Crockpot Creation – Eastern Indian Delight
Slow-cooker Beef Curry with String Beans, Spinach & Brown Rice
Nov 6, 2009
Say goodbye to the classic “crockpot” meals of yesterday and say hello to inspired “21st Century” cuisine that is simple, yet exciting, to prepare and cook! Many people associate stew, roast, chili and meatballs with the slow cooker. These dishes, while very tasty, are passé and a trifle boring. The sky is the limit as to what one can make in the slow-cooker as just a dash of creativity is required to make a wide diversity of meals with a kick or a multi-cultural appeal.
By just adding rice, wine and an exotic spice such as curry, a culinary ‘wannabe’ can dramatically change a common dinner into a mouth-watering, gourmet meal. Oftentimes, we take recipes too literally and do not experiment enough to change the taste and texture so, consequently, we end up with the same old, same old. For example, if a recipe calls for 2 cups of broth or water, a substitution of wine for one cup of the liquid and broth for the remaining cup will, indeed, suffice. This simple task will change the whole dynamic of a meal and if different wines are used on other occasions, then the taste will reflect the particular vintage.
With “Slow-cooking”, Virtually Anything can be Placed in the Crock
People can go about their busy days without having to worry about fixing a dinner when arriving home and feeling exhausted.
Ethnic foods are all the rage and are not difficult to prepare in a crock. By reading up on various International dishes and perusing the International aisle in the local grocery store, one can pick-up information, edibles and seasonings that will befit most entrees that have origins in other countries. Most chefs will concur that the sauce and seasonings are the keys to making meals fabulous rather than dull and lifeless.
Another factor in making a meal more appealing, satisfying and nutritionally sound is the quality of ingredients that are used. Buying fresh produce and meats, preferably organic where available, are a necessity and should be utilized to ensure that harsh chemicals do not destroy the taste and interfere with vitamin/mineral absorption. Also, the natural foods usually have a better shelf life and do not cook down as much as the pre-packaged variety. An added bonus is that the colors are retained and are more pleasing to the eyes.
Now, the beef curry cook–off begins - Crock & Roll with this tempting Eastern Indian Delight.
Beef Curry with String Beans, Spinach and Brown Rice
- 3 tbls. olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs. of lean beef strips
- ¼ cup of flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp of creole seasoning or a blend of ½ tsp. paprika, dash of thyme, and ¼ tsp. pepper
- dash of garlic powder
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 1 14 oz can if diced tomatoes
- 3 cups of beef broth
- ½ cup red wine
- ½ cup of tomato or v-8 juice
- 3 tbs (or more) of curry powder
- 1 ½ cups of frozen pearl onions
- 1 ½ cups of dry brown rice (jasmine preferred)
- 1 ½ cups of frozen or fresh string beans
- 1 cup of frozen spinach
- handful of fresh cilantro
Directions:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
- In a food storage bag, combine the flour, salt, creole seasoning and garlic powder.
- Toss beef in the mixture and then brown in the hot oil along with the cloves of garlic and sliced
- onions.
- Cook, stirring for about 4-6 minutes, or until beef is browned and onions are tender.
- Transfer the mixture to a 5-6 qt. slow cooker.
- Pour remaining beef broth from the skillet and scrape up any brown bits.
- Pour over the beef and onions in the slow cooker. Add rice and stir in tomatoes, curry powder, and
- pearl onions.
- Pour beef broth, wine and tomato juice over the mixture.
- Slow cook on LOW heat for about 8 ½ hours.
**** After about 4 hours of cooking, add the string beans and spinach. ***** Depending on the rice, you may need to add some liquid so check on the meal after 6 ½ hrs. Serve with cilantro sprinkled on top. Enjoy this delectable meal.
Bon Appetit!
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