoon of soy sauce

Pepper powder

A pinch of paprika powder or chilli powder

1 tablespoon corn flour

Salt and sugar to taste

Oil to try

                          

Water as needed

METHOD

Wash and pat dry the beef

Marinade the beef with half the garlic, ginger, the grated onion, corn flour, paprika powder, salt to taste, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and a little vinegar.

Keep aside for minimum one hour.

In a big pot or cooker add a little oil and sear the beef pieces.

Keep aside. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

In the same pot add the remaining ginger, half of the remaining garlic and fry till the raw smell of the garlic goes away.

Add the beef pieces and the marinade and mix everything nicely so that the beef pieces get coated in the marinade. There will be a little juice that will come out of the meat when you keep it to rest. Add the juice for the flavor.   Add water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook till meat is tender and all the water evaporates.

Remove the beef pieces.

In the same pot add a little oil.

Add the remaining garlic and fry. Once it starts to change colour add the onions and fry till transparent. Add the beef back to the pot and also throw in the capsicum. Mix well. Fry for a min or two on high heat.

Add the remaining soy sauce, chilly vinegar and a little water, scrape the pan and mix all the lovely flavors. Add sugar and the pepper powder and mix well.

Do a taste check.

Before removing from heat add the chopped green onions.