Instant Pot Braised Curry Beef

4.97 from 31 votes

This braised curry beef is a traditional Chinatown recipe of tender braised beef made in a fraction of the time using an Instant Pot!

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1

Course: Beef

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Calories: 440kcal

Author: Sarah

3 1/2 pounds beef outside flank/rough flank (牛腩, can also substitute beef brisket or chuck, cut into large 2-inch cubes)
¼ cup vegetable oil (plus 1 tablespoon, divided)
5 cloves garlic (chopped)
5 shallots (finely chopped)
3 bay leaves
⅓ cup curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 cups beef broth (chicken broth or water)
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt (plus more to taste)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 large onions (cut into wedges)
2 teaspoons cornstarch (dissolved in 1 tablespoon water)

First, blanch the beef to get rid of any impurities. Add the chunks of beef to a wok full of cold water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, drain, rinse, and set aside.
Heat ¼ cup of oil in the Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Add the garlic, shallots, and bay leaves to infuse the oil. Cook for a few minutes. Then add the curry powder and turmeric. Stir until well-combined. If need be, add a little bit more oil so the curry powder doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Take care not to burn the spices!
After a minute, add in the beef, broth or water (reduce the amount of liquid here to ⅔ cup if using beef chuck instead of outside flank), sugar, salt, and tomato paste. Seal the Instant Pot, and turn on the meat stew setting for 45 minutes (reduce cooking time to 30 minutes if using beef chuck).
Meanwhile, sauté the onions in 1 tablespoon oil in your wok for 1-2 minutes. They should still be a bit crunchy. Set aside. Release pressure completely from the Instant Pot using natural release.
When safe, open the lid of the Instant Pot, and turn on the sauté setting. Stir in cornstarch slurry, and allow the sauce to thicken for a couple minutes. If the curry isn’t thick enough for your liking, make and add more cornstarch slurry accordingly. After the sauce has thickened, stir in the sautéed onions. Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste. Serve over rice.