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Shatkora beef
Shatkora gosht (সাতকরা গরু): Sylheti beef curry with wild citrus
Shatkora is a large, thick-skinned citrus that grows in the hills of Sylhet in north-east Bangladesh, and its bitter, perfumed rind is what Sylhetis put in beef curry instead of lemon. The rind and pith are cut into chunks and simmered with the meat, so the sauce turns gently sour and smells like lime leaves and grapefruit at once. It is a home dish for Fridays and Eid, eaten with rice; the many Sylheti families in Britain made it famous in UK curry houses. Shatkora is sold frozen or in brine at South Asian grocers; if you can't get it, use the peel of half a grapefruit and a lime. The common mistake is adding too much shatkora early, which makes the curry bitter. Chef's tip: boil the shatkora pieces in water for 2 minutes and drain before adding them; it removes the harshest bitterness and keeps the fragrance.
- Total time
- 130 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Bring a small pan of water to the boil, add ½ shatkora and boil for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
4 minStep 2: Heat 5 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pot over a medium heat. Add 1 cinnamon stick, 4 green cardamom pods and 2 bay leaves and fry for 30 seconds, then add 2 onions and cook until golden brown, about 12 minutes.
13 minStep 3: Stir in 1 tbsp garlic paste and 1 tbsp ginger paste and fry for 2 minutes, then add 1 tsp ground turmeric, 1 ½ tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp ground coriander and a splash of water. Fry for 2 minutes until the oil separates.
4 minStep 4: Add 1 ¾ lb beef chuck and 1 ½ tsp salt and fry over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring, until the meat is browned and coated. Add 1 tomato and cook until it breaks down.
14 minStep 5: Pour in 2 cups water, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 50 minutes.
50 minStep 6: Add the blanched shatkora and 3 green chillies, cover and cook for 25–30 minutes more, until the beef is tender and the shatkora is soft. Uncover for the last 10 minutes if the sauce is thin; it should coat the meat.
30 minStep 7: Taste: it should be gently bitter-sour and savoury. Add salt if needed, scatter 1 handful fresh coriander and serve with rice. Leave the shatkora rind on the side of the plate if it's too bitter for you. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shatkora beef take?
- About 130 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 105 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic paste?
- 1 crushed garlic clove per ½ tsp.
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