While Chicken and Fish are widely eaten, Beef & Pork are less widely eaten in Sri Lanka largely due to religious sensibilities. Many Buddhists are vegetarian or eat fish but abstaining from beef is not universal. This fragrant and tasty curry made with beef and served “dry” (no sauce) has long been a favorite at my table. It also tastes good with pork.

I was attempting to make a traditional Sri Lankan beef curry with lots of gravy but forgot to buy coconut milk. I also was missing a couple of spices and didn’t have time to rush to the market. This serendipitous series of events led to me adjusting the spice blend and this is the result.

Serendipity…the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way! Serendip is also the ancient Persian name for what is now Sri Lanka.

The first step is to make the roasted thuna paha (roasted curry spice mix). Note that this spice mix is very different from the mix used for the chicken red curry. It is darker and has a more intense flavor – needed for the stronger flavor of beef.

This spice blend is particularly fragrant. Dry roasting the spices is typically for meat blends in Sri Lanka. I like to get a nice dark roast on the spices so do let them get smoky – but not burnt!

I use my trusty 15+ year old electric coffee grinder to grind the spices. They can also be ground in a mortar and pestle but that takes a lot more effort! If all the spices don’t fit in the grinder, do it in batches.

This is a very simple recipe, effectively two steps. The resulting dish is an aromatic and very flavorful dish that has been a crowd favorite among my guests for many years. I used beef but the same recipe works equally well with pork.

I like to brown the meat before adding the fresh ingredients but if you choose to put everything in the pot and cook it still works well.

Although some recipes call for a precise order in adding ingredients or specific process in cooking beef curry I find this recipe is very forgiving. To forgive is Devine…who cares about the rest? Try this Devine recipe.

For a simple meal serve the curry you just made with white rice, and some “white” (non-spicy) vegetable curries. An Ala Kiri Hodi (Potato with milky sauce) or a Parippu (Red lentils cooked in a milky sauce) will go well with this dish.

Add a garden salad or a Sri Lankan mallung (a dish made of a leafy vegetable, coconut, onion and s little spice – more on that later) and some accompaniments like a pickle and some poppadom.

If you want to get fancy try making a festive Kaha Bath (yellow rice) and maybe a Kadju Curry (Cashew nut Curry).

Adventure is the spice of life – so don’t hesitate to adjust the recipe. Add less spice if your palate is not used to this much spice. Reduce the number of dried chillies – it will take away some of the burn. Ultimately its about making a dish you enjoy eating. The only rule is – there are no rules!

In future posts I will share recipes and tips on how to prepare other dishes mentioned above.

If you try this recipe please let me know how it comes out by commenting on the post. If you have suggestions or requests for other recipes please contact us.

Enjoy, and let me know how it turns out!