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Mezbani beef
Mezbani mangsho (মেজবানি মাংস): Chittagong's fiery feast-day beef curry
A mezban is the great community feast of Chittagong, held for a death anniversary, a new home or a good harvest, and the food is always the same: rice, dal and this dark, fiery beef curry cooked in giant pots by professional bawarchis. What makes it different from other Bangladeshi curries is its spice blend: mustard oil, lots of dried red chilli, and a ground mix of star anise, mace, nutmeg, cumin and white pepper that tastes warm and deep rather than hot alone. At home it is a weekend treat, eaten with rice or paratha. The common mistake is rushing the bhuna (frying) stage; the beef must fry in its spices until the oil floats free before any water goes in. Chef's tip: toast and grind the mezbani spice mix fresh on the day, because ready-ground spices lose their perfume in a curry this long.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the mezbani spice mix
For the curry
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Dry-toast all the mezbani spices (1 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 2 star anise, 1 tsp mace blades, 1 tsp white peppercorns, 10 dried red chillies, 5 green cardamom pods, 6 cloves and 1 cinnamon stick) in a dry pan over a medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes, until fragrant. Cool, then grind finely with ½ tsp ground nutmeg.
4 minStep 2: Mix 3 ⅓ lb beef chuck with some bone with 2 tbsp ginger paste, 2 tbsp garlic paste, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsp chilli powder, 2 ½ tsp salt and half the spice mix. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
60 minStep 3: Heat ½ cup mustard oil in a large heavy pot over a medium-high heat until it just smokes, then lower to medium. Add 2 bay leaves and 3 onions and fry until deep golden, 12–15 minutes.
15 minStep 4: Add the beef and its marinade. Raise the heat and stir for 10 minutes until the meat loses its raw colour.
10 minStep 5: Lower the heat to medium and keep frying and scraping the base for 15–20 minutes, adding a splash of water if it catches, until the meat is dark brown and the oil floats free at the edges. This bhuna stage builds the flavour.
20 minStep 6: Pour in 2 ½ cups hot water, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 1½ hours, stirring every 20 minutes, until the beef is very tender when pressed with a spoon.
90 minStep 7: Stir in the rest of the spice mix and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, until the gravy is thick, dark and glossy with a layer of red oil on top.
10 minStep 8: Taste for salt, scatter over 3 tbsp crispy fried onions and serve with plain rice. Like most curries it is better the next day: cool within 2 hours, refrigerate for up to 3 days and reheat until bubbling.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mezbani beef take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 150 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
- What can I use instead of coriander seeds?
- Ground coriander, same amount (add it later in the cooking; it burns faster).
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