Sri Lankan Beef Smore (Slow-Cooked Spiced Beef Curry)

About This Recipe

Sri Lankan Beef Smore is a real, traditional Sri Lankan dish, known as Slow-Cooked Spiced Beef Curry. Beef slow-braised in a thick, dark roasted curry powder sauce with coconut milk, reduced until deeply concentrated and rich.\n\nBeef smore reflects Sri Lanka's tradition of using roasted curry powder, toasted specifically for meat curries, to create a darker, more intensely flavored dish than the milder curries made with raw curry powder.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Sri Lankan home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 kgbeef chuck(cubed)
• 3 tbspneutral oil
• 1yellow onion(diced)
• 6garlic cloves(minced)
• 1 piecefresh ginger(minced)
• 3 tbsproasted Sri Lankan curry powder
• 1 tspchili powder
• 10curry leaves
• 1cinnamon stick
• 1 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 400 mlcoconut milk
• 200 mlwater

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the beef

   Heat oil in a heavy pot and brown the beef cubes on all sides; set aside.

2. 2

   Cook the aromatics

   Add onion, garlic and ginger to the same pot, cooking until softened, about 8 minutes.

3. 3

   Bloom the spices

   Stir in roasted curry powder, chili powder, curry leaves and cinnamon stick, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.

4. 4

   Braise

   Return the beef to the pot, add water, cover, and simmer for 1.5 hours until the beef is nearly tender.

5. 5

   Add coconut milk

   Stir in coconut milk and continue simmering uncovered for 30 minutes, until the sauce reduces to a thick, dark, clinging consistency.

6. 6

   Serve

   Season with salt, remove the cinnamon stick, and serve hot with rice or roti.

Variations

• •

  Use lamb or goat instead of beef for a different traditional protein.

• •

  Some households add potato chunks in the last 30 minutes for a heartier meal.

• •

  Adjust the chili powder quantity to control the heat level to taste.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions