Aromatic Beef Curry

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 150 g (5½ oz) button mushrooms, sliced
• 400 g (14 oz) sirloin steak, trimmed of fat and cut into thin strips
• 1½ tsp bottled chopped root ginger in oil, drained
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• ½ tsp crushed dried chillies
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 can chopped tomatoes, about 400 g
• 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water
• 300 g (10½ oz) plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 tbsp clear honey
• 125 g (4½ oz) young spinach leaves
• juice of ½ lime
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, plus extra leaves to garnish
• Cardamom rice:
• 340 g (12 oz) basmati rice, well rinsed
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 8 whole green cardamom pods, cracked
• juice of ½ lemon
• salt

Preparation method

1.   Heat
   the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion and mushrooms. Cook over
   a high heat for 2 minutes or until the onion slices begin to colour.
2.   Add
   the beef together with the ginger, garlic, chillies, ground coriander,
   cardamom, turmeric and nutmeg. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring well, then
   add the tomatoes with their juice and the cornflour mixture. Bring to
   the boil, stirring. Stir in the yogurt and honey. Bring back to the
   boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
3.   Meanwhile,
   prepare the cardamom rice. Put 450 ml (15 fl oz) cold water in a
   saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the rice, cinnamon stick and
   cardamom pods. Bring back to the boil, then cover tightly and cook for
   10 minutes or until the rice is tender. Drain and return the rice to
   the saucepan. Stir in the lemon juice and keep covered until the curry
   is ready to serve.
4.   Stir
   the spinach, lime juice and chopped coriander into the curry and allow
   the leaves to wilt down into the sauce. To serve, spoon the curry over
   the rice and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.