Achari Beef, a unique beef recipe with amazing pickle and gravy flavors, is an exquisite meal that everyone loves. This dish is one of the top three dishes on my favorite list. On rainy days, a plate of khichuri and achari beef is the perfect combo to fight your hunger. Usually, during holidays or Eid, achari beef is the top preference for our family.
The exquisite flavor of achari beef comes from pach phoron, jeera or cumin, and mustard oil. My mom learned this recipe from my grandma and my grandma was a magical cook of this delicious dish. Her specialty was a mouth-watering homemade achar (pickles) that she made and used for this dish. So you can guess how authentic the taste was!
When I was a kid, the next day of Eid-Ul-Azha used to be a family get-together party at my grandma’s home and my grandma used to cook this tasty dish. Not only me and my cousins but also my uncles and aunties were crazy about this dish! I, along with my cousins, used to wait in the kitchen so that we could taste the dish as soon as it is cooked. The most appealing thing about this dish is when the dish is cooking on the stove, the whole house used to be aromatic of achari smell. Well, that increased our cravings even more!
What makes this dish so special is the extreme combination of beef, achar, and a variety of spices. If you love sour-salty-sweet combinations then you should definitely try this mouth-watering dish. This dish can be served with many sides like khichuri, pulao, biriyani, kachchi, plain rice, or even garlic naan or roti.
Though achari beef is a very appetizing dish, it is better not to have it regularly as it is highly spicy. Especially, the extra oil and spices might not be suitable for old members if consumed on a regular basis. However, you can definitely eat this dish occasionally, without any concern.
So, if you feel like you’ve had enough of the regular beef bhuna and need a new experience now, then you can surely switch to this amazing dish! It will treat your taste buds with an indelible burst of flavors. Achari beef is indeed one of the best meals to serve at parties or family gatherings. So, let’s jump to the recipe for this yummy dish without further delay!
Ingredients
- 1 Kg Beef
- 1/2 cup mustard oil
- 3 red chilies
- 1 tbsp Panch phoron
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1.5 cups sliced onion
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tbsp red chili powder
- ½ tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- 3 tomatoes
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 6/7 green chilies
- Coriander leaves
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat the oil and add the panch phoron, jeera, red chilies, and the bay leaf cut into half. Stir and fry it for 30 seconds.
- Add the sliced onions and sauté them until it’s light brown. There is no need to dry the onions until brown.
- Add the ginger and garlic paste for 1 min until the raw smell disappears.
- Add a little water before adding the powdered spices. After adding the water, add the red chili, turmeric, salt, and coriander powder and stir it for some time.
- After the raw smell of the spices is gone, add the black pepper powder and stir again for 2 minutes.
- After the oil is separated from the spices, add the sliced tomatoes. Mix the tomatoes with the spices and cover them for 5 minutes.
- Add the meat and stir continuously so it mixes with the spices properly for 15 mins.
- Beat the yogurt and add it to the meat and mix well.
- Cover it for 30 minutes.
- Add 2 cups of warm water for the beef to soften and put on the lid.
- Let the meat cook for 30 minutes on medium-low flame.
- Add 2 tbsp of lemon juice and the green chilies then cover it for 5 mins.
- Lastly, add the coriander leaves, mix well and serve.
Notes
Pro Tips
- If you're in a rush, cook the beef in a pressure cooker to make it more quickly.
- If you want to have the authentic flavor of a traditional achari beef curry, you can also add some achari oil or pickle oil. Though in our recipe, we did not use achari oil.
