Slow Cooker Indian Beef Curry (Printable)

Tender beef slow-cooked with Indian spices, yogurt marinade, and coconut milk for maximum tenderness and layered flavors.

# What You Need:

→ Beef and Marinade

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→ Vegetables

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→ Whole Spices

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→ Liquids and Finishing

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# Steps:

01 - Combine beef cubes with yogurt, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, salt, turmeric, coriander, and chili powder in a large bowl. Toss thoroughly to coat all pieces. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight for maximum flavor penetration.
02 - Arrange sliced onions, chopped tomatoes, cubed potatoes, and slit green chilies evenly across the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
03 - Place the marinated beef on top of the vegetable layer, allowing any excess marinade to drip into the cooker.
04 - Sprinkle curry powder or garam masala, ground cumin, smoked paprika, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and cardamom pods evenly over the beef.
05 - Pour beef broth and coconut milk into the slow cooker. Gently stir to distribute spices without disturbing the layered arrangement.
06 - Cover and cook on LOW setting for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. The beef should be fork-tender and the sauce thickened and deeply aromatic.
07 - Fish out and discard bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom pods before serving.
08 - Taste the curry and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as desired. Garnish generously with fresh cilantro and serve hot alongside steamed basmati rice or warm naan bread.

# Expert Advice:

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  • The beef becomes impossibly tender after slow cooking, almost melting into the spiced sauce
  • Whole spices perfume your home all day while you do absolutely nothing
  • Leftovers taste even better, making it perfect for meal prep or lazy dinners
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  • Don't skip the yogurt marinade, it's what makes the beef fork-tender instead of tough
  • Whole spices can be intense if you bite into them, so remove them before serving
  • The sauce will look thin initially but thickens beautifully as the potatoes break down
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  • Toast your whole spices in a dry pan for 30 seconds before adding for extra aroma
  • If the sauce is too thin at the end, remove the lid and cook on high for 30 minutes to reduce

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