This Chinese Beef Curry is a quick, easy, and delicious recipe that will have you ditching the takeout menu. You won't need hard-to-find ingredients, just a few pantry staples and my clever trick to leave your beef so tender it melts in the mouth. Just like your favorite takeaway beef! Ready in under 30 minutes, it's perfect for a weeknight dinner. Plus, it's super versatile; you can easily add extra veggies. Serve it with rice or noodles for a dinner the family will love.
Cut the beef into thin strips across the grain.1 lb/ 454g beef
Place in a non-metallic bowl and sprinkle with the baking soda. Stir gently to coat all of the beef. Then cover and let the beef marinate for 15 minutes.1½ tablespoons baking soda
Wash off the baking soda and rinse the beef several times. (See note 8)
Pat the beef dry with kitchen paper and set it to one side.
Next, make the sauce.
Add all the sauce ingredients into a large measuring cup/jug and stir well. Ensure the broth is cold to stop the cornstarch from clumping.2 cups/ 480ml beef broth2 tablespoons cornstarch/cornflour2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine1½ tablespoons curry powder1 teaspoon soy sauce½ teaspoon sugar½ teaspoon turmericpinch Chinese 5-spicepinch white pepper
For the stir fry
Pour the oil into a heavy-based frying pan or wok and place over high heat.2 tablespoons oil
Add the sliced onions to the oil and stir-fry them over high heat for 2 minutes.1 onion
Add the sliced carrots and bell pepper, then stir fry them over high heat for 2 minutes.1 carrot1 red bell pepper
Add the beef to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the salt and stir.½ teaspoon salt
Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds.2 cloves garlic
Give the prepared sauce another stir, then pour it into the pan. The sauce will thicken quickly, so stir it to coat your stir fry.
Serve immediately.
Notes
Choose flank steak or skirt steak for a great value cut. Rump steak, sizzle steaks, or round steaks are also good choices. And those packets of stir-fry strips will work.
Baking Soda is also called Bicarb, Bicarbonate of Soda, and Sodium Bicarbonate.
I like to use low sodium broth/stock as this dish has other salty ingredients. You can use chicken or vegetable broth/stock instead. When making the sauce, use cold broth/stock. This means the cornstarch/cornflour will mix without any lumps.
Chinese Cooking Wine/Chinese Rice Wine – not to be mistaken for rice wine vinegar!!! You can sub in dry sherry if you like.
Use whatever brand you prefer. And go for mild, medium, or hot to suit your family's taste.
Chinese 5-spice is a blend that adds warmth to the curry; you can leave it out if you don't have any.
White pepper is traditional, but you can use black pepper if that is what you have.
Ensure you wash the beef well to remove any traces of baking soda. It is fantastic at tenderizing meat but tastes terrible, so you want to remove it.