Malaysian Beef and Lentil Curry

A fragrant and hearty curry featuring tender beef stew meat and earthy lentils, simmered in a coconut milk-based sauce infused with bold spices, served with aromatic jasmine rice.

• Prep: 20 min
• Cook: 2 hr 40 min
• Total: 3 hr
• Servings: 3
• Cuisine: Malaysian
• Difficulty: Medium
• Cost: $7.32/serving

Dietary

• Dairy-Free
• Soy-Free
• Nut-Free
• High-Protein
• High-Fiber

Tags

• one-pot
• spicy
• savory
• rich
• comfort food
• healthy

Ingredients

• 1.5 pound beef stew meat (cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 1.5 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (large, thinly sliced)
• 4 clove garlic clove (minced)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 13.5 fluid ounce coconut milk (full-fat, canned)
• 1.5 cup beef broth (made from bouillon cubes)
• 0.5 cup lentils (dried, rinsed)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 0.25 cup fresh cilantro (chopped, for garnish)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 1.5 cup brown rice (uncooked)
• 3 cup water

Instructions

1. Season the beef stew meat generously with salt and black pepper.
2. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef stew meat on all sides, working in batches if necessary, about 7-10 minutes. Remove beef and set aside.
3. Add the thinly sliced yellow onion to the pot and cook until softened and lightly caramelized, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, ground turmeric, and cayenne pepper, cooking for 1 minute more until fragrant.
4. Return the beef to the pot. Pour in the full-fat coconut milk and 1 1/2 cups beef broth. Add the rinsed lentils. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beef and lentils are tender.
5. While the curry simmers, cook the brown rice: Combine 1 1/2 cups brown rice and 3 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40-45 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
6. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and black pepper as needed.
7. Serve the Malaysian Beef and Lentil Curry hot over the cooked brown rice, garnished with fresh cilantro if desired.

Notes

This curry freezes well and is perfect for batch cooking. Let it cool completely before transferring to freezer-safe containers for future meals.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 780
• Protein: 59.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 68.3 g
• Fat: 30.5 g
• Fiber: 16.8 g
• Sodium: 880 mg
• Saturated Fat: 12.1 g
• Sugar: 5.8 g
• Cholesterol: 130 mg