This low carb keto beef curry stew with winter vegetables and coconut milk provides extra warming power and an extra dose of vegetables with just 30 minutes or less of prep.
I've been working on this low carb beef curry stew for a couple of months. My family just loves it. I've prepared it all kinds of ways trying to develop the best technique for ease and speed while still maintaining flavor and ingredient integrity.
If I had my choice, I would serve beef for dinner several times a week. With all of the beef bashing occurring in the news and literature the last several years, I'm surprised that the prices continue to rise. I know, it's probably California's fault. Somehow it's always California's fault. Just blame us Californians and be done with it. lol.
How to Make Low Carb Beef Curry Stew
I've decided on two ways that I like to prepare this low carb curry and both only require about 30 minutes of prep. The beef curry may be cooked in a dutch oven or in a crock pot. The challenge I encountered repeatedly as I tested this dish was that by the time the beef was tender, the vegetables were a bit over-cooked and were the same color as the curry. Don't get me wrong it tasted amazing, but let's just say that it didn't photograph well - it wasn't very pretty.
The only way around the "ugly brown food" dilemma was to cook the vegetables separately from the meat. To do this, I steamed the butternut squash, cauliflower, and green beans all together in the microwave for about 4-5 minutes then stirred them into the curry at the end of cooking. I also steamed the zucchini in the microwave.
NOTE: I understand that some of you do not like to use the microwave to heat food. A steam basket in a pot works just fine. And feel free to use more vegetables in the curry. I chose the proportions to fit my daily carb intake.
Serving this flavorful and hearty low carb beef curry stew over zucchini noodles was perfect and provided a nice dose of veggies. Did I mention that my family loved it? Even the picky one!
This Hearty Low Carb Beef Curry Stew with Winter Vegetables is a complete meal and 9 net carbs per big serving!
Nutritional Info per 8 servings: Calories: 305, Fat: 22, Carbohydrates: 9, Fiber: 3, Protein: 20, NET CARBS 7
Low Carb Beef Curry Stew with Winter Vegetables
Ingredients
Beef Curry
- 1 ½ pounds beef stew meat 24 ounces
- 2 cloves medium garlic sliced
- 4 ounces onion
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon pure chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 large jalepeno or 2 serrano chili peppers diced (optional)
- 14 ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup beef bouillon broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
The Vegetables
- 4 ounces butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 4 ounces green beans trimmed and cut
- 4 ounces cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 ½ pounds zucchini spiralized into zoodles
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Brown the Beef
- Place a dutch oven or a large frying pan over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil and working in batches, brown one side of the beef - nice and brown. Add more oil if necessary. Remove to a bowl after cooking.
Prep the Veggies
- While the beef is browning, prepare the vegetables, placing the squash, cauliflower and beans into a microwaveable bowl. If you plan to cook the veggies with the curry, leave the bowl out on the counter. They do go a little mushy and lose their color if cooked the in the curry. (If you plan to steam the veggies and add towards the end of the curry cooking time, then cover with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator until needed.)
- Spiral cut the zucchini, cover and put in the refrigerator.
Method
- After the beef has cooked (and has been removed), turn the heat under the pan to medium and add a little more oil. Add the onions and cook until almost translucent. Add the garlic and ginger (and peppers if using) and cook until softened, then add the spices and heat until aromatic. Next, add the coconut milk and tomato paste and stir, scraping up all of the brown spatters and bits into the sauce. Add the salt and pepper.
- Put the beef back in the dutch oven and add 1 cup of beef broth. Cover and bring to a simmer. If cooking the veggies in the beef curry, add them to the pot now. Turn the heat down and simmer until the meat is tender 1 ½ - 2 hours. (If adding the veggies later, steam the veggies when the beef is tender, then add them stirring to coat.) Add the cilantro and lemon juice and stir. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Serve over the zoodles.
- Zoodles: To steam the zucchini add 2 tablespoons of water and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Cook in the microwave on high power for 5-6 minutes. Drain by lifting the corner of the plastic and letting the water run out. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve the curry over the zoodles.
Notes
Nutrition
Chicken Moilee (Indian Coconut Curry)
Erica B
This was really good, Kim. The spices combine beautifully, and the curry flavor is mild but prevalent. I eyeballed the measurements (short on time) and I had to simmer the onions, garlic, and ginger with some beef broth to deglaze the pot and avoid burning the very thick fond at the bottom (which formed as my beef stuck strangely and incredibly during the browning process). I used carrots and green beans in the stew and served it with a scoop of cauliflower rice and a wedge of fathead flatbread. The end result was delicious. My husband, who doesn't usually care much for the broth/sauce part of soups and stews, said he really liked the "gravy" in this one. And because I doubled it (a safe bet with your recipes!) we have a few portions tucked away in the freezer. Another great dish; thank you!
(By the way, beef broth is missing from the ingredients list.)
Kim
Super! I'm glad you and your husband enjoyed the recipe, Erica. I added the missing ingredient - thanks for letting me know. Enjoy the rest o your week! -Kim
Matt
I made this with the optional hot peppers - used two medium jalapeno peppers because they didn't have any large ones. It was hot! But delicious.
Kim
I’m glad you liked it. -Kim
Sarah G
Awesome! Thanks. I can't wait to make it.
Sarah G
I'm assuming that the carb count comes also from the veggies you used? It could be less over the zucchini noodles only, you think? Looks yummy.
Kim
Yes, the butternut squash is a little higher in carbs, that's why I used just a little. It gives a nice flavor-treat for those of us who usually don't eat those higher carb veg. Honestly, I double the butternut squash and give most of it to my kids who are much more active than I! Of course one could nix the butternut squash altogether and add more cauliflower and green beans. Thanks for the compliment. I hope you enjoy it! -Kim