Goan-Style Chili-Fry with Beef, Tomatoes, and Potatoes
On the southwestern coast of India, the state of Goa was under Portuguese control for more than 400 years, and its port city served as a trading hub between Europe and points east. Not surprisingly, the food and cooking of the region fuse ingredients, flavors, and techniques from different parts of the world. Chili-fry, a Goan creation, is a sort of meat and vegetable stir-fry. Potatoes aren’t always included in a chili-fry, but we like the substance and heartiness they bring to the dish (but they do need to be precooked in the microwave). If you’re looking for lots of spicy heat, leave the seeds in one or both of the chilies.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- 1 pound beef sirloin tips or tri-tip, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion halved and thinly sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 Fresno chilies or serrano, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 3 medium garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons coconut vinegar or cider vinegar
- ½ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro roughly chopped
Instructions
Season the beef:
- In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon, turmeric and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle half of the spice mix onto the beef and toss to combine; set the remaining spice mix aside.
Parcook the potatoes:
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the potatoes and ¼ cup water.
- Cover and microwave on high until a skewer inserted into a piece meets no resistance, 6 to 7 minutes.
- Pour off the water in the bowl; set the potatoes aside.
Brown the beef:
- In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until barely smoking.
- Add the meat in an even layer and cook without stirring until well browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir and cook until no longer pink on the exterior, another 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a plate.
Cook the potatoes and onions:
- In the same skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering.
- Add the potatoes and onion, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened and the potatoes are well browned, 8 to 9 minutes.
Finish and serve:
- Stir in the tomatoes, chilies, ginger, garlic, the remaining spice mix and the beef with accumulated juices; cook, stirring, until the tomatoes begin to soften, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the vinegar and half of the cilantro, then taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro.
Notes
- Don’t stir the beef for the first two to three minutes after adding it to the skillet. Allowing it to cook undisturbed develops better browning, which translates to deeper flavor. Once the bottoms are nicely caramelized, occasional stirring is good to help the pieces cook evenly.
- Sirloin tips are sometimes sold as flap meat, however, it can also sometimes be called bavette steak. If you can't find flap meat you can also try this with skirt, flank, or flatiron steak. These cuts are slightly more lean than flap meat, but should still work fine in the recipe.