Beef Buffad
Buffad is a stew from Kerala in southern India. Beef cubes simmer in coconut milk with cinnamon, cloves, cumin, ginger, and wine vinegar until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick.
The name comes from the Portuguese “bufado”, a braise. The dish is part of the Anglo-Indian and Syrian Christian kitchen of Kerala, where Portuguese and local Indian elements meet. This is why wine vinegar is used instead of tamarind or kokum, which are otherwise common in south Indian stews.
The long simmer does its work — first without the vinegar so the meat becomes tender, then with the vinegar stirred in at the end so the acidity is preserved. The result is rich and warmly spiced, with the coconut milk rounding the sauce and the vinegar keeping it sharp. It is a good dish for a slow weekend cook. Serve with rice or appam.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 3 tbsp oil
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 3 green chillies, freshly chopped
- 3½ cm fresh ginger, chopped
- 750 g beef, cubed (e.g. braising steak)
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 300 ml coconut milk
- 150 ml wine vinegar
- salt, to taste
Directions
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until they just begin to colour.
Add the garlic, chillies, and ginger. Stir and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the beef cubes along with the chilli powder, turmeric, pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir well so the spices coat the meat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
Pour in the coconut milk. It should just cover the meat — add a little water if not. Season with salt.
Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for about 1½ hours until the meat is almost tender.
Stir in the wine vinegar. Continue simmering uncovered for about 30 minutes until the meat is fully tender and the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust salt.
Notes
Active time about 30 minutes, total cooking time about 2 hours.
The vinegar goes in at the end to preserve its sharpness. If it cooks from the start, much of the brightness cooks off.
The dish improves if left overnight. Reheat gently over low heat.
Braising steak from chuck or shoulder works well — it stands up to the long simmer and becomes tender.
Serve with basmati rice or appam (South Indian rice pancakes).
See Also
Vinha d'Alhos
Cucumber Raita (Kheera Raita)
Coconut Chutney
Green Chutney
