Beef Varattiyathu | Kuttanadan Beef Roast

Beef Varattiyathu in Kuttanadan style is Keralites favorite beef dish. Geographically Kuttanad is termed the Rice Bowl of Kerala. The lush paddy fields and backwaters will leave you spell bound. You will find a well cited Kuttanadan Beef Roast dish here. To achieve an authentic taste and flavour, only natural masalas are used in the dish. This is a dish that would make anyone drool. The dish is popular and very commonly served in house boats that glide through Kuttanad backwaters. The exotic dish is usually served with mashed Kappa or tapioca. The dish is unique and special and this is an easy to prepare dish.

Thinly sliced red meat is cooked with pepper and essential ingredients in a pressure cooker. Do not overcook, meat needs to be bit chewy. In a thick bottomed vessel, heat coconut oil and fry coconut slices, ginger, garlic, ground masala powders and other ingredients. Stir in cooked meat with gravy and keep roasting in low medium flame until beef pieces are coated well with the spicy fragrant mixture. Slow roasting allows meat to absorb the masala flavors well. Meat pieces should be chewy but not hard. The favorite dish is a in-between one, not a curry nor a fry. If you want to impress your family and make your guests happy, try the dish. Trust me, no doubt you will be the star.

Adding coconut slices and curry leaves to the beef dish, increases the crunchiness and appeal. Kuttanadan Beef Roast is a well favored dish. Beef is rich in protein and other vital nutrients required for body. Growing up kids exert too much and they need protein in daily diet. You can explore a well detailed recipe here that can be easily prepared at home. Enjoy the dish at home. If anyone asks me, what is the best with beef – then i would definitely answer them – Beef Varattiyathu.

Beef Varattiyathu | Kuttanadan Beef Roast

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Kerala

Servings 5 people

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 kg Beef
• 3 nos. Onions(big)
• 1/2 inch piece Ginger Crushed
• 12 nos. Garlic cloves Crushed
• 1 1/2 tbsp Garam masala
• 12 nos. Red Chilly with seeds
• 3 tbsp Coriander seeds
• Salt to taste
• 2 sprigs Curry leaves
• 1/2 cup Coconut slices
• 1 tbsp Pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 3 tbsp Coconut oil
• 1 tsp Fennel seeds powder

For beef Marination :

• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• Salt As reqd
• 1 tbsp Pepper powder

Instructions

 

• Let's prepare some fresh Garam Masala. The ingredients required are : Fennel Seeds (Perumjeerakam) - 1 tbsp, Cinnamon stick(Karugapatta) - 1 long stick, Cloves(Grambu) - 5 nos, Cardamon - 3 nos and Pepper corns - 1 tsp. Fry the above ingredients until the fennel seeds color changes (do not burn it). Let it cool and grind it nicely. Store the masala in glass container and take what is required.
  
• Meanwhile, fry the red chillies and coriander seeds. Grind well.
  
• Clean the beef and cut into small pieces, wash well and drain the water in a colander. Mix the drained beef with the ingredients for marination: turmeric powder, pepper powder and salt. Pressure cook beef with half cup of water for around 7 whistles or for around 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure it is not over cooked. Needs to be little chewy.
  
• In a thick bottomed vessel, heat 2 tbsp coconut oil, add curry leaves and then coconut slices. When the coconut slices color changes, add 80% of the garlic(rest will be used later) and ginger. Fry until the raw smell is gone.
  
• Add onions and little salt and fry until translucent. Add the ground powders(red chilly and coriander), garam masala(1 1/2 tbsp) and turmeric powder and fry it.
  
• After 5 minutes add the beef with gravy to it and mix it very well. Close it with a lid and let it boil. This way the beef will absorb all the masalas. Check it every now and then and make sure it is mixed very well.
  
• Now open the lid and add the rest of the crushed garlic and let the gravy dry. Keep mixing it. Once it is dry, check out salt and garam masala and adjust if necessary. Now add half teaspoon of pepper powder and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and mix it well. If the masalas are sticking to the vessel, add little water and scrape it with the spatula.
  
• Once it is almost dry, add half teaspoon Fennel Seeds powder, mix it well and switch off. It doesn't need to be very dry(after 15 mts it will become very dry).
  
• It can be served with rice or porotta. Enjoy.
  

Notes

Please make sure the heat is less than medium. This way beef is coated very well with masalas. If it is high heat, beef masalas will get burnt. You can visit this link Kerala Beef Fry. You can also visit this dish Beef Curry.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!