Sunday, July 6, 2008

Please beer with this beef!!

If wine was French, beer was German and noodles were Chinese what could Beef fry be then!!!

Yes. It’s Kottayamese!!

Beef fry is like the national food of every achayan….While in other parts of the country security is always increased, in kottayam it’s always 'beefed up'!! And it also explains the famous achayans 'belieef' in themselves!!

While beef is a taboo word elsewhere in the country it is probably given a reverential status in this part of the state…Local authorities say the average happiness of a kottayamkaaran is linked to the beef consumption of the district….Scarcity of petrol and vegetables doesn’t affect this part of the state…but beef, Jeez it would be like the Cuban missile crisis!!

Any Christian function without beef fry is like a Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie without gold. There was this marriage where the groom did not make it. But it was not until the chef told the bride’s dad that the beef from “Paulose yeracchi kada” did not arrive was the marriage called off!! Tragedies “beefall” at the cruelest times...

History students in schools embraced Christianity since the teachers always taught this about the calendar…

Tell me children what is expansion of B.C?

“Beef for Christ!!”


Poor kids thought they were fighting for own cause…Well it did ofcoz influence people “spiritually” as it was critical to have this “thottunakkaan” with “challaas” for any self respecting kallu koodiyan…It cuts across all class barriers as even the richest estate owning achayan wouldn’t dare have a glass of chivas regal without this classic fry.

Well why I say all this is coz, I recently had a knowledge transfer from mom on how real beef fry is made…

Ingredients

1) 800gms beef sliced in cubes+200 grams liver (this supposedly compensates for loss of liver content in human body for you know whom )
2) 4 Big onions thinly sliced
3) 1 inch piece of crushed ginger
4) 1 teaspoon garlic paste
5) Beef masala powder 4-5 teaspoons(I got it from home(a brand called sevana))
6) ½ teaspoon chilli powder
7) ¾ teaspoon pepper powder
8) Curry leaves
9) A few bay leaves
10) Sliced bits of coconut
11) Garam masala (home made the better)

After heating oil on the pan crack mustard seeds add ingredients 2) ,3), 4), 8), 9) and 10)
Sauté it in low flame until the onions are transparent and the raw smell goes.
Now take the pan away from the flame and add ingredients 5) 6) and 7). Be careful that the masala doesn’t get burnt and keep stirring till the raw smell goes.
Now add the meat along with sufficient salt and a little oil over it.
Mix the whole stuff in the pan until the masala is coated evenly over the meat.
Now add a pinch of garam masala and mix the whole thing again.
Transfer the whole thing to a pressure cooker along with half a cup water and cook it for 3-4 whistles.(The number of whistle depends on texture of meat)

Allow the beef to dry in the pressure cooker by further heating if any water is still left.



This is the real beef fry and taste best with sliced onion dipped in vinegar.


Oh wait I have to attend a "Beefthoven memorial symphony"... cya later!! ;-P

35 comments:

Pooja Na(i)rayan said...

What a beeftiful Post. It sounds beefilicios. Beefore I get carried away you know what I meant

Philip said...

Holy beef! Please save me from this temptation..Beef for Christ - LOL!

One clarification - this would qualify more as beef ularthiyathu than beef fry, right?

Mishmash ! said...

:)) With a beef ularthiyathu post in drafts, i always thought of referring to ur previous post and this is more funnier ! thanks for ur mom's recipe....i have some moru curry and nellika chammanthi inmy fridge...a plate of this would complete the whole meal:D

mathew said...

@Pooja
hehehe..danke schon!!
This comment beefits the generation of kottayamkaars who relish on Beef fry's..

@Philip
Infact it is more dry than what the photo suggest..i used flash here and that makes it look a bit different..it was way better than the beef malarthiyathu i tired before..

@Mishmash
waah..what a combo...esp in the summer i cant think of anything better than mooru curry..

awaiting some professional beef ularthiyathu recipe..am sure you will come up with a secret mix!!;-P

silverine said...

In my house, it is a sacrilege to buy chicken and mutton. Thats how strict we are in our regional 'beeliefs'! :p Looks yumm!

Anonymous said...

Very tempting ....kno wats the best part of this ..loads of thenga pieces in between :))

Anonymous said...

Ha ha that was funny.. my roommate is kottayam christian so I am fully understand what you are trying t say.. every time he has an off I know there will be beef when I reach home.. of course he has got down to chicken as I don't enjoy it as much.. no stop don't pelt me with stones for that was just kidding!

VIDYA said...

loooks yummmm, but beef s prohibited at home. the only times i eat it being the crazy cutlets in kerala .....

Beef for christ ;LOLLL!!

nishanth nair said...

nice one...

just bought 1 kg beef after reading your post..

couldnt resist...

mathew said...

@Anju
Ahh..True Believers!!;-D

@nimmi
Yes...that gives the tang! ;-D

@Balu
He is a lamb who has gone astray from our cult...We discharge him from Primary membership!!;-P
And you shall be punished for this grievious crime!!


@VIDYA
So next time you visit kerala dont forget to gobble as much as you can!!;-)

@nishanth
hehehhe..So how was it!!

J said...

Funny!! It did make me hungry!

anN-series said...

is this the secret of ur 'beef cake' physique??? :~P

Jans said...

Njoyd the prelude n im sure the dish is as good,,,,Mom's recipes always work.

Rajani said...

love your posts! just found your blog today! Beer is great - no beef tho'

Arunima said...

:-) Shall make the husband read this post. I don't eat beef but he is crazy about it. Why cook for him? I'll make him learn this and cook for himself. ha ha

mathew said...

@Jyothsna
Thank you..:-)

@Ann
LOL!!.ahem ahem!!

@Jans
Yeah..we are so used to it that we just will always crave for it..

@Rajani
Thank you..and glad that you enjoyed reading..ofcoz Beer is one of the best inventions eve made by man!!

@Arunima
hahaha...yes plz do make him try it..and I doubt you will be able to resist taking a piece from it!!;-D

Anonymous said...

You never cease to amuse me with your choice of words..

next time when you make beef..try shallots instead of the big onions..Truat me...they add a better flavour...

Anonymous said...

haha good post.
Beef fry is one of my favorites. Oh I am from Kottayam, no wonder.

Anonymous said...

Got a Beefy idea of you and your blog today.This one i will sure be experimenting soon.I have umpteen number of beef recipes.We Tricurites use more shallots.
Even we got many special "yerachikkadakal"..so,jagrathai...Beefing up for now.

Unknown said...

nice play on words. True kuntham-kulukki(read shakespear-ean) humor!

Divz said...

your posts r too good mathewchaya!!
must say u rock!!
guess all those recipes were a result of a bachelors encounter with cooking!! keep up the good work...keep blogging

Unknown said...

man.... looks awesome... bet it tastes the same... njan paranjathu pole cheythathu kollaaam

Synapse said...

vaayil vellam vannu!

Synapse said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Divz said...

ohh it was my pleasure visitng ur blog..have taken the liberty to add ur blog to my blog lists..
btw thanks for visiting my blog...

Shella said...

Oh Mathew....the beef fry looks gorgeous...I just had my heartful this time I landed in Kerala...loved every bit of it...your's look so delishh....n i guess its a hot fav with all mallu guys with their drink....finger food they call it..

Shreya said...

he he..hilarious post. Again, I do not buy or cook beef, but I do remember waiting for beef to be served in the hostel, while I was studying in college! And the time in TVM when I used to go with frieds to local hotels and have 'porota' with beef fry. And my roomie (from Thrissur) always got beef pickle from home..to die for! will keep visiting...

mathew said...

@Rachel
Yes..shallots are better, unfortunately we don’t get them here..so have to do with big onions…thanks for reading..

@xylene
You are not part of the brotherhood, if you don’t like em..;-D

@Ann
LOL!!..sollamaateei..
Btw .i like trichur food too..esp the pickles..

@Abraham Menacherry
ROTFL!! Nice one..

@Divz
Thank you..and yeah it’s a bachelor experiments that’s the result of this blog…nice blog you have too..

@Rose
Heheheh…gunshots on your head!!!

@Synapse
;-D

@ Shella
Thank you…and yeah beef fry is a hot fav with hot drinks esp with malayalees…Though I haven’t seen any such trend of “spicy touchings” parties in the west…;-D

@Shreya
Porota and beef fry was like the standard order for me…you know the difficult part of replying to comments in this blog..I am getting real hungry when I type this!!!;-D
Thanks for visiting..

Shreya said...

Hi, I have tagged you at my blog

mirage said...

Hi,it looks yummy yummy! now just need some raw beef to give it a try:))


mirage

zlamushka said...

funny posts you have over here. Vinegar dipped onions, gimme a plate and I ll eat it all :-)
Oh, beefore I forget, I hope you are participating this month´s Tried And Tasted, we are cooking from Jugalbandi(ts) - no beef, but lots of spices :-)

Pooja Nair said...

You are a revelation.

The photography, the writing, the sense of humour and now cooking!!!

In school, I never looked beyond your glasses...

Anyway, glad to discover you atlast! :)

Aiswarya said...

bloody beeefy good!!! umm yummy yummyy! I tried ur beef malarthiyathu which you did in a previous post.

Sanjay Leela Bansali film without gold!!! lol!!!!

Anonymous said...

Deliciouso!!!!!! Gawd.. you make me jealous...!!!

Oceana said...

hi,
I am from frankfurt . nice blog you have here
tc