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5.0 from 54 votes

Burmese Beef Curry with Potatoes

This cozy and comforting Burmese curry recipe hails from Burma Superstar restaurant in San Francisco. Chunks of beef are slow-cooked in a myriad of spices before finishing with hearty potatoes, and fresh cilantro.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Resting Time
20 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 4 servings (6 as part of a larger meal)
Calories: 889 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian , Burmese

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ pounds beef stew meat
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons canola, vegetable, or other neutral-flavored oil (start with less and add more if needed)
  • 1 ounce fresh ginger, peeled and thickly sliced lengthwise into slabs
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 ½ cups finely diced yellow or red onion
  • ⅓ cup minced garlic 
  • 1 to 3 thinly sliced Thai chiles or 2 small dried chiles (use 1 for a slightly milder curry--3 will be quite spicy)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
  • ¾ teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes (about 4), peeled and cubed
  • Spoonful of plain whole milk or Greek yogurt (optional)
  • 1 cup cilantro sprigs, for garnish
  • 1 lime or lemon, cut into wedges, for garnish

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Trim away the sinew from the beef and cut the meat into ½-to-1-inch cubes. Transfer to a bowl and use your hands to mix with the paprika, turmeric, and salt. Let the beef marinate at room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients, or refrigerate overnight.
  2. In a 6-quart pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and cook until the edges become slightly browned, 2 minutes. Stir in the lemongrass and cook until slightly softened, 2 minutes.
  3. Add the onions, lower the heat to medium, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring often to keep the onions from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the garlic, chiles, and bay leaves. Decrease the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until most of the water from the onions has been cooked out, about 10 minutes.
  4. Add the beef and fish sauce and stir to coat. Pour in the water. Increase the heat, bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer (at this point I highly suggest taking a few minutes to skim the impurities and some of the excess oil from the surface–there was a lot of scum on mine). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is beginning to become tender, about 1 ½ hours.
  5. Stir in the curry powder, garam masala, and potatoes. Pour in more water if the curry looks thick. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes more.
  6. Ideally, let the curry sit for at least 20 minutes before serving to allow the beef to soak in the curry flavor as it cools. Bring to a simmer before serving, and taste, adding more salt or fish sauce if desired. Stir in the yogurt. Serve with bowls of cilantro and lime wedges at the table.

Notes

  • You may swap out the beef for lamb if you prefer to make a lamb curry instead.
  • Although the recipe doesn't specifically say to pick out the lemongrass, bay leaves, and sliced ginger at the end of the cooking process to discard them, they shouldn't be eaten. Diners can discard them from their individual bowls, or the chef can go through and remove them before serving. The former is probably more typical where each person picks them out as they go, but do whatever works for you.
  • Adapted from Burma Superstar

Nutrition Information

Calories 889kcal (44%) Carbohydrates 23g (8%) Protein 53g (106%) Fat 59g (91%) Saturated Fat 21g (105%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Monounsaturated Fat 4g Cholesterol 200mg (67%) Sodium 1718mg (72%) Potassium 101mg (3%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 5g (10%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings (6 as part of a larger meal)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 889

% Daily Value*

Calories 889kcal 44%
Carbohydrates 23g 8%
Protein 53g 106%
Fat 59g 91%
Saturated Fat 21g 105%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 200mg 67%
Sodium 1718mg 72%
Potassium 101mg 2%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 5g 10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.