Katherine Ferguson was kind enough to send me a copy of Kausar Ahmed’s book, “The Karachi Kitchen” in December last year. The book is a small collection of classic and contemporary flavors of Pakistan. Born in Karachi, Kausar is a food stylist, chef and cooking instructor that splits her time between Pakistan and the United States.
I enjoyed perusing through the book but didn’t have time to test out any of her recipes till I got back from Pakistan in March. I especially enjoyed making dum kay pasanday – beef strips marinated in a glorious spice blend and then slow cooked over a few hours. It’s a richer variation of an old recipe, Anita’s Bhuna Ghosht that I like to make in the winter.
I was going to make Kausar’s dum kay pasanday for Eid this coming week. It’s a flavorful, celebratory main that will pair well with both pulao and roti although, Kausar does specifically recommend serving it with piping hot naan. Check out her recipe below updated with some of my notes.
Enjoy and Eid Mubarak!
Dum Kay Pasanday (Masala-Rubbed Roast Beef)
Ingredients
Spice Rub
- 1 1/2 tsp black peppercorn
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp whole cloves
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 1 1/2 inch cinnamon stick broken into small pieces
- 2 tbsp coconut flakes
- 10 whole dry red chilies
Beef
- 2 lbs beef tenderloin trimmed and chopped into thin 2-inch slices
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 tbsp canola/sunflower/vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- Toast spices in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 3 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until mustard seeds begin to pop. Cool completely and then grind into a powder using a spice or coffee grinder.
- In a large platter, mix the beef, salt, yogurt, lemon juice, ginger and garlic paste and spice mix. Marinate for 2 hours, or more.
- Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and fry until caramelized, about 10 minutes.
- Add the marinated beef and water; mix well and cover. Cook on stove on low heat for 3 hours or until meat is tender.
- Remove from stove. Place in serving platter and garnish with onion, green chili, cilantro, ginger and lemon. Serve with naan.
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