It’s a fact that when you’re moving house it’s incredibly challenging cooking in the same way you would normally when your life wasn’t in chaos. In an attempt to use ingredients from the pantry & fridge so we don’t have to move quite so much, I made this quick beef, spinach & garbanzo curry that’s simple & can be ready in less than 30 minutes.
A good beef curry can take hours: toasted & grinding spices, slowly simmering the beef & taking care to have just the right balance of flavors. I absolutely love curries made this way, it was how I was taught & how my family eats curry. But every once in awhile, you have to cheat a little.
Patak’s make a range of curry pastes that make cooking a quick curry with using only a few ingredients, possible. I chose hot for obvious reasons but they do have a mild paste for the less adventurous. You need only a few tablespoons & it keeps for years in the fridge although I’m not sure what the company’s recommendation is for longevity once the jar is opened. It’s been my experience it keeps indefinitely.
We’re now about halfway or more through packing-up this house. The kitchen is 95% packed. The kitchen & my props always take the most time to pack & the most boxes. And my cookbooks which took 20 boxes. A fair number I think for someone who cooks for a living. Before I pack anything else I have to go & make some boxes. Most of the boxes have seen 7 or so moves & this will be their last as they’re getting quite old & saggy. I know how they feel! Moving is a LOT of work! Next time we move, we’re going to have someone do it for us. I take moving as a time to purge. Do I really need a pale blue trench coat I bought many years in Canada & have only worn once? Or a cream wool coat when I can’t stay clean for more than 5 minutes? Probably not. These coats have seen two countries & four states, it’s time to say ‘buh-bye’. After this post I’ll be doing some more purging, it always feels quite liberating, like a weight has been lifted.
If I can manage to eat reasonably healthy & stick to my high fiber way of eating during the move & subsequent renos we have planned, I will be pleased. So stay tuned for some quick & easy meals, plus some of my favorites from The Fresh Aussie blog, along with before & after pics of the renos. I best get back to packing & purging. I’ll catch you during the week. Cheers, Lovoni
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- 2 tablespoons canola (or coconut) oil
- 1 lb (453g) beef rib eye steak, thinly sliced
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons Indian curry paste*
- 15 oz (425ml) can whole tomatoes, undrained
- 4 medjool dates, pitted & chopped
- 3 cups packed baby spinach leaves
- 19 oz/540ml can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained & rinsed
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
- mango chutney, plain yogurt, mint leaves & steamed basmati rice, to serve
- Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until browned; remove from pan.
- Heat remaining oil in the same pan. Add onion & garlic & cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Add curry paste & cook, stirring, for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Stir in tomatoes & their juice & the dates. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally & breaking up the tomatoes into chunks, for about 10 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
- Add the spinach, chickpeas, mint & beef and cook for about 2 minutes until the spinach is just wilted & chickpeas are hot.
- Serve with mango chutney, yogurt, mint leaves & rice if desired.
- *Curry paste, such as Patak’s can be found in East Indian & Asian markets and in the international section of grocery stores.
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