Curried Beef, Poultry or Seafood

Curried Beef, is a simple Chinese style recipe you can make with beef, chicken, pork, fish, seafood or any combination. You can also omit or substitute tofu (bean curd) for the meat for a vegan or vegetarian recipe.

Curried Beef has the intense flavor of an Asian curry with quick cooking, stir-fried beef and onion.

You can make this recipe mild, medium, or hot by adjusting the amount or omitting the chili sauce.  This recipe, as prepared, has about medium heat. But heat levels from person to person. What is mild to one person can be uneatable to another.

Rice Wine & Sherry

Sherry can be substituted for rice wine. Avoid so-called cooking sherries. They are inexpensive, inferior substitutes for sherry.

Like recipes calling for wine, use a good quality sherry or rice wine (saki). Unlike wine, sherry has a high alcohol content and will last for years after opened.

You can also substitute a dry white wine for rice wine.

Servings

This recipe makes 4 entree size servings and can be doubled.

Serving Suggestion

Chinese entrees are usually served with white or brown rice.

One serving of curried beef with 1 cup of rice has between 375 to 425 calories depending on the type of rice. Converted and other long grain rice has about 200 calories per cup. Short grain rice has about 270 calories per cup.

You can reduce or omit the rice to cut calories, or substitute another grain like quinoa.

Variations

Variations of this recipe are limited only by your imagination. Some suggested variations include:

• Substitute any meat or vegetable protein for the beef.
• Omit bell peppers.
• Replace bell peppers with broccoli or cauliflower florets.
• Add bamboo shoots and/or water chestnuts.
• Add about 4 ounces (115 g) fresh or canned mushrooms (any variety).
• Add sliced bamboo shoots or water chestnuts.
• Adjust the amount of soy sauce and rice wine to taste.
• Add a tablespoon (15 ml) of regular or vegetarian oyster sauce.

Cook’s Tip

• Freezing beef 30 to 60 minutes makes it easier to slice into thin strips.
• Have all ingredients ready before you start cooking. Stir-frying takes only minutes.
• You can add all or half of the curry powder in Step 3. Adding half of the curry powder in Step 4 intensifies the flavor.

Nutrition Information

• Nutrition information is for curried beef without rice. Substituting chicken breast for the beef saves about 20 calories while adding an extra gram of protein.
• Substituting shrimp for the beef, cuts 40 calories and 4 grams of protein while increasing cholesterol to 70mg.
• Three-quarter cup (3/4, 120g cooked) of rice adds about 170 (long-grain) to 200 (short grain) calories. The higher number is for short grain rice. If you weigh your rice, cooked long and short grain rice has about 170 calories per 120 gram serving.

Related Recipe

Ginger Beef

Ingredients

• 8 oz. (225 g) beef tenderloin, chicken, or shrimp
• 1 (300 g) large onions cut into wedges and separated
• 1 tablespoons (15 ml) vegetable oil
• 2 medium (300 g) bell peppers, any color
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup (80-120 ml) water
• 4 teaspoons (20 ml) curry powder
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (22.5 ml) low sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (22.5 ml) rice wine or dry sherry
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) Chinese chili sauce (sriracha or sambal oelek) or to taste
• 1 cup (200 g) parboil (converted) rice or sushi

Method of Preparation