The daily dinner debate commenced just after breakfast with mum and I discussing what to do with a two kilo bag of diced beef chuck. Sorting out dinner early in the day, or even the night before, means this task is down and dusted before the hungry hoards come home from school. Hence the reason why mum and I were peering at the meat, the fridge full of veggies and the spice rack minutes after polishing off our omelettes.

Beef chuck is an economical and flavoursome cut of meat that lends itself to a a variety of cross cultural dishes including hearty European style goulash and chunky soup, to a traditional Aussie beef pie or Moroccan style tagine. Plus it is ideal for batch cooking in the oven – one of those walk away and leave it to cook ingredients. I recommend asking your friendly butcher to dice the required portion for you as their knives and skills are far supreme to those of a home cook. It also means your chances of severing a finger are far reduced. 

Mum made the final dinner decision by announcing it would be her version of a korma curry. Having found an excellent korma spice mix at Norton Street Grocer Leichhardt, mum was keen for her grandchildren to sample her favourite style of mild but marvelously tasty curry.  Mum’s Don’t Hurry the Korma Curry is easy to make, easy to eat and easy to clean up with the preparation and cooking of the main meal taking place in one large pot. We enjoyed this with buttered steamed rice, diced cucumber and plain yoghurt and a moist Beautiful Beetroot, Orange and Ginger Salad (recipe posted on the 27th July). 

Mum’s Don’t Hurry the Korma Curry to generously serve 8 people

Ingredients
olive oil
2 brown onions finely chopped
4 cloves garlic crushed
4 carrots, diced into 2 cm pieces
4 sticks celery finely diced
400 g stringless green beans sliced on the diagonal into 2 cm pieces
2 zucchini, diced into 2 cm pieces
2 potatoes diced into 2 cm pieces
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon mild korma curry powder
250 ml plain yoghurt
500 ml chicken stock
2 kg beef chuck cut into 3 cm – 4 cm cubes

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees conventional setting. 

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep ovenproof pot (we used the Le Creuset). Add all of the veggies and the sea salt and saute over a medium heat for 10 minutes until glossy. 

Remove onto a clean plate or bowl. Add another splash of olive oil and brown the meat in four batches placing each browned batch in the bowl with the veggies.

Add back all of the veggies, along with the tomato paste, korma curry powder, chicken stock and stir to combine. Finally, add the yoghurt and just stir through slightly. 

Clamp on the lid, bring to the boil then place in the oven for 2.5 hours until the beef is tender and the aroma of mouth watering curry spices fills the kitchen. 

Serve with rice and your choice of accompaniments.