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Filipino Beef Curry

Filipino Beef Curry

Filipino Beef Curry transforms humble chuck roast into buttery-tender morsels swimming in a golden, coconut-enriched curry sauce. Unlike its bolder Thai and Indian cousins, this Pinoy adaptation features a gentler, sweeter curry profile that perfectly marries Southeast Asian spices with Filipino comfort food elements. Chunks of potato and carrot soak up the velvety sauce, while bell peppers add bright pops of color and texture. The result is a deeply satisfying one-pot dish that's simultaneously familiar and exotic—equally at home on both weekly dinner tables and special occasions. It's the kind of recipe that proves Filipino cuisine's remarkable talent for taking international flavors and making them uniquely, deliciously our own.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Filipino, Thai
Servings 6
Calories 439 kcal
Difficulty Intermediate

Ingredients
 

For the Meat and Vegetables

  • 3 pounds beef chuck roast karneng baka, cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 2 medium potatoes patatas, peeled and cubed
  • 2 large carrots peeled and cubed
  • 1 large onion sibuyas, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic bawang, minced
  • 1 thumb-size ginger luya, julienned
  • ½ red bell pepper pulang siling pangsigang
  • ½ green bell pepper berdeng siling pangsigang

For the Sauce

  • 1 can 13.5 oz coconut milk (gata)
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder pulbos ng curry
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce patis
  • 2 cups water tubig
  • ¼ cup cooking oil mantika
  • Salt and pepper asin at paminta

Instructions
 

  • Begin by preparing your ingredients. Take your beef chuck roast (karneng baka) out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to reach room temperature. While waiting, peel and cut your potatoes (patatas) and carrots into uniform 2-inch cubes. Clean your bell peppers (siling pangsigang) and slice them into strips. Finely chop the onions (sibuyas) and garlic (bawang), then julienne the ginger (luya). This preparation (paghahanda) ensures smooth cooking later.
  • Pat your beef dry with paper towels and cut it into uniform 2-inch cubes. Season the meat generously with salt (asin) and black pepper (paminta). Having uniform sizes ensures even cooking (pantay na pagluluto).
  • Place a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat (190°C/375°F). Add your cooking oil (mantika) and let it heat until shimmering. Working in small batches to avoid overcrowding, sear the beef chunks until they develop a golden-brown crust on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the browned meat and set aside on a plate.
  • Lower the heat to medium (165°C/325°F) and in the same pot, add your chopped onions. Cook them until they become translucent and soft (malinaw at malambot), about 3-4 minutes. Add your minced garlic and julienned ginger, cooking for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant (mabango). Add your curry powder and toast it briefly for 30 seconds to release its essential oils and deepen the flavor (paramasarap).
  • Return the seared beef to the pot and pour in the water (tubig) and fish sauce (patis). Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low (150°C/300°F). Cover the pot and let it simmer for approximately 1.5 hours, or until the meat becomes tender enough to easily pierce with a fork (malambot na malambot).
  • Once the meat is tender, pour in your coconut milk (gata). Stir gently and bring the curry back to a simmer uncovered. Cook for 15 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly (lumapot ng konti).
  • Add your cubed potatoes and carrots to the pot. Let them cook in the curry sauce for 10 minutes or until they're tender but still hold their shape (malambot pero hindi lulusaw). In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add your sliced bell peppers. This keeps them crisp and colorful (malutong at makulay).
  • Taste your curry and adjust the seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or fish sauce according to your preference (ayon sa panlasa). The sauce should be rich and creamy, coating the back of a spoon (malapot at malinamnam).
  • Let the curry rest for 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to settle. During this time, the sauce will continue to thicken slightly and the flavors will develop further.
  • Serve your Filipino Beef Curry hot over steamed rice (mainit na kanin). Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. When reheating, do so gently over medium-low heat (165°C/325°F), adding a splash of water if needed to maintain the sauce's consistency. You may also freeze portions for up to 3 months.
  • Remember that this curry often tastes even better the next day, as the flavors have more time to meld together (mas lalasa pa kinabukasan). When reheating, always ensure the curry is heated thoroughly to 165°F (74°C) for food safety.

Tips from Lola's Kitchen

  • Marinate beef overnight for maximum flavor
  • Use room temperature coconut milk to prevent curdling
  • Toast curry powder to release essential oils
  • Cut vegetables in similar sizes for even cooking
  • Skim off excess oil for a lighter dish
  • Let meat rest 5 minutes after searing
  • Add coconut milk at the end to prevent splitting
 

Nutrition

Calories: 439kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 46gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 1055mgPotassium: 932mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 727IUVitamin C: 42mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 5mg
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