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Home » Recipes » Course » Entrees » Curries

Braised Beef Short Ribs Curry

Published: May 28, 2020 · Modified: May 28, 2020 by Manju · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

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Fall off the bone, tender, succulent braised short ribs in our most favorite Kerala style curry base with coconut milk. This one-pot Braised Beef Short Ribs Curry is a great dinner option with some bread, rice or polenta on the side. This recipe easily makes extra to save some for leftovers also.

Short ribs curry in a bowl

This post contains affiliate links. For more information on this, please refer to my Affiliate and Advertising Disclosure here.

If you are a regular reader here, you know that the husband is a meat-a-holic. It took me a while for me, who has been a vegetarian all my life, to know what he likes, learn how to cook meat and season and flavor it well. I had a lot of help. Or rather, I took help from anywhere and everywhere I could. AJ’s family, of course, is from where I learnt the most about cooking meat and seafood. And then friends, friend’s moms (and dads), neighbors, basically, anyone who would let me watch them cook and flavor meat, I would go learn from them.

Now that I have been cooking meat for him and our friends and neighbors for well over 12 years, I have started to venture into coming up with my own recipes, with some already successful bases that I have used in other recipes. 

Angle shot of short ribs curry in a white dutch oven

This braised beef short ribs curry is one such recipe. I learnt and knew how to braise meat. I then learnt how to braise short ribs in particular, especially with the bone on one side and the meat on the other. 

I then used my go-to curry base with coconut milk, the one I use in my Slow Cooker Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk, and combined that with the braised beef short ribs to make this delicious braised beef short ribs curry. The sauce is my basic curry sauce, rich and with layers of flavor with the onion, garlic, ginger, the spices and all brought together by the creamy coconut milk.

Torn naan with short ribs curry next to it on a plate

If you are looking for other coconut milk based curries, here are some favorites:

  • Winter Melon and Red Beans Curry with Coconut Milk
  • Kerala Potato Curry with Coconut Milk
  • Coconut Milk Egg Curry
  • Kerala Style Coconut Milk Fish Curry
  • Kerala Style Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
  • Kerala Style Chicken Stew
  • Breakfast Potato Stew with Coconut Milk

What are short ribs?

Short ribs are cuts of beef taken from the chuck, brisket, plate or ribs. They are called short ribs because they are cut shorter, typically about 3-4 inches long and not the entire length of the rib.

Seasoned beef short ribs on a white plate

Since short ribs come from the tougher part of the animal, they need to be cooked low and slow to break down the connective tissues and make the meat tender. Short ribs also have a high fat content, which helps keep the moisture in, during the long cooking time.

Short ribs are the best cut of meat for braising, that they are even called braising ribs.

  • Seasoned short ribs in a white dutch oven
  • Seared short ribs in a white dutch oven

How to braise beef short ribs?

Season and brown the short ribs on both sides. Add onion, aromatics and stock or other liquid and slow cook for a couple of hours. It can be cooked low and slow in a slow cooker or crock pot, on the stove top or in the oven. The result is fork tender, falling off the bone, juicy meat.

  • Ingredients for the short ribs curry laid out on a wooden board
  • Ground spices in white round plate

How to make Braised Beef Short Ribs Curry

The ingredients for making braised beef short ribs curry may look like a mile long, but if your pantry is stocked enough for making curries and other Indian food, this is a fairly easy to put together recipe. It does take a while to cook though, but the prep part is not that much.

  • Chopped yellow onions, garlic and curry leaves in a white dutch oven
  • Spices added on top of cooked onions in a white dutch oven
  • Cooked down onions with the spices topped with chopped tomatoes in a white dutch oven
  • Cooked down onions and tomatoes with spices in a white dutch oven
  • Coconut milk added to cooked onions and tomatoes in a white dutch oven
  • Curry base for the short ribs curry in a white dutch oven
  1. Season the ribs and cook them till brown on both sides. Keep aside.
  2. In the same pan, add the aromatics - onion, ginger, garlic and curry leaves. Cook till the onions soften.
  3. Now, add in the spices and let it infuse into the aromatics.
  4. The chopped tomatoes go into the pan next.
  5. Once the tomatoes are soft, add the coconut milk.
  6. Simmer for a few minutes and then add the short ribs to this curry sauce. 
  7. Cover and let cook in the oven for about 2 hrs.
  8. Serve hot with naan. You can also serve it over polenta or rice.
  • Short ribs placed in the curry base
  • Covered white dutch oven
  • Short ribs curry in a white dutch oven

Tips for making braised short ribs curry

  • Season the short ribs before you brown them and then season the curry base as well. Layers of seasoning is the best way to get all those flavors in.
  • When browning the meat, let it sit in the pan in a single layer, and cook on one side for 3-4 minutes before you flip them over. That is the best way to get a good sear. Be patient.
  • Use a nice wide cast iron pan or dutch oven so all the short ribs can stay in one layer and you can use the same pan to put it in the oven to cook low and slow.
  • It needs at least 2 hrs of cooking in the oven. 2 ½ - 3 hrs would be ideal.
  • If the fat is too much for you, don't trim the fat from the beef. It helps to keep the meat moist when cooking for a long time. Instead, make ahead and chill in the refrigerator. The fat will form a nice layer on top and you can skim that off before reheating the curry to serve it.
  • To reheat, keep it out from the fridge for 30 mins or so to get to almost room temperature and then heat in the oven or on the stove top.
Short ribs curry in a bowl with two naans on the side

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Angle shot of short ribs curry in a white dutch oven

Braised Beef Short Ribs Curry

Fall off the bone, tender, succulent braised short ribs in our most favorite Kerala style curry base with coconut milk.
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Oven cooking time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings: 3 people
Calories: 1105kcal
Author: Manju
[recipe_key]

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs Beef short ribs about 6 pieces
  • Salt
  • 2 teaspoon Pepper corns
  • 5 tablespoon Oil enough to cover the base of the pan you are using
  • 8-10 Curry leaves
  • 2 teaspoon Minced Ginger
  • 6 cloves Garlic
  • 1 large Yellow Onion chopped
  • 6 cloves
  • 2 green cardamom pods
  • 1 black cardamom pod
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper corns
  • ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoon ground fennel
  • 2 medium Tomatoes diced
  • 1 can Coconut milk 15 oz
  • ¼ cup Cilantro minced

Instructions

  • Season beef generously with salt and crushed black pepper and keep aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 325F.
  • Heat oil in a cast iron pan over medium high heat. Cook ribs, in batches if needed, about 3-4 mins on each side, till browned.
  • Remove the ribs to a plate.
  • Reduce heat to medium. Add more oil and toss in the curry leaves, ginger, garlic and onions. Saute till onions soften.
  • Crush together cinnamon, green cardamom, black cardamom, star anise, black peppercorns and cloves together to a coarse powder. This is your garam masala.
  • Add the crushed garam masala, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, fennel powder and salt. Saute well till the raw scent of spices go away, about 2 mins.
  • Add chopped tomatoes, mix well and saute till it softens and the whole thing in the pan becomes saucy.
  • Add coconut milk, taste check for seasonings and let it come to a simmer.
  • Now add the short ribs in a single layer, meat side down.
  • Cover and braise in the oven for about 2 hrs, until the ribs are fork tender.
  • Garnish with minced cilantro and more curry leaves. Serve hot with naan, rice or over polenta.

Notes

  • Season the short ribs before you brown them and then season the curry base as well. Layers of seasoning is the best way to get all those flavors in.
  • When browning the meat, let it sit in the pan in a single layer, and cook on one side for 3-4 minutes before you flip them over. That is the best way to get a good sear. Be patient.
  • Use a nice wide cast iron pan or dutch oven so all the short ribs can stay in one layer and you can use the same pan to put it in the oven to cook low and slow.
  • It needs at least 2 hrs of cooking in the oven. 2 ½ - 3 hrs would be ideal.
  • If the fat is too much for you, don't trim the fat from the beef. It helps to keep the meat moist when cooking for a long time. Instead, make ahead and chill in the refrigerator. The fat will form a nice layer on top and you can skim that off before reheating the curry to serve it.
  • To reheat, keep it out from the fridge for 30 mins or so to get to almost room temperature and then heat in the oven or on the stove top.

Nutrition

Serving: 2short ribs | Calories: 1105kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 69g | Fat: 85g | Saturated Fat: 40g | Cholesterol: 195mg | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 1850mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 874IU | Vitamin C: 72mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 13mg
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Hi, I'm Manju!

Pull up a chair and grab a cup of chai while I take you along on a fabulous journey in my kitchen. Whether you love to cook with spices or you are intimidated by them, I can help you discover the power of spices in your food.

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